Welcome return of Clonakilty Guitar Festival on the horizon

CLONAKILTY is gearing up for 10 days of guitar-fuelled celebration next month, as the Clonakilty International Guitar Festival (CIGF) returns to the West Cork town from September 9-18.

This year will see the world debut of the Guitar Town Walking Tour. In the true tradition of the bardic poets of old, Sean Fitzgerald has written songs inspired by the stories and the people of Clonakilty, and will sing them on a guided walking tour through its streets.

The festival has also announced its second round of talented artists, who will be taking part in mostly free gigs all over town, as CIGF celebrates its 18th birthday.

Catch ‘The Deadlians’ for a combination of raw punk energy and traditional material, or ‘K3:lu’ for a dancefloor-filling frenetic fusion.

KIT features the triumphant return to Clonakilty of Katie Wighton, of the acclaimed All Our Exes Live in Texas, while US songwriters Anna Tivel and Jeffery Martin make their CIGF debuts.

Belfast noise rock group Enola Gay arrive fresh from knockout performances at SXSW and Eurosonic. Cork band The Shaker Hymn will be there hot on the heels of their latest record release, as well as festival veterans the Céilí AllStars.

Clonakilty’s own hero Bill Shanley will appear with a host of local heroes such as The Kates, Rawney, Mide Houlihan, Eve Clague, Anthony Noonan’s new project QUIET, The Bones Below, The Church and many more.

Big names already announced for the festival include Andy Irvine, Xylouris White, Marisa Anderson, Teke::Teke, Jeffery Martin, and John Spillane.

Organised alongside the IWA, Cope and other groups, a community outreach programme Reverb will ensure the festival is diffused across a wide range of settings and associations and will also include an educational programme.

CIGF has also been chosen by Cork County Council to be a part of their Green Festival Pilot Programme for 2022, and will be working with Native Events to implement waste reduction initiatives at the festival.

Ticketed shows are on sale, with more information on the CIGF website, clonguitarfest.com.