Handel in Tallaght in 1742 ?

George Frideric Handel in Tallaght (and the Master of Ceremonies to Nobility’s Balls)

Several times over many years I have heard a story, that when the composer George Frideric Handel was in Dublin in the 1740’s for the world premiere of his “Messiah”, after prolonged professional and personal exertions, he decided to take a break from the big smoke and so decamped out to Tallaght to recuperate.  It is an intriguing and unlikely tale made all the more fascinating by virtue of it, in more recent years, having assumed the status of historical fact.  In a column in what is generally considered Ireland’s national paper of record you can find the following:

  "In the spring of 1742, when Handel was in Dublin prior to the first performance of the Messiah, he stayed in Abbey Street, but it isn't so well known that he also went to stay in Tallaght, to recover from the excesses of food and drink he'd been enjoying in the city centre".

                                                                (“An Irishman’s Diary”, The  Irish Times, 7th August-2015)

There is however, at least one reason why ‘it isn’t so well known”.  And that is because it appears to be largely without foundation.  By 1742 G.F. Handel was one of the most established composers in Europe and preeminent in Britain- as Composer of Musick for the Royal Chapel, he was already on a pension from King George II and, uniquely for a living person, already had a statue erected in his honour in Vauxhall  Gardens.  He had by 1742, fallen somewhat out of fashion and out of favour in society circles in London, but as a newcomer to Dublin was very much the beau of the ball, as it were.  A less likely man to see, bewigged and rambling around Tallaght in 1742, you would not find! 

 

Handel spent almost nine months in Dublin from November 1741 to August 1742, and had his harpsichord transported over to Ireland for the duration of his stay. On April 13th 1742, over 700 guests packed into the New Music Hall on Fishamble Street, for the premier performance of his "Messiah". This was the gig of the year and, so stuck for space were they in the newly opened hall, that women would, somewhat unconventionally not be admitted wearing ‘hoops’, and the gentlemen had to remove their swords.

 

Handel had a fairly packed schedule while in Dublin, not only performing, amending and arranging his musick, but rehearsing, organising and managing related affairs, in addition to maintaining a correspondence with an important and extensive international network of friends, acquaintances, agents and patrons.  He was in a sense, launching a ‘come back’ in London, the success of which could not have been anticipated.

 

Tallaght was a very different proposition to the City of Dublin (and London!) in 1742. You would in all likelihood, not go out of doors in Tallaght in a hoop or with a wig, without a sword and a blunderbuss.  It was to use the parlance of the time, a kingdom of Ruffians and Banditti.  In nearby Jobstown, Christopher Levy, the local blacksmith at the time of Handel’s suspected sojourn in 1742- no doubt a hardy man if ever there was one- acted as the local letting agent for the district.  He was the local REMAX guy.  In the newspapers of the time we find, the principle attractions of the district:

 

1745- Jobstown Wood

 

"Part of the lands at Jobstown, containing about 250 acres of Arable Pasture and Meadow, with a good tyled dwelling house, out-offices, Pidgeon house, with orchard in full bearing, situate near the town of Tallagh, in the county of Dublin, four measured miles from Dublin, very fit for tillage and dairy, to be let for a term of years or lives.  Proposals will be received by Alexander Carrol Esq., on Ormond Key, and land shown by Christopher Levy, Blacksmith, who lives on the high road, near Jobstown".

 

If Handel had ventured to Tallaght (or Tallagh or Tallow as it may have been then), the most obvious residence would, and perhaps could only, have been the Archbishop’s Palace (now the site of the Dominican Priory).  In 1852, almost 110 years after the event, Horatio Townsend published a reasonably detailed account of Handel’s visit to Dublin.  One hundred and fifty pages are given over to his various concerts, rehearsals and schedule during his nine month stay.  Nowhere does it suggest that he ventured out to Tallaght (Or Tallagh or Tallow) or the Archbishop’s palace.

 

So where did the Handel story come from?  The answer may rest in a little old cottage on Kiltipper Lane, Killinarden.

 

 

 Welcome to Handel Cottage, Killinarden

 

 

There is, and has been for a considerable period of time a cottage known locally in Killinarden, and officially for 150 years as “Handel Cottage”.  In the maps of Uppercross in the late 1800s there is, happily standing amid the undulating hills of Killinarden and Ballymana on Kiltipper lane, a little cottage clearly demarked by the name “Handel Cottage”.  1888 is a long time ago- over 130 years ago. It is also 140 years after the time in which Handel was meant to have visited Tallaght in 1742.  When the cottage was put up for auction in the early 1960, it was advertised as “Handel College” and even in planning applications since, it is officially referred to as such.  While Handel Cottage first appeared on the 1888 OS maps for the area, to be fair, it had been known locally by that name for at least 20 years, before being officially referred to as such.  That takes us back to 1868- still over 120 years after Handel’s brief sabbatical.

