Thursday 25th July at 1:00 pm.
Norman O’Rourke, Cork’s favourite piper, will again lead in the Lord Mayor of Cork to formally open the 13th Spirit of Mother Jones Festival. Norman recently received a Lord Mayor’s Award for his contribution to the community in Cork. In recent years a giant banner featuring Norman and his bagpipes overlook the Grand Parade in the City Centre.
Kalyna Ukrainian Community Choir.
Recent winners of the Lord Mayors top community prize at Cork City Hall, this choir has become a huge favourite across Cork in recent years. It comprises women and men who are now living in Cork following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. At the recent Festival launch, their rendering of Amhrán Na bhFiann was a highlight. “You Raised Me Up” is another firm favourite. A performance by the colourful and very impressive Kalyna should not be missed.
Thursday 25th July at 9.30.
Cork Singers’ Club.
This unique club of unaccompanied singers has performed at the opening night of the festival since the festival began in 2012. Jim Walsh is Fear An Ti for this year’s session and the night will hear songs of trade unions, workers’ lives, social justice, human rights and many other topics. Singers are welcome to participate and if anyone wishes to contribute a song, just put your name down on the list. The Cork Singers’ Club holds regular sessions at the Spailpín Fánach Bar on South Main Street on Sunday nights and is a must see for anyone with an interest in singing..
It can be contacted through its Facebook page.
Friday 26th July at 1pm.
Legendary Cork ballad and folk singer Jimmy Crowley accompanied by Eve Telford will perform at lunch time. Jimmy has created and played on the folk music scene in Ireland and across the world for over 60 years now. He established one of the first folk clubs in Cork in Douglas in the late 70s and early 80s. His band Stokers Lodge was very popular for a number of years. From his song-writing to his solo albums to his Opus Mór; Songs From a Beautiful City (The Free State Press 2014), Jimmy has made an enormous contribution to preserving Irish ballads, which would have been lost without his intervention. Each week since 2002 he submits songs weekly to the Cork Evening Echo with a note dealing with its background and his contribution has now exceeded a thousand songs. .
Eve Telford sings traditional folk songs from Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. Born in Australia, her original songs are inspired by the wellsprings of world mythologies, indigenous rights, the natural world and political protest.
Friday 26h July at 9pm.
John Nyhan and friends, and introducing Carla Gover and the CornMaize Stringband.
Following an invitation to play at a festival in Mexico, which went so well Carla and her friends dubbed themselves CornMaize (the words for corn in English and Spanish). The band draws heavily on the fiddle and banjo music of Eastern Kentucky where the band members are from but also includes some bluesy influences. “There’s a lot of fun and a lot of love in our performances and we hope you feel it as you listen and (hopefully) dance along”. Members of the band include Arlo Barnette, Zoey Barrett, Yani Vozos and Carla Gover.
Saturday 27th July at 6pm (at the Mother Jones Plaque on John Redmond Street)
Martin Leahy will sing a number of songs including his song about homelessness which he has performed each Thursday outside Dail Eireann for the past two years. Martin sings also on Saturdays at the Palestinian marches in Cork City.
