Handbook of Irish Dances

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. IT has been suggested that the word Cronan, which is mentioned in the sixth century by St. Colman of Cloyne, originally meant a kind of singing accompaniment for dancing. There is no evidence, however, in support of this suggestion. It is now generally accepted that the word originally meant a musical bass,-and, later, a curious kind of nasal singing accomplished with the mouth shut. To the latter may possibly be ascribed the origin of what is known as the traditional style of Irish singing.