Hand Crafted Irish Lever Harps

Tomás MacUileagóid has been a traditional Irish musician for 45 years. His main instrument is the fiddle, but he also has achieved proficiency on the Uilleann Pipes and the timber concert flute.

Tomás has been making harps for 20 years, and was very fortunate to learn the craft from Colm Ó Meachair, in Dublin.

Colm started making harps in the late 1970’s and was a pioneer in the evolution of the Irish Lever Harp. Tomás and Colm used to meet for years and chat and refine their ideas about instrument making. Tomás had previously studied violin making.

As a musician, Tomás is obsessed by sound. His experience of playing a violin by Giovanni Guadagnini many years ago in New York, had a profound effect on him. When playing this violin, he kept getting the sense that the instrument had more to offer. In his own words ..’ the fiddle said to me, I have more…”

This idea is central to his making. When making a harp, he strives to build in capacity to offer the musician a wide palette of colour and tone. He listens to the vibration of every piece of wood searching for a structure that provides a platform for the musician.

He tunes each individual soundboard with a tuning fork, a method passed on to him by his mentor Colm. This results in an even tone across all the registers. It also accommodates high tension in the string selection which offers the player a variety of tonal options.

Tomás also specialised in the repair and restoration of Irish lever harps.

All my soundboards are made from 'Moon Spruce"! This timber comes from the Bergen region of Switzerland, grows above 1000m and is only harvested in accordance with the phases of the moon! This produces tonewood of exceptional strength and resonance