Clonakilty Men’s shed choir

MISNEACH was founded in September 2024 by Martin Vallely, a Masters graduate of MTU Cork school of music.

The choir has performed at care homes and various venues in and around Clonakilty over the last couple of years whilst also raising money for charities such as St. Vincent de Paul.

They recently performed as part of the Ballinascarthy festival, receiving great plaudits for their performance.

Songs in Irish are a cornerstone of the choir’s repertoire but they also sing lots of popular Irish folk songs such as The rocky road to Dublin, Salonika, The holy ground etc, led by Martin and ably backed by Billy Dunphy on guitar and mandolin

Rupert Bullard is an award-winning, independent folk artist from Lutruwita/Tasmania, Australia.
His songwriting draws deeply from the rugged landscapes of his island home. At just 19 years old, Rupert’s genuine stage presence and resonant songwriting have seen him marked as a rising voice in Australian music.
His releases have led to sold-out national headline shows, appearances at festivals across the country and international headline and support slots.

Dónal is a self proclaimed Singer/Guitarist/Bullshit Peddler. Born and raised in Clonakilty Dónal learned his craft in West Cork but perfected it in Gallway where he has clocked 10,000 hours of performing both solo and with numerous bands in countless venues

The Friendly Fuchsia Cafe take place in St. Factna’s Centre every Friday from 2-4pm for people living with dementia and memory related issues, their friends and family.

Delicious refreshments and chats are accompanied by music, songs, poetry, jigsaw making, arts and crafts, plus much more.

For more information please call Martha at 021 492 3998 between 9am to 4pm, or outside these hours leave a message and she will get back to you.

An evening of country classics with The Starlight Wranglers performing songs by:

☆Charley Pride☆Don Williams☆Dwight Yokam☆
☆George Jones☆George Strait☆Glen Campbell☆Hank Williams☆Jim Reeves☆Jimmie Rodgers☆Johnny Cash☆Kris Kristofferson☆Marty Robbins☆Merle Haggard☆Randy Travis☆Waylon Jennings☆Willie Nelson☆

Solène Laurence:

Cork singer-songwriter Solène Laurence manages to blend the intimacy and storytelling of folk with the energy and memorable hooks of pop music, bringing a fresh new sound to the Irish music scene.

She released ‘Punch Line’ as her debut single at just 18 years old on January 30th 2026, and after gaining traction on Irish radio and social media, she sold out her first headliner just one month later.

A strong debut, the track explores the idea of the last word into something quietly devastating. Built around the tension of finding the perfect closing remark, the tune is lined with glistening
folky guitar riffs and country-inspired rhythms and vocals for a gorgeously catchy and emotional piece.

Writing since childhood, Solène Laurence explores universal themes through the lens of her own experiences creating relatable moments that still feel emotional, raw and personal, with introspective rumination on the nature of our relationships and feelings.

With her Debut EP ’17 Tall’ released in April, there are many new and exciting things coming from this upcoming young artist

<strong>Solène Laurence:</strong>

Julianne Quirke is a West Cork-based singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and cellist making richly layered indie folk-pop. Her songwriting sits with the moments when certainty breaks down, the space between wanting and having, between independence and intimacy. Quirke’s music has sonic touchpoints of Feist, Laura Marling and Billie Marten as she weaves between acoustic closeness and expansive cinematic arrangements. 

Quirke previously released music as Julia-Maria before returning to her own name, a decision, she says, that came from the work itself: “In creating work that is, at its core, honest and vulnerable, it didn’t make sense to be using an artist name anymore. Julia-Maria represented an important time of self-discovery, but I know who I am now.” Her last release as Julia-Maria, an EP titled The Skin I’m In, earned support from Irish press and radio for its lyrical depth and emotional candour.

Alongside her solo work, Quirke is an established touring cellist and backing vocalist. She is a full-time member of emerging Cork bands The Fynches and How I Became a Wave. As a session player, she has performed and toured with artists such as Ben Howard, Fionn Regan, Leif Volbeck, Pa Sheehy, Niall McCabe and Angie McMahon.

As an artist in her own right, she toured Germany for 22 dates in 2026, performing her original music as part of an Irish artists’ collaborative show with Magnetic Music. Now home after months on the road, she has recently sold out a headline show at Cork’s Coughlan’s on September 3rd, marking an exciting new chapter for the project under her own name. 

She is currently preparing her debut album under her own name, written after her return to the West Cork coast. Recorded with a focus on live feel, the record holds onto breath and imperfection rather than polishing them out, and moves through transition, grief, friendship and belonging with the same emotional precision that’s defined her work to date.

We are Offkey revival, we are a five-piece indie rock band from West Cork, made up of a female vocalist, lead guitarist, rhythm guitarist, bassist and drummer. All five members are students, bringing youthful energy and a passion for live music to every performance. There sound blends indie rock favourites with energetic crowd pleasing tunes, giving you a fresh and energetic presence on the west cork music scene.

FEAT: Chris o Brien,  Eva Buckley, William Mccabe, Lennart Lindenfeld, Calum McLelland

Mol an Óige agus Tiocfaidh Siad!

We are lucky in Clonakilty to be sitting on a goldmine of talented youngsters making music in all sorts of genres, many of whom have cut their teeth and flourished over the 22 years of the guitar festival. This year we’re curating a stage to specifically celebrate the youth bands that are the future of west Cork’s vibrant music scene. Overseen by Mary Moore of The Bones Below, we hope this is a staging ground for bands that will one day headline the festival.

Each act will play a 20 minute set and 5 minutes for change overs, running order as follows:

Caoimhe O Brien

Becky Kinsella

3TAC

Synyster

The Dead Roses

Skibbereen band The Dead Roses are an energetic 4 piece punk outfit, taking their influences from The Undertones, Nirvana and other classic grunge and punk. This charismatic bunch have played Connollys of Leap with Born to Perform, Ar n-Ait and The Town Hall Skibbereen. Consisting of members Pa Connolly, Serena Kingston, Baxter Dunnachie and Sam Van Win Crowley, these guys are ones to watch.