29 September 2021
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
What: 42nd Cork Folk Festival
When: 29th Sept-3rd October 2021
Organisers are delighted to announce a return to live folk music at the 42nd Cork Folk Festival, happening across Cork city from Wednesday 29th September to Sunday 3rd October 2021.
“The festival will celebrate the music of Cork with a strong emphasis on live music. We are indebted to the Cork City Council and Arts Office who grant aided the festival this year. Throughout the year myself and Festival Chairman Jim Walsh have gone through different variations of how the festival could happen in 2021 and scrubbed plans many times as the Covid situation deteriorated. But with the health concerns improving we have settled on a programme that will entice Cork lovers of live acoustic music” says Festival Co-Organiser William Hammond.
Cork Folk Festival have programmed four headline concerts at the Triskel Arts Centre featuring the likes of Freddie White (Sold Out), Steve Cooney, Tara Breen and Fiona Kennedy. An open-air concert ‘Folk Fest in the Park’ with Seán Ó Sé & The Abbey Céili Band will take place live at Fitzgerald Park. There’ll be a celebration of legendary traditional singer Margaret Barry and her grandfather, piper Robert (Bob) Thompson in St Peter’s Church, and a film showing of Ceol na bhFánaithe featuring Margaret Barry. Plus sessions from some of the country’s finest Folk and Trad musicians: Dermot Byrne, Pádraig Rynne Mary Greene, Anna Mitchell, Eoin O Riabhaigh, Johnny McCarthy & Tim O’Riordan and Marty Barry & Cathal Ó Curráin, Maire Ni Chéileachair, Matt Cranitch, and Nesbitt
The festival will also feature the launch of ‘Cork 1920, A City In Flames’ CD by John Murphy. And invite you to join John for the ‘Rebels of Cork’ Walking Tour, or follow the Hedge School Sessions – a series of secret sessions organised to coincide with the Folk Fest.
You can also get involved directly by joining Cork Singers’ Club Zoom Singing Session or various Zoom Workshops in Sliabh Luachra Tunes, Traditional Song, Uilleann Pipes and Flute.
Musicians Fiona Kennedy, Anna Mitchell and Mary Greene who will perform ÔGals at PlayÕ at Triskel Christchurch, Sun 3rd Oct, as part of the 42nd Cork Folk Festival.
This year, Cork Folk Festival, happening September 29th – October 3rd, will be a blended festival, part online and part live.
The bumper programme includes live performances at the Triskel (with limited audience), open air concerts and sessions in parks and gardens, a walking tour, online concerts, singer club events, and Zoom classes in fiddle and song.
PIC Darragh Kane
For Cork Folk Festival Online, selected concerts featuring Garry Cronon and others will be broadcast on Cork Community TV and Live on Facebook.
Tickets for Triskel Christchurch will be available at www.corkfolkfestival.com / www.triskelartscentre.ie
Tickets for A Celebration of legendary traditional singer Margaret Barry at www.PROC.ie
For full programme details, visit www.corkfolkfestival.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/corkfolkfestival
Twitter: https://twitter.com/corkfolkfest
