By - Unknown.
The place was Tara and the date was 1792 when thousands of harpers gathered because of a crisis.
Back then they were worried that harp music was on the decline and so convened a summit to save the day.
More than 200 years later the Harpers of Ireland again feel it's necessary to meet in protest.
This time their concern is destruction of the Tara valley by the Government who stubbornly insist on putting a motorway through a landscape that's now on the endangered sites list of the international World Monuments Fund.
Protest
On Saturday, in what is a unique musical and cultural event, the harpers of Ireland will gather at the Dail and make their musical protest.
"What's great is that, while we all wouldn't necessarily agree on harp styles and how the harp tradition should be passed on, everyone is unanimous on this", says harpist Laoise Kelly. "Everyone disagrees with the motorway".
Laoise, a recording artist who's worked with Kate Bush, The Chieftains, Mary Black and others, became active in the campaign earlier this year. "I knew that this awful thing was going on at Tara but like everyone else in Ireland I put my head in the sand", she says. "I realised I should be doing more".
"My friend Ann-Marie O'Farrell, a really well-known harpist who has a high standing in the harp world said, 'we should bring our harps and surround the Dail with harps', explains Laoise.
Support
"We're getting huge support from musicians all around the world". "The harp has been used in the coat of arms of Ireland since 1270 and is the symbol of the Irish State today", says Laoise.
"We object to the continued destruction of cultural sites in the Tara/Skryne Valley".
"Turlough O'Carolan went to Tara and composed Planxty Wilkinson", says Laoise. "For centuries Baronstown at Tara was the place for thousands of harpers to meet at the large circular enclosure that they (the developers) destroyed under cover of darkness at 4am on July 4.
"But the power of the harp is incredible", she adds.
Assembly of the Harpers of Ireland at Kildare Street on Saturday at 3.00pm.
© Evening Herald, 20th. September 2007.
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