SATURDAY 24
The Piper and The Fairy Queen: Camerata Kilkenny and David Power
Farmleigh House 3pm €15
Master piper, David Power resumes his position with early-music ensemble Camerata Kilkenny to perform a programme of music inspired by fantastical literary works from the 17th and 18th centuries alongside traditional Irish music with associated themes. The programme features Telemann's Gulliver Travels suite and Purcell's The Fairy Queen suite alongside music by O'Carolan and Handel. Irish tunes such as The Fox Chase will also feature prominently in the evening.
Masters of the Tradition
Bantry Various venues Until Sunday
The visionary eclecticism, rooted in a refined sense of what this festival is all about, sets this year's Masters of the Tradition festival apart. Melding age-old and newly minted tunes, fostering collaborations between emerging and established musicians as well as with recently arrived players from war-torn Syria, this is a programme with its ears clearly pricked for sounds that are true to themselves. And so tonight sees bouzouki player Mohammad Syfkhan collaborate with Cormac Begley on bouzouki, Liam O'Connor on fiddle, Lisa O'Neill on vocals and harpist and sean nós singer Síle Denvir. Tomorrow there's a special concert on Whiddy Island while in the afternoon Martin Hayes will be in conversation with Philip King. A music lover's delight.
THURSDAY 29
Phil Murphy Weekend
Carrick on Bannow Various venues until Sunday
This boutique festival celebrating the musical legacy of the late harmonica player has been postponed from earlier in the summer, to accommodate Wexford GAA fans. Altan headline this year's festival, and Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and her compadres promise much by way of traditional and newly composed tunes, drawn from the band's formidable 30-year back catalogue. Workshops, concerts and céilís, as well as children's events, will offer something for most lovers of traditional music, song and dance.
SATURDAY 31
Gatehouse
The Cobblestone 9pm €10, cobblestone.ie
Flute player John Wynne, fiddle player John McEvoy, guitarist and concertina player Jacinta McEvoy and singer Rachel Garvey bring material from their recent album, Heather Down the Moor, along with tunes and songs from their superb 2016 debut album, Tús Nua, to Smithfield.