 

Du Lang, Dulang, Dú Lang…Introducing...Mr. T.J. Dú Lang
“Master of Ceremonies to Nobility’s Balls”

 

In 1867, Mr. T. J. Du Lang (variously spelt- Du Lang; Dulang; Dú Lang) and his wife of five years were residing in Handel Cottage on Kiltipper lane in Killinarden, Tallaght.  It was a relatively new dwelling, built on a site that may previously have contained a hut.  There was certainly very little there in 1742.

 

T.J. Du Lang was the son of Thomas Henry (T.H) and Jane-Anne Du Lang.  Thomas Henry Du Lang, a dance teacher and accomplished musician, arrived back into Dublin from Paris in 1822.  He had trained under a Mr. Coulon in the formal teaching of dance, adopted by the Royal Paris Academy.  On arrival in Dublin he wasted no time in establishing his own dance academy in 86, South Great Georges Street in Dublin. He had been offering dance classes in Dublin the previous year.  His morning “Dance Academy for Young Lady’s” was open Monday to Friday, and the same evenings for “Gentlemen only”, where those interested could learn quadrilles, waltzing or Spanish country dances.  Gentlemen could be instructed privately.  His intended pupils were principally the “Nobility and Gentry”.

 

Mr. and Mrs Du Lang established themselves as leading teachers of music and dance in society circles in Dublin.  Thomas Henry Du Lang was a minor composer, a conductor, pianist, organist, competent violinist and dance teacher. His wife, Jane-Anne, was a trained operatic singer and teacher of some note (excuse the pun)- establishing a reputation for singing Italian Operatic and Sacred Music (It is worth mentioning here, that Italian Opera had been introduced to London the previous century by G.F. Handel).  Between them they had a diverse skill-set and repertoire, from Classical, Choral and Sacred to Operatic, Music Hall and whimsy. They could play, teach, tune and dance, as could their children. The Du Lang family were quite literally- all singing and all dancing.

Having established the Du Lang Academy they regularly gave concerts, recitals, routines and benefit performances in the Rotundo Gardens and the Theatre Royal on Hawkins St, where they would perform a Pas de Deux; at the Mansion House and at the Annual Eruption of Vesuvius Gala in Kingstown- a spectacular fireworks display and musical event featuring dance routines, in present day Dun Laoighaire.  They occasionally toured outside of Dublin to places such as Castlebar, Ballina and Sligo where they would perform a “Petit Opera” with Signor Valetini, to great acclaim.

 

The Annual Grand Fancy Dress Ball for the Relief of the Sick and Indigent Room Keepers, was a particular highlight for the Du Lang’s- an annual fund raising gala attended by the great and the good of Dublin’s society circles including His Excellency the Lord Lieutenant and his household, the Lord Mayor and High Sheriffs.  Below is a taste of the ball held in the Rotundo in March 1840 under the baton of Mr Du Lang:

 

“There were a few inanimate Turks and some walking Greeks; there were also Highlanders, a couple of Jeremy Didlers, and a brace of Widows, one of whom was the best character in the room- the leer of her eye was irresistible.  There was a troop of characters that called themselves the Scratchibowwow Family.  They circulated a ludicrous bill of their performance and were uncommonly well dressed: They consisted of four Niggers, dressed in New York fashion, playing with a different instrument, namely, fiddle, flute, tambourine, and triangle.  Unfortunately the humour of the performance was not broad enough and evident enough to catch the many. There were also Nut-sellers with whirly-gigs, Tinkers and their wives, and an ogre nurse with a squalling child, the squall, imitated by a sickly dog-call; Tape sellers &c., &c.- Dancing and waltzing were kept up with great animation,  during the evening to the music of two military bands, and a quadrille band under the management of Mr Du Lang…”

(Nenagh Guardian, 7th March 1840)

 

All in all, not a bad night out!

