Rory Dall O'Cahan facts for kids
Ruairí Dall Ó Catháin, also known as Rory Dall O'Cahan, was an Irish harper and composer. Some people wonder if he was a real person or just a legend. He was likely born around 1580 in County Antrim, Ireland. He might have passed away around 1653 at Eglinton Castle.
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Who Was Ruairí Dall Ó Catháin?
Most of what we know about Ruairí Dall Ó Catháin comes from stories told by another harper named Arthur O'Neill. These stories were written down by others later on. One writer, Francis O'Neill, said that Ruairí Dall lived from about 1570 to 1650. He was active as a musician in the early 1600s.
Arthur O'Neill said that Ruairí Dall was different from most traveling musicians. He was born into an important family, the O'Cahans. His family were friends with the powerful O'Neill dynasty. Their home area was Keenaght, which is now in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Because of his important background, Ruairí Dall traveled to Scotland with many people helping him. He also spent time with important noble people there.
Famous Music by Ruairí Dall
Ruairí Dall Ó Catháin's most famous song is called Give Me Your Hand. In Irish, it's Tabhair dom do Lámh, and in Latin, Da mihi manum.
The Story Behind "Give Me Your Hand"
There's a famous story about how he wrote this song: Ruairí Dall was a proud person. He didn't like it when people didn't respect him. One time, he visited Eglinton Castle in Scotland. The lady of the castle knew he played the harp but didn't know he was from an important family. She rudely told him to play a tune. Ruairí Dall was offended and left the castle.
When the lady found out who he really was, she quickly made up with him. This event gave Ruairí Dall the idea for his song, Tabhair Damh do Lámh, or "Give Me Your Hand." The song became very famous. Even King James I of Scotland heard about it and asked Ruairí Dall to play for him.
Ruairí Dall Meets the King
Ruairí Dall played for the King and everyone loved it. King James I even put his hand on the harper's shoulder. One of the King's helpers asked Ruairí Dall if he understood what a great honor this was. To everyone's surprise, Ruairí Dall said, "A greater man than King James has laid his hand on my shoulder." The King asked, "Who was that man?" Ruairí Dall proudly stood up and said, "O'Neill, Sire!"
Later, in the late 1900s, the band Planxty combined "Give Me Your Hand" with another song called Raggle Taggle Gypsy. This made the song popular again.
Other Songs Attributed to Ruairí Dall
Some other pieces of music are also thought to have been written by Ruairí Dall Ó Catháin. These include:
- Lude's Supper
- The Terror of Death
- The Fiddler's Content
- Rorie Dall's Sister's Lament
- The Derry Air
Francis O'Neill also believed that Port Athol, Port Gordon, and Port Lennox were Ruairí Dall's compositions.
A song called Seabhac Bheal Atha Seanaigh (or The Hawk of Ballyshannon) was written for a wedding. It used a tune by Ruairí Dall Ó Catháin. The famous poet Robert Burns' poem "Ae Fond Kiss" was first published with a tune called "Rory Dall's Port." This tune is still sung by many popular singers today.
Doubts About Ruairí Dall's Existence
In 2017, a Scottish researcher named Keith Sanger shared his thoughts. He believes that Ruairí Dall Ó Catháin might not have been a real person. He thinks the stories were made up by Arthur O'Neill.
Another researcher, Colm Ó Baoill, studied Ruairí Dall's life in 1971 and again in 2007. Ó Baoill said that while Arthur O'Neill's stories can't be proven wrong right now, the history of the Ó Catháin family doesn't support them. By 2007, Ó Baoill wrote that there isn't any real proof for Ruairí Dall's existence. He concluded that the only thing we have left of Ruairí Dall Ó Catháin is his music.
Keith Sanger also looked at the old music books where Ruairí Dall's songs were found. He noted that one important book went missing in 1845. Sanger concluded that there isn't much evidence to show that a person named Rorie Dall Ó Cathain ever existed.
