Annotation:King of the Blind
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KING OF THE BLIND. Irish, Air (3/4 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. "King of the Blind" is an harp air of uncertain origin first printed by John and William Neal in Dublin in 1724 in their Collection of the Most Celebrated Irish Tunes. As "Carelon or King of the Blind" the tune can be found in the late 18th/early 19th century music manuscript collection of Pádraig Ó Néill (1765-1832), of Owning, near Piltown, north-east of Carrick on Suir. As indicated in Néill's manuscript, the tune has been associated (and sometimes, albeit without evidence, attributed) with blind Irish harper Turlough Carolan (1670-1734), who may have been said to have been 'king of the blind [harpers]'.
Source for notated version:
Printed sources: Neal (A Collection of the Most Celebrated Irish Tunes proper for the violin, German flute or hautboy), 1724; p. 2.
Recorded sources:
Alpha Classics – ALPHA 234-A, Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien - "The High Road to Kilkenny: Gaelic Songs & Dances of the 17th & 18th Centuries" (2016). Gráinne Hambly - "The Thorn Tree" (2006).
See also listing at:
Hear the song performed by Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien on youtube.com [1]
Hear the song performed by Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin on youtube.com [2]