Career
He was the harper of the Earl of Antrim. Donnchadh Ó hAmhsaigh, known in English as Denis Hempson also a harper, was a great admirer of Cornelius Lyons and played a number of fine baroque-style variation sets by Lyons. Only one of the tunes Lyons composed survives.
This is "Mission Hamilton" (Inion i Hamilton).
However Lyons wrote variations on existing tunes of which five have survived, including "The Coolin" and "Slieve Gallen". "Mission Hamilton" was written in 1706.
