44th Cork Folk Festival- 27th September- 1st October
The Cork Folk Festival is gearing up for its 44th edition this autumn here is a rundown of what to expect. The festival will pack in nearly 40 events from Wednesday 27th September to Sunday 1st October. Headlining this year’s festival will be a trio of Irelands finest musicians, accordion maestro Sharon Shannon, blues and jazz singer Mary Coughlan and senator and singer Frances Black.
The festival will feature five concerts at Triskel Christchurch; Thursday 28th September with Dingle songstress Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Gerry O’Beirne, Donál O’Connor; Friday 29th with Banjo legends Damien O’ Kane and Ron Block (Alison Krauss Band) from California; Saturday features a lunchtime concert with John Spillane & Conal Creedon and in the evening we feature the legendary UK folk singer Martin Carthy; on Sunday we are commemorating the late singer, Diarmuidín Ó Súilleabháin, in a concert entitled The Diarmuidín Songbook, featuring members of his family, Nell Ní Chróinín and singers from Cuil Aodha.
Waterford singer Karan Casey will be presenting The Women We Will Rise at the Everyman Palace from Wednesday 27th to 30th of September.
Once again, the festival will feature Gals at Play with Mary Greene, Brigid O’ Neill, Molly O’Mahony, Neo Glison and Siobhan O’Brien.
The packed programme will include Dublin singer Daoirí Farrell, Boruma Trio from Co Clare with Eileen O Brien, Andrew MacNamara and Geraldine Cotter, the line up from Cork features Lee Valley String Band, Four Star Trio, the Céilí Allstars, Greenshine and a celebration of Sliabh Luachra music. Steph Geremia will be launching a new CD with Dermot Byrne, Aaron Jones and Ian Carr. Matt Cranitch and Jackie Daly will run a workshop and perform at several concerts.
The list of musicians booked for this year’s festival is growing at it includes songwriters, Cormac O’ Keeffe, John Neville and Martin Leahy, accordionists Ruby Falvey, Diarmuid Ó Meachair and Cork sean nós singers Máire Ní Chéileachair and Danny Maidhic Ó Suilleabhain. As usual the festival will include a hectic programme of concerts in accordion, fiddle, flute and uilleann pipes, a céilí mór, sean nós dancing, music workshops, trad sessions, a walking tour of Rebel Cork and Folk fest in the Fort.
All details will be published on our website, www.corkfolkfestival.com and we can be contacted by email cfolkf@gmail.com and phone 0872759311.