Rose Mooney

Rose Mooney (born c. 1740) was an itinerant Irish harpist during the 18th century, a time when the itinerant tradition was dying out.

Harp festivals

Granard Harp Festival The memoirs of harpist Arthur O'Neill contain records of Mooney's experience at the Granard Festivals. She was the only woman to compete in the Granard festival of 1781. Third place and five guineas went to Mooney for her rendering of Planxty Burke. She continued to participate, and won third place in the 2nd and 3rd Granard festivals of 1782 and 1783. This time her reward was four guineas. She participated in the last two festivals of 1784 and 1785 as well, but it is unclear where she placed. From the second festival, she was not the only woman competitor, as Catherine Martin also participated. Mooney, then 52, participated. She rehearsed with the rest of the harpers in public until the final show in the assembly rooms. 15 judges presided.

According to Arthur O'Neill, Mooney "...pledged her harp, petticoat, and cloak." Mary led Mooney into seedy establishments that were "inseparable for poor blind harpers." However, Edward Bunting notes Planxty Charles Coot as having been taken down from "Rose Mooney the harper in 1800."