Mary O'Hara - Travels With My Harp

'TRAVELS WITH MY HARP - The Complete Autobiography' is Mary's fourth book

Mary's new autobiography was published May 2012 by Shepheard-Walwyn (Publishers) Ltd.

In her new book Mary O'Hara writes about the different phases of her life and their impact on her musical career. She recounts her travels and experiences as an international performer on the concert stages of the world, TV, radio, and in her recordings. She describes life in Africa with her husband after retiring from peforming and recording, the friends and family who have inspired and encouraged her and her deep faith; a constant through all aspects of her life
Since returning home to England in 2002 after six years of African adventure, Mary found herself in demand as a speaker, with requests for her 'Travels With My Harp' talk and multi-media presentations in Ireland, England, Wales, Australia, USA and Canada. Originally intended as a one-off presentation to the World Harp Congress at the University College Dublin during July 2005, Mary unexpectedly found herself travelling again to many of the countries she had previously performed in during her singing and harp-playing days
Her new autobiography is the culmination of this phase of reflection and remembrance and includes new insights gleaned from the research undertaken for the 'Travels With My Harp' presentations and preparation and recent donation of her papers to the Irish Music Archives of the John J. Burns Library, Boston College, Massachusetts, USA
Mary O'Hara recounts her story with warmth and humour in this updated version of her autobiography. The book is illustrated with sixteen pages of colour and black/white photographs (many from Mary's personal collection are published for the first time) and a selection of her expressive sketches of African people she came to know whilst living in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam with her husband

Mary's new autobiography was published May 2012 by Shepheard-Walwyn.
Click on the logo (left) for details and to buy the book from the publisher's website

READ THE NEW CLASSICS ON-LINE REVIEW OF MARY'S NEW BOOK 'Travels With My Harp' Click logo (right)

''..she writes with a clean simplicity which is as accomplished as her singing''

Above: John Paddy Browne reviewing Mary's previous book 'The Scent of the Roses' in THE IRISH POST

''..a lady who is as adept with the pen as she is with the lilting cadences of an Irish song''

Above: Tim Cromer reviewing Mary's previous book 'A Song for Ireland' in the CORK EXAMINER

''The recital of the bare facts of Mary O'Hara's life might almost sound like the plot for a super-saccharin Hollywood tearjerker. The fact that her own account of that life so successfully avoids any hint of sentimentality is a tribute to the clear-eyed realism with which she views the events, happy and tragic, which make up her story so far.

She recounts her own history in readable prose, telling all yet managing at the same time to remain an essentially private person''

from the CATHOLIC HERALD review of Mary's first book 'The Scent of the Roses' (10th October 1980)