Paul Dooley

Callura Harps

Instrument maker

©PDooley

Recreating medieval sound

Paul is a self-taught harp maker
He contributes to the revival of the traditional Irish harp
He combines research and experimentation

Inspired by the sound of the metal-strung harp and the exquisite craftsmanship of the surviving Irish harps, Paul Dooley began making instruments in the early 1980s. Reconstructing the medieval Irish harp is a voyage of discovery and as a harp maker Paul is self-taught. His work draws on the methods and techniques of other musical instrument making traditions but mostly on experimental research. Over the past decades this has involved in-depth studies of the principles underpinning the design of the old harps, the materials used, and string making techniques. While keeping traditional materials and philosophies at the core of his work, satisfying the demands of the modern world calls for innovative designs – a challenge always relished by Paul.

Interview

©PDooley

©PDooley

Have you always created with your hands?: My grandfather was a blacksmith and his father before him, so I come from a long line of craftsmen. From an early age I was fascinated with woodwork and hand tools. The ambition to make musical instruments came later but I was always interested in making.
How did you begin making instruments?: I first heard the sound of a metal-strung harp when I was about seven and I was mesmerised. In my 20s, having spent hours gazing at the Trinity College harp in Dublin, I convinced myself that a harp should not be too difficult to make and I had a go.
How is your craft informed by tradition?: The traditional craft of harp making in Ireland all but died out by the early 1800s. Thankfully, a number of harps have survived from as early as the mid-1300s. Retrieving the techniques involved in making the originals comes down to trial and error.
What is special about producing a harp?: A finished harp can take six weeks or more before it finds its shape and voice, keeping everyone in suspense for that time. But it is worth the wait. There is something gratifying in discovering that knowledge thought to have been lost can be retrieved.

Paul Dooley is an expert artisan: he began his career in 1982