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Sam Clague (guitar), Ultan Lavery (organ) and Jim Christy (drums) explore some classic organ trio repertoire and a selection of jazz, blues and boogaloo tunes from a funkier time.

Chris, a Clonakilty native who has emigrated to the UK, has been floating around the music scene for 18 years, gracing many pubs in Clonakilty from DeBarras to Faheys and everywhere in between.

Inspired by folk styles, Chris plays a mix of acoustic style covers and originals.

On his return to the Clonakilty stage after a long hiatus, he is extremely excited to play an acoustic set at the Clonakilty Community Resource Centre.

The Monks – Back in the habit……..

Multi-instrumentalist Rawney (a.k.a. Ciarán Calnan) is an independent artist hailing from the musical melting pot of Clonakilty in West Cork. Having played in various bands from the age of twelve, most notably Setmaker, he has been focusing on solo endeavours of late and his debut EP Say It Loud is due for release on 8th July 2022.

Rawney’s sound is a blend of rock, indie, folk and pop which has drawn comparisons to some of his influences including The Frames, Mic Christopher, Incubus, Foo Fighters and Stereophonics.

Renowned for his powerful vocals and energetic live performances, Rawney has honed his craft over the past decade by performing hundreds of gigs, both at home and abroad, at various venues and festivals in Ireland, Australia, Canada, Vietnam and Spain. Songs which were written and initially performed on an acoustic guitar got a new lease of life in the studio, resulting in an exciting full band sound throughout this long anticipated debut solo release.

Recorded, produced, mixed and mastered with Brian Casey (John Blek, Rowan, Clare Sands, Tiz McNamara, Paradox) in Wavefield Recording Studios in Clonakilty, this collection of songs has been brewing for almost four years. Rawney takes on the vocals, guitars and drums himself while Casey adds his magic touch on bass, electric guitar and keys. The EP also features the talented Dolcie Keogh on violin, a partnership rekindled from their Setmaker days.

Themes of speaking up, addiction, the pitfalls of social media and not making rash decisions are touched upon over the course of the EP, and with songs in the bank, expect plenty more to come down the line.

Gamelan is the rich and ancient musical traditional of Indonesia using bronze gongs, xylophones, metallophones and other tuned percussion to create a shimmering texture and powerful resonance. It is a mesmerising sonic experience and west Cork is lucky to house the only Irish gamelan outside of a university city. These unique (no two sets are alike) hand-forged instruments are equally impressive visually, as they are intricately carved and brightly coloured. The listener will hear repertoire from the court tradition of the city of Surakarta, central Java, mixed with arrangements of Irish music, and new compositions.
For this concert at CIGF, musical director Kevin McNally will feature on a specially-designed fretless guitar in order to better match the unique tuning of the gamelan

Gamelan Spréacha Geala (Bright Sparks Gamelan) are a non-professional, community music group based in Skibbereen, new members are always welcome. It is part of the Wellbeing Network and supported by Cork ETB, Music Alive, Skibbereen Family Resource Centre and Cork Mental Health Services.

REVERB – A free outdoor performance in Spillers Lane on Sat 23rd

hear some of our local musicians who have won prizes at the recent Fleadh Ceoil.

Having spent the last 20 years living and performing in San Francisco and New Orleans, Jenny Mac returned to her native Clonakilty in Spring this year and makes her debut live performance in CIGF 2023. (She was one of the featured artists in the virtual CGIF 2020 with a live broadcast from New Orleans with John Roniger)

An impressive, versatile and extremely talented vocalist, Jenny honed her craft under the watchful eyes of Mossie Shanley, Noel Redding & Carole Appleby performing regularly in Shanleys and De Barras for 15 years before moving stateside. Jenny has guested with artists such as Hot House Flowers, Christy Dignam, Don Baker and Donovan and her repertoire is a nostalgic collection of jazz n’ blues, country rock and 60s and 70s classics.  Jenny and her band perform in Shanleys bar at 11pm on Friday, 22^nd of September: Be prepared for a proper “Mac attack!”

James Keegan is a singer-songwriter from Cork. Rooted in acoustic pop/folk, James brings a warm, easy listening atmosphere. From gaining praise from Damien Dempsey for his “powerful voice” to being stated by Music Crowns as “a man with a guitar against the world”, the young singer-songwriter plans for a good year ahead.

James has played in venues such as Whelans, Cyprus Avenue and Dolans, along with playing more intimate venues such as Connollys of Leap and Seachurch, recently supported artists such as Mundy and Ryan O Shaughnessy. 

James has had two back to back No.1 singles on the iTunes Charts in Ireland with his two songs Take Me Home and Attach Me to the Fire. 

Keep an eye on James’ social media for updates and new music!

O Deer is the musical project of Oisín Walsh-Peelo, who is a session musician and has played throughout the USA, Europe, Ireland, and the UK. He has toured worldwide with a wide range of artists and bands including Hudson Taylor, Hozier, Gabrielle Aplin, Hannah-Grace, Villagers, Sun Collective, and I Have a Tribe.