Fiddle Fair To Celebrate Twenty Years

The Baltimore Fiddle Fair is twenty years old this year, and is celebrating its popularity with musicians with an extended programme made up of some of their favourite acts from down the years.

The Journal Of Music

The Foghorn String Band from 2006 with Fair founder Declan McCarthy and the late Larry Roddy.

The Baltimore Fiddle Fair, County Cork is marking its twentieth anniversary this year by inviting back some of their favourite acts from over the years, including Altan, Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill, Kevin Burke and Tim O’Brien, Cathal Hayden and Arty McGlynn, the Foghorn Stringband with special guest Dirk Powell, and the Manchester musicians Dezi Donnelly, Mike McGoldrick and John Joe Kelly joined by Jim Murray.

Acts from the early days like Any OId Time, Dermot McLaughlin and Frankie Lane and Dermie Diamond, have been programmed with acts from more recent times like Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, Cleek Schrey and Nic Gareiss; and Michelle O’Brien and Laoise Kelly.

As well as concerts, festival events include workshops, a film screening, art exhibition and sessions around the town. The Fair is hosting the Irish premiere screening of the film John Doherty – Ar Leirg na Gaoithe with an introduction by director Eoghan Mac Giolla Bhríde. To fit it all in, the festival will start a day earlier than usual on Wednesday, 9 May, and runs until Sunday, 13 May.

You can listen back (until Thursday, 3 May) to an interview by Ellen Cranitch with founder and organiser, Declan McCarthy, on RTÉ Lyric FM’s Grace Notes website: rte.ie/lyricfm/trad/

fiddlefair.com/

Main Concerts

9 May Dún Na Séad Castle, Any Old Time at 8.30pm

10 May Fiddle Fair Marquee, Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill + Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, Cleek Schrey and Nic Gareiss at 8.30pm

11 May Fiddle Fair Marquee, The Foghorn String Band with special guest Dirk Powell + Cathal Hayden and Arty McGlynn at 9pm

12 May Dún Na Séad Castle, Michelle O’ Brien and Laoise Kelly at 1pm
12 May Glebe Gardens, Second Fiddles (Mike McGoldrick, Dermot Byrne, Derek Hickey and John Doyle) at 3pm
12 May Fiddle Fair Marquee, Altan + Frankie Lane and Dermie Diamond at 9pm

13 May Dún Na Séad Castle, Dermot McLaughlin at 1pm
13 May Glebe Gardens Amphitheatre, Classic Album(s) + Fiddle Fair Mystery All Stars at 3pm
13 May Fiddle Fair Marquee, Kevin Burke and Tim O’ Brien + Dezi Donnelly, Michael McGoldrick, John Joe Kelly and Jim Murray at 9pm