Friday, 29 July 2022 | 18.5°C Dublin

Cormac McCarthy, Martin Hayes and Brian Donnellan will be among the artists performing performing during the opening concert on August 24.

An exciting programme of intimate concerts has been put together for the latest edition of the ‘Masters of Tradition’ music festival, which will return to Bantry from August 24-28.

N ow in its 20th year, the festival is renowned for journeying into the very heart of traditional Irish music, providing a welcome platform for bringing more subtle elements of the genre to wider audiences.

As ever, the festival will be headlined by its artistic director East Clare fiddle player Martin Hayes, whose extravagant virtuosity has helped bring traditional Irish music to new levels.

“Inside traditional Irish music is a significant mastery, something that may well go unnoticed at a big outdoor concert or in the corner of a noisy bar,” said Martin.

Cork's essential reads in local news and sport, straight to your inbox every week

Enter email address This field is required Sign Up

“In this (Master of Tradition) environment, it is possible to bring people inside a very intimate and detailed experience of the music. This was an experience I was fortunate enough to have growing up and I want to share that with people,” he added.

Martin will be joined for the festival opening concert at the Maritime Hotel by Cork pianist Cormac McCarthy, accordion player Brian Donnellan, dancer Stephanie Keane and sean-nós singer Saileog Ní Cheannabháin.

The eagerly anticipated Thursday evening concert at St Brendan’s Church will feature the renowned Kathryn Tickell Trio from Northumberland. “To say that Kathryn plays pipes is like saying that Shakespeare was a bit of a writer… one of the true stars of our music.”

The Bantry House concerts open on Friday evening with fiddler Sorcha Costello and pianist Catherine McHugh joined by Lorcán MacMathúna, fiddler Daire Bracken and pianist and accordionist Martin Tourish.

Late night audiences can catch uilleann piper David Power with violinist Marja Gaynor and Flamenco guitarist John Walsh.

The popular duo, concertina player and dancer Caitlín Nic Gabhann and fiddler Ciarán Ó Maonaigh take to the Bantry House stage on Saturday, alongside accordion player Derek Hickey and guitarist Steve Cooney.

The candlelit late night ‘níos déanaí’ welcomes the Cormac McCarthy Project featuring fiddle player Aoife Ní Bhriain, cellist Kate Ellis and singer Nell Ní Chróinín, Brian Donnellan and Cormac McCarthy for music specially composed and arranged by McCarthy himself.

Elsewhere during the five-day festival there will be secret concerts in unique local venues including Future Forests in Kealkil, as well as a series of talks in Bantry’s oldest pub, Ma Murphy’s.

For more information about the festival, including ticket prices, visit www.westcorkmusic.ie.

A Mediahuis Website © Independent.ie