Top acts lined up to play Clonakilty Guitar Festival
THE Clonakilty Guitar Festival has partnered with Folk Alliance International (FAI) to host the inaugural FAI European Conference in the town later from September 20-24.
The pilot event will see the new and established acts from across Ireland, Europe, Australis and the US perform showcase events at venues across the town.
The conference will draw Folk Alliance delegates from across the globe to West Cork for panel discussions, workshops and a series of concerts.
The conference will also include the presentation of the prestigious FAI Lifetime Achievement Award to Dónal Lunny. The award celebrates Lunny’s contribution to traditional music over the years and will see him join the likes of Bob Dylan, Pete Seger and Mavis Staples as award winners.
The musical offering will kick-off with a pre-conference concert on Tuesday, September 19 at De Barra’s Folk Club featuring acclaimed Irish acts Ye Vagabonds and Moxie in addition to American singer/ songwriter Laura Cortese.
The following night De Barra’s will host ‘In the Round’, an intimate and informal concert featuring Irish artists Wallis Bird, Mick Flannery and Lisa O’Neill and British singer/songwriter John Smith.
The conference will dovetail seamlessly into the 13th edition of the Clonakilty Guitar Festival, which will see concerts taking place at venues across the area including pubs, libraries, churches, beaches, camper-vans and local shops.
A celebration of the guitar in all its glorious forms, the festival prides itself on making music accessible to all with more than 85% of the events taking place across its duration free to the public.
The line up is as exciting as it is eclectic, featuring international acts including Christopher Paul Stelling (US), The Mae Trio (Australia), The Burning hell (US), Paul Gómez (Spain), The Lovely Eggs (UK) and Kees Van Der Poel (Holland).
There festival will also feature gigs by a plethora of Irish acts including Otherkin John Spillane, My Fellow Sponges, Talos, and Eve Clague.
For more information about the conference and festival,