Frank Harte was a traditional Irish singer, song collector, architect and lecturer. He was born in Chapelizod, County Dublin, and raised in Dublin. His father, Peter Harte, who had moved from a farming background in Sligo, owned 'The Tap' pub in Chapelizod.
Harte emigrated to the United States for a short period, but returned to Ireland where he worked as an architect, lecturer at DIT in Rathmines, Dublin before concentrating fully on singing and collecting songs.