CHAPTER 4: Dulcimers in the British Isles since 1800 > Dulcimers in Northern Ireland

More details

Another Ulster dulcimer of John Leach's is interesting because it seems to be an old example of what the people of Northern Ireland consider the new type of instrument. It has the overall proportions of John Rea's instrument, is somewhat similarly strung - 7 III + 5 III - and has the same sort of bridges. It has no soundhole in the table.

As this section was being written, a letter arrived from David Bradford of Bangor, Co. Down, informing me that his brother James Bradford is an accomplished player, but it was not possible to contact him at that stage; he in fact lives in Coventry, and Mr. Bradford did not mention whether the brothers are from Northern Ireland, England or elsewhere.

All Irish players discovered in this study used the name 'dulcimer', except Derek Bell.

There seems to have been no contact at all between Northern and Southern Irish traditions: the one proposed meeting between two players misfired because each was waiting for the other at a different railway station (48).


WALES