Ireland, especially County Cork, seems to be a magnet for musicians and other performers from all over the world. The Irish, as a nation, love all kinds of music. This area, being a very rural one, sees most live music performed in pubs. It is in the pubs that you expect to find that very Irish phenomenon "The Session", which most of our visitors find charming and entertaining. Sometimes a session will also attract "Set Dancers", and you will be entertained to a very energetic display of folk-dancing in its real sense. Indeed you will probably be pressed to take part and if you do it will immediately endear you to the locals.

The session stems from the ceili , a meeting of neighbours for entertainment. It often used to happen in houses in the area, as well as in pubs. Everyone entertained in his or her own way; with a song, a tune, a dance, a poem or a story. The seanchaí is a person who specialises in telling tales, and a skilled seanchaí was, and is, highly treasured. Most sessions still have a very impromptu quality and anyone who wants to perform is warmly welcomed. If you have a musical instrument, bring it along with you. We will try to give you some pointers as to where these sessions will happen, but it is perhaps best to ask in some of the pubs to get up to date information.

Choral singing is also very popular, most churches have choirs associated with them, some of very high quality. Most are not strictly "church choirs", their repetoires may include all sorts of unexpected items. Afficionados of choral music should not miss a chance of hearing the locally written Gaelic Masses, especially when performed by Cór Cuil Aodha (the Coolea Choir).

St.Patrick's Day, Lá Feile Pádraig, 17th.March, is a good time to hear music from other parts of the world. Being our national day, and close to Shrove Tuesday, it has aquired a carnival, known here as the Paddys' Day Parade. It is said that the parades were actually started by the British Army, to keep their Irish soldiers occupied during the American War of Independance. Whether this is true or not, even small villages here often have a parade and that parade often includes guest musicians. Locally we seem to have a penchant for pipe bands from Brittany and the U.S.A. and for other village bands from Macroom's twin towns.

Nearby Bantry hosts a Chamber Music Festival each year, featuring world class classical musicians.