FRIDAY OCTOBER 4TH
- A Celebration of Sliabh Luachra @ The Kino (8pm, €15)
Cork Folk Festival honours the life of co-founder Timmy “the Brit” McCarthy, with a night of Sliabh Luachra music featuring genre exponents Eoin “Stan” O’Sullivan, Matt Cranitch and Jackie Daly, Bryan O’Leary and Niamh Ni Charra. - Andy Irvine @ Triskel Christchurch (8pm, €25)
Planxty co-founder and world music pioneer marks the Folk’s 40th anniversary with a solo performance. This 2003 documentary on the former, aired on RTÉ’s No Disco, says more than your writer ever could. - Laurie Shaw @ The Roundy (8.30pm, €6/€12 with an album)
The prolific Laurie Shaw launches ‘Helvetica’, yet another full-length, adding to a repertoire of 70-odd releases (off the top of your writer’s head at least). Support from Claire O’Brien. - Fox Jaw @ DeBarra’s of Clonakilty (10pm, free)
Limerick’s folk-rockers/retired bounty hunters head out to Clonakilty’s genre outpost for an intimate session. - VIYBZ @ Dali (10pm, €10)
Pronounced ‘vibes’, and led by DJ Gwada Mike, it’s Afrocentric and urban sounds ’til close upstairs on Carey’s Lane. - Wired Deep @ Cyprus Avenue (11pm, €8)
Leeside house and techno collective head upstairs on Caroline Street for late-night proceedings.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 5TH
- The White Horse Guitar Club @ Cyprus Avenue (7.30pm, €22.50)
The Ballincollig folk outpost’s 22-legged beast plays a headline show at Cyprus Avenue in conjunction with the Folk Festival. - Ocean Floor @ The Roundy/PLUGD (8pm, €5)
Aonghus Reidy brings his solo synth project to the home of PLUGD Records for Box Gigs. Rising Damp makes the journey down from Dubland, and Mark Waldron-Hyden opens. - Cool Earth Fundraiser @ Connolly’s of Leap (8pm, €15)
Mick Flannery, Míde Houlihan and more go under the hammers for a fundraiser for reforestation charity Cool Earth. - Katie Kim and Landless @ The Kino (9pm, €18.50)
Waterford songwriter Katie Kim and four-piece acapella song-collectors Landless double-up for a headline gig as part of the Folk. - Ursidae @ DeBarra’s of Clonakilty (10.30pm, free)
Per the blurb: “a musical collective destined to change the face of music; even if only slightly”. Y’know what? Your writer fucks with that. - PSYK @ Dali (10.30pm, €10)
Madrid techno producer, selector and Non Series label head takes to the decks for Dali’s monthly Under the Rose genre night. - Fish Go Deep @ Cyprus Avenue (11pm, €12)
Greg and Shane continue their thirty-plus-year reign over Cork city’s house community with another of their monthly excursions. As ever: get in on time.
SUNDAY OCTOBER 6TH
- Secret Song Festival @ Levis’ of Ballydehob (2.30pm, €40)
All day long from the early afternoon. Music in every room of the West Cork village venue. No advance announcements. Who’s going to be there? Only one way to find out. - Folkfest at 40 @ Cork Opera House (7.30pm, €32)
The city’s second-longest running festival in modern times hits the big 4-0, and the Opera House hosts the celebrations. That lineup in full: Iarla Ó Lionáird & Steve Cooney; Nollaig Casey & Arty McGlynn; ZoDoMo: Zoe Conway, Donal Lunny, Mairtín O’Connor; Jackie Daly; Matt Cranitch; Caoimhe Eimhear Flannery; Martin & Eliza Carthy.
