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The Clàrsach ( Gd. ) or '''Cláirseach''' ( Ga. ) is the name given to the wire-strung Harp of either Scotland or Ireland . The word was originally ''cruit'', but clàrsach begins to make its appearance in the sources by the end of the 14th Century . Until the end of the Middle Ages it was the most popular musical instrument of both Scotland and Ireland, and harpists were amongst the most prestigious cultural figures amongst Irish chiefs and Scottish kings and earls. In both countries, the harpist enjoyed special rights and played a crucial part in ceremonial occassions such as coronation and poetic recital. The Kings Of Scotland employed harpers until the end of the middle ages, and they feature promintently in royal Iconography . Three medieval Gaelic harps survived into the modern period, two from Scotland (the Queen Mary Harp and the Lamont Harp) and one in Ireland (the Brian Boru harp), although we can tell from the artist evidence that all three were probably made in the western Highlands. The surname MacWhirter , ''mac a' chruiteir'', means son of the harpist, and is common throughout Scotland, but particularly in Carrick and Galloway . The clàrsach today has thousands of players, both in Scotland and Ireland, as well as North America and elsewhere. Notable events include the Edinburgh International Harp Festival , which recently staged the world record for the largest number of harpists to play at the same time. BIBLIOGRAPHY
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