Annotation:Lady Laetitia Burke

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LADY LAETITIA BURKE. AKA – "Lady Letty Burke." Irish, Planxty (2/4 time). C Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABBCC. Composed by Turlough O'Carolan. Recorded by the Belfast Northern Star of July 15th, 1792 (as "Lady Latitia"), as having been played by one of ten Irish harp masters at the last great convocation of ancient Irish harpers, the Belfast Harp Festival, held that week.

O'Sullivan (1958) identifies the subject as Lady Laetitia Burke, the eldest daughter of the 9th Earl of Clanricard and his wife Bridget, daughter of James Talbot, Templeogue, County Dublin. She married Sir Festus Burke, the subject of another of O'Carolan's pieces, around 1708. She died in June, 1740. Laetitia's father had come out for King James and was captured at the Battle of Aughrim, and, although his life was spared his lands and title were forfeited. When Queen Anne came to the throne he petitioned to be reinstated, and, since he had converted to Protestantism in 1699, his request was eventually granted. Carolan composed airs for many members of the rather large Burke family (eleven sons and six daughters born, of whom five sons and four daughters survived his death in 1722).

Source for notated version: the manuscripts of collector Edward Bunting [O'Sullivan].

Printed sources: Bunting (Ancient Music of Ireland), 1808; p. 55. Complete Collection of Carolan's Irish Tunes, 1984; No. 10, p. 30. O'Sullivan (Carolan: The Life, Times and Music of an Irish Harper), 1958; No. 10, pp. 108–109.

Recorded sources: