Banish those winter blues in Ballincollig
WITH no end in sight yet to the long dark nights the return of the annual Ballincollig Winter Music Festival is set to warm the cockles of the hearts of Cork music fans.
Now in its ninth year the festival has earned a deserved reputation for attracting an eclectic and exciting mix of new and established Irish and international acts to the festival hub at the White Horse.
Once again organisers have pulled out all the stops to put together a packed programme of gigs over the four-days of the festival, with nightly headline gigs ‘Upstairs’ at the White Horse and a raft of other fringe events taking place at venues across the town.
The programme at the White Horse will kick off on Thursday, January 25 with an evening in the company of Choice Music Prize nominated Irish singer/ songwriter Wallis Bird with a full band. She will be supported on the night by riding Canadian folk/roots singer and banjo player Kaia Kater.
The following evening the exciting duo of multi instrumentalist & singer/composer Larry Campbell and singer/ guitarist Teresa Williams will bring a healthy dose of Americana to the White Horse. After seven-years of plating with the Leon Helm’s Band, the duo released their debut album in 2015 and are renowned for bringing their crackling creative energy to the live stage.
On Saturday afternoon Irish Times journalist Tony Clayton Lea will curate ‘Culture Vultures’, a lively mix of debate, searching interviews and live performances to the White Horse. That evening the festival goers are in for a real treat with a gig by Cork’s own Rubyhorse, who have spent the past 12-months working on material for a new album due out in the New Year.
An exciting Sunday double-header will see an afternoon performance in the company of Alec Finn, Frankie Gavin and Derek Hickey with special guest Italian folk and world music star Lavinia Mancusi. The festival will draw to a close at the White house later that evening with the Niall McCabe Band launching their new album with support from Rowan.
The festival will also take a step away from Ballincollig on Sunday evening, with the acclaimed White Horse Guitar Club bringing their Kentucky and Tennessee roots style of music to the stage of the Cork Opera House.
For more details of the festival, regular updates and tickets visit www.whitehorse.ie.