Jimmy Crowley brings it all back home to Cork

Legendary Cork folk and ballad singer, Jimmy Crowley will perform a series of shows at Triskel Christchurch from Thursday 27 September to Saturday 29 September.

Songs from the Beautiful City is an evocative celebration of the history of Cork performed by Jimmy in his inimitable way. The local bard has long since become synonymous with singing and composing songs that resonate in a special way with Cork people, and he is one of the most recognisable people in the city.

The new show sees Jimmy wear his heart on his sleeve, as he lovingly takes people on a journey through the decades by Leeside. It is haunting and evocative, and celebrates the working people, their lives and pastimes – a true history of the people of Cork from the turn of the 20th century.

The show will also be complemented and enriched by archive images and footage of Cork and some of its famous people, including the folk hero and hurling star Christy Ring.

Jimmy will render his version of Beautiful City and his anthem to sporting heroes and champions, The Boys of Fairhill, as well as The Ballad of Christy Ring. The rich tapestry of songs evoking other memories and emotions will all form part of the embroidery skills of this wordsmith and balladeer.

The three shows are at 8pm and there is also a lunchtime performance at 1pm on Saturday 29 September. Tickets are €25 from www.triskelartscentre.ie, or by calling 021-4272022

Joe Harrington.

The Songs of Joe go on release down south

Kerry native and former Mayor of Limerick, Joe Harrington, has just released an album featuring 19 of his compositions. The songs were written over two decades by the man who hails from Lyreacrompane, a village in the hill country of Kerry – made famous by the musings of the great Con Houlihan in his musings in The Evening Press back in the 1970s and 1980s.

These times, Joe is chair of the four-day Dan Paddy Andy Festival, Ireland’s real rural festival, which is held annually in Lyreacrompane, Kerry, over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

He also hosts a weekly show on the internet station, Irish Country Music Radio, on Tuesday nights from 8pm to 11pm. Joe has had a long and abiding interest in radio, going back to the pirate days when he presented Kingdom Corner and The Rambling House.

The artists featured on the album are Elle Marie O’Dwyer, Eddie Lee, Pat McCarthy, Sonny Egan, Caroline O’Callaghan, Albert Roche, Mike Condon, Doris Shire, Peggy Sweeney, Peter Burke, The Bachelors in Trouble, Mike Fitzgerald, Billy Donegan, Donncha O Dulaing, Fr Pat Moore and Austin Durack.

The proceeds from the album go towards the building fund for the Stack Mountains Heritage House in Lyreacrompane.

Farmers Bash in Belfast

The second Farmers Bash takes place on 12 October at the SSE Arena in Belfast. The inaugural event last year was a resounding success, attracting support from various parts of the island of Ireland as well as from curious residents of the Belfast region who were sampling this kind of country atmosphere for the first time.

The acts confirmed for the October show are Derek Ryan, Lisa McHugh, Johnny Brady, Cliona Hagan and special guest Philomena Begley. Rednex, whose rendition of Cotton Eyed Joe has won favour across Europe, are flying in from Sweden to perform. The show is run in conjunction with the Grassmen and Downtown Country.

Ballyfa back in the limelight

The small village of Ballyfa near New Inn in Co Galway played host to many of the biggest names in Irish showbusiness over the years when they came to entertain the crowds in Warde’s.

These days, the venue is known as Gallagher’s of Ballyfa, and once again some of the major country names are doing shows at the venue that once was a huge player in the social life of the region. This Friday night, 14 September, sees Gerry Guthrie and his band on stage with support by Shane Moore.