Donnchadh Ó Hámsaigh

Donnchadh Ó hAmhsaigh (Donnchadh Ó Hámsaigh), known in English as Denis Hampsey, Denis Hampson or Denis Hempson (1695 – 5 or 11 November 1807), was an Irish harper.

Ó hAmhsaigh was born in Craigmore, County Londonderry, in 1695. Both his parents were from the area around Magilligan, County Londonderry, where his father, Bryan Darrogher Ó hAmhsaigh "held the whole town-land of Tyrcrevan; his mother's relations were in possession of the wood-town (both considerable farms in Magilligan)." He was raised here and it was also where his musical education began when:

He lost his sight at the age of three years due to small-pox; at twelve years he began to learn to play the harp under Bridget O'Cahan: "For," as he said, "in those old times, women as well as men were taught the Irish harp in the best families; and every old Irish family had harps in plenty." His next master was John C. Garragher, a blind travelling harper, whom he followed to Buncranagh, where his master used to play for Colonel Vaughan: he had afterwards Laughlin Fanning and Pat Connor in succession as masters. "All these were from Connaught", which was, as he added, "the best part of the kingdom for Irish music and for harpers."

Ó hAmhsaigh began to play for himself at the age of eighteen (i.e., in 1713), his first patron being Counsellor Canning of Garvagh, with whom he stayed for half a year. With Squire Gage and Doctor Bacon, Counsellor Canning found and purchased a harp for him, what is now known as The Downhill Harp. He spent the next decade travelling and playing both in Ireland and Scotland. His second journey to Scotland coincided with the 1745 Rebellion:

In his second trip to Scotland, in the year 1745, being at Edinburgh, when Charley the Pretender was there, he was called into the great hall to play; at first he was alone, afterwards four fiddlers joined: the tune called for was, "The king shall enjoy his own again:" – he sung here part of the words following –

"I hope to see the day When the Whigs shall run away, And the king shall enjoy his own again."

'I asked him if he heard the Pretender speak; he replied – I only heard him ask, "Is Sylvan there;" on which some one answered, "He is not here please your royal highness, but he shall be sent for." He meant to say Sullivan, continued Hampson, but that was the way he called the name. He says that Captain McDonnell, when in Ireland, came to see him, and that he told the captain that Charley's cockade was in his father's house.

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