Hayes fit as fiddle

An all-Ireland fiddle champion several times over, Martin Hayes is artistic director of the Masters of Tradition Festival, which runs in Bantry until Sunday.

“It’s become a part of my year,” says the Clare man. “It’s a mile-marker each year and a great experience. It puts me in a different position, where I have to be concerned about other people’s performance. It’s great to be rooting for other people to do a great performance.”

Martin turned 50 last month and last year married his Spanish-born girlfriend Lina. He met her a year earlier near Scariff. “We got married after one year of meeting, on the anniversary of our meeting. It was pretty much clear what was going to happen as soon as we met.”