The Role of the Mandolin in Irish Traditional Music

This dissertation critically examines the emergence and use of the mandolin in Irish traditional music. This research is informed by an investigation of a variety of socio-cultural and musical factors that shape the potential for the integration of the mandolin into the tradition. Information is drawn from Irish and international sources that focus on the use of the mandolin in other cultures and musical traditions. The development of the mandolin as an instrument and the music associated with it in Europe from the seventeenth century, through a period of popularity in the nineteenth century, and its eventual adoption into Bluegrass music in the twentieth century are examined. Musical developments in Ireland in the twentieth century are also investigated in order to contextualize the emergence of the mandolin as an instrument in the Irish music traditions. A number of existing subcultures in Irish traditional music which engaged with innovation and experimentation fostered the integration of the mandolin into the canon of Irish traditional music. The influence of Irish mandolin players is documented in this study and explored through a detailed investigation of recordings, which combined with interviews, video recordings and other published sources, are employed to illustrate the stylistic approaches on the mandolin in Irish traditional music. It contends that these musicians, including those more readily identified as banjo players, through their musical activities, facilitated the introduction of new instruments and new approaches to Irish traditional music. Thus, the integrity of the mandolin as an instrument in Irish traditional music was encouraged, leading to its acceptance as a recognised and familiar instrument in the soundscape of Irish traditional music