Ruaidri Dall Ó Catháin (fl. late 16th/early 17th century) was an Irish harper and composer.
As with many medieval and early modern Irish musicians, Ruaidri was blind (hence his nickname, Ruaidri "Dall", blind Ruaidri). Captain Francis O'Neill exhibits some uncertainty concerning his lifetime, stating he was born in 1646 but died in 1653. All that can be said is that he was alive during the first half of the 17th century.
Unlike the vast number of travelling musicians, he was a gentleman by birth, his family being hereditary allies of the O'Neill dynasty. Their territory was Keenaght (barony), now part of County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. Reflecting his origins, Ó Catháin 'traveled into Scotland attended by the retinue of a gentle man of large property, and when in Scotland, according to the accounts preserved there also, he seemed to have traveled in the company of noble persons.'
He is credited with composing tunes such as 'The Derry Air' or, 'Londonderry Air' (a lament upon the destruction of the Ó Catháin Clan). Perhaps originally called 'O'Cahan's Lament', the tune is best known as the accompaniment to the song 'Danny Boy'.
His other famous composition is 'Tabhair dom do Lámh'/'Give Me Your Hand'. In the late 20th century, it was wedded to 'Raggle Taggle Gypsy' in a version by Planxty and has since enjoyed a huge resurgence. Text source : Wikipedia (Hide extended text) ... (Read all)
