Question Of Taste: Declan McCarthy, artistic director of the Baltimore Fiddle Fair

The Skibbereen native includes Tom Waits, Better Call Saul and Moving Hearts in his selections 

Declan McCarthy of Baltimore Fiddle Fair.

Declan McCarthy is artistic director of the Baltimore Fiddle Fair, which takes place in the West Cork village this weekend, May 5-8. A native of Skibbereen, he also helps organise that town’s Arts Festival and works at several other festivals in Ireland and Scotland. 

“My family were in the bar business and after a brief flirtation with college, I found myself running McCarthy’s Bar in Baltimore until we sold it in 2004. Since then I’ve been involved in the arts here in west Cork,” says Declan. 

• See https://fiddlefair.com

Best recent book you've read:

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson. I recently became a dad for the first time and have read this book about 300 times so far. I discover something new in it every time.

Best recent film:

I just watched the Oscar winner Coda which had some great acting.

Best recent gig:

Like most of us, I haven't been to too many gigs during the past few years, but one of the best I saw was Freddie White at Skibbereen Arts Festival last summer. I hadn't seen him in over 20 years. He still has it.

Best piece of music you’ve been listening to lately (new or old):

Well with the Fiddle Fair coming up I’ve been listening to lots of our acts that are coming this year. I particularly like an album by Norwegian hardanger fiddle player Guro Kvifte Nesheim and her group GKN5.

First ever piece of music or art that really moved you:

The album that had a major influence on my falling in love with traditional music was The Storm by Moving Hearts. If I hadn’t bought that, who knows what track my life would have taken.

The best gig or show you've ever seen (if you had to pick one!):

Tom Waits at Phoenix Park. (2008)

Best performance you’ve ever seen at Baltimore Fiddle Fair?

That’s a really hard one and kind of impossible to pick as there really has been loads. Maybe the first Foghorