Frank Harte (14 May 1933 – 27 June 2005) was a traditional Irish singer, song collector, architect and
lecturer. He was born in Chapelizod, County Dublin, and raised in Dublin.
Harte’s introduction to Irish traditional singing came, he said, from a chance listening to an itinerant
sing “The Valley of Knockanure”:
Harte won the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil singing competition on a number of occasions and in 2003,
he received the Traditional Singer of the Year award from the Irish-language television channel TG4.
Harte recorded several albums and made numerous television and radio appearances, most notably
the Singing Voices series he wrote and presented for RTÉ Radio, which was produced by Peter Browne
in 1987.
Harte’s first two LPs, though released with six years between them, were recorded in one session in
England by Bill Leader with concertina accompaniment on some songs by Alf Edwards.
In September 2006, the first Frank Harte Festival was organised and held in Dublin by Jerry O’Reilly
and other members of An Góilín Traditional Singer’s Club. The second and third festivals were held in
September 2007 and 2008, again organised by An Góilín, and the festival has continued as an annual
event taking place on the last weekend of September each year.
The re-release of When Adam Was In Paradise on 27th June 2025 coincides with the 20th anniversary
of Frank’s passing.
Tracks:
1. Donal Óg
2. Adam In Paradise
3. As I Roved Out
4. I Am Stretched On Your Grave
5. Síle Ní Iyre
6. The Spanish Lady
7. A Spailpín, A Rúin
8. The Brown and Yellow Ale
9. The Lover's Ghost
10. The Bonny Blue Eyed Lassie
11. Red Roses For Me
12. The Lambeg Drummer
13. Matt Hyland
14. I Wonder What's Keeping My True Love
15. The Woods Of Truagh
16. The Holland Handkerchief
17. Easy and Slow
18. True Lover John
19. The Deserted Wife
20. Sweet Sorrow In The Wind
