Gráinne Yeats

Gráinne Yeats (14 April 1925 - 18 April 2013) was an Irish harpist and singer, and also a historian of the Irish harp.

She was born as Gráinne Ni hEigeartaigh in Dublin, Ireland, and was raised bilingually in Irish and English. As well as obtaining a degree in history from Trinity College Dublin, Gráinne Yeats studied piano, voice and harp at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin and also studied traditional songs and music from the Irish-speaking (Gaeltacht) areas of Ireland.

She wrote and researched the history and music of the Cláirseach (wire-strung harp), and she was one of the first professional musicians to revive and record this ancient traditional instrument.

She wrote entries about Turlough O'Carolan and other Irish harpers in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.

Gráinne Yeats was married to Michael Yeats, a Fianna Fáil politician and the son of the poet W. B. Yeats. She had three daughters: Caitríona (a concert harpist), Siobhán (a patents professional) and Síle (a broadcaster with RTÉ); and a son, Pádraig (an engineer).

She died on 18 April 2013.

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