 

The Du Langs were the very epitome of refinement.  In 1843 Mrs Du Lang found herself in hot water, when walking down the street one day she encountered a young girl named Mary Doyle.  In a fit of excitement Mrs Du Lang called out in the street to Doyle- “Begone you vagabond!  You stole my husband’s fiddle”.  Regrettably for both parties, Doyle knew nothing of Mr. Du Lang or his fiddle, and Mrs Du Lang found herself summoned as a consequence.  The Du Lang’s were under pressure since Mr. Du Lang had appeared as insolvent in the debtor’s court the previous year.  It’s not inconceivable that Mr. Du Lang had in fact pawned his fiddle.  He was known to frequent illicit gambling dens in the evenings. 

 

On another occasion Mr. Du Lang, on giving a less than satisfactory singing performance, found himself centre stage, dodging pieces of orange peel being fired from the gallery.  On challenging the orange eating malcontent, Du Lang was enthusiastically insulted before being struck in the face, to which he robustly and somewhat disproportionately responded- “You Sir, are not a gentleman”.

 

Their son T.J., and daughter, Louisa followed them into the family business.  From the late 1830s to the late 1850s they earned their livelihood from music and dancing and lived for many years in 19 Upper Merrion-Street in Dublin.  Mr. Du Lang made periodic trips to England and further afield, working for limited seasons in theatres and music halls as a conductor.

 

In November 1857, when the family gave up their residence in Upper Merrion-Street, their son, T.J, moved his own “Academy for Dance and Kalisthenics”, to 26 Upper Mecklenburgh Street, Dublin. 

Young T.J. Du Lang was a man of many talents. In addition to being a conductor, dance teacher, piano- forte tuner and repairer, he briefly managed to juggle the grand and somewhat aspirational occupation of “Master of Ceremonies to Nobility’s Balls”- a niche, but presumably fulfilling job if you could hold it down.

 

In December 1857 Mrs Du Lang, having left Upper Merrion-Street, arrived in Wexford town on a tour- to offer training in Italian and English singing, piano-forte and Spanish guitar. Calling herself a Professor of Vocal and Instrumental music, she offered instruction and practice in Sacred Music- first operating out of Mr. Shaw's on Main Street in Wexford.  By this time the Du Lang’s, now with academies in both Dublin and Wexford, were almost nationwide.  Her intended “tour” would last a full six years, during which time she wouldn’t leave Wexford- having been offered,on arrival, the residency as organist, principle vocalist and conductress for the two parochial churches in Wexford.  There she remained until May 1864, when she retired from the position.

 

In September 1858, for the opening of the new parochial church in Wexford, Mr. T.J. Du Lang conducted, while Mrs Du Lang accompanied as organist.  Louisa Morrin, T.J.’s recently married sister, attended the service while on a visit.

 

By Christmas 1858 T.J. Du Lang, his own Academy for Dance and Kalisthenics in Dublin having failed, followed his mother to Wexford and set himself up as a piano tuner and repairer of piano-fortes.  He had learnt something from his father- targeting in particular the Nobility and Gentry- as his father had 35 years earlier.  On moving to Wexford he dropped the title of “Master of Ceremonies to Nobility’s Balls”, there being less nobility, with smaller balls in the town.

 

 

In May 1862, Thomas Joseph (T.J) Dú Lang married the daughter of the recently deceased 58 year old Joseph Doyle of Killinarden, Tallaght. (During his time in Wexford, T.J appears to have traded his impressive title for an equally impressive accent aigu). As her father Joe had only recently passed away the previous January, they sent no wedding cards.  It was Thomas J.  Dú Lang who, moving to Kiltipper to live with his new wife Monica Judith Dú Lang, named the little Cottage on Kiltipper lane, Killinarden, “Handel Cottage”.  (Before Thomas J. Dú Lang married and moved into the cottage on Kiltipper Lane, his residence in Wexford on 14 High-street, was known as “Handel House”).  T.J.  briefly made his living there, principally as a piano forte tuner, repairer and church organist. 

 

His skills, many as they were, would not have been in premium demand in Killinarden and district in the late 1860s.  They stayed there for a few years, with Thomas occasionally venturing down to Tallaght to repair the piano forte for Rev. William Madden or to Mountain View in Old Bawn, one of only a handful of local residences to have a piano-forte.  Charging a price of 7s 6d for two visits (with no extra charge for strings), it was perhaps only a matter of time before the Dú Lang’s would bid adieu to Handel Cottage.

 

And this is, as far as I can ascertain, the closest George Frideric Handel ever came to Tallaght.

 

 

Albert Perris 
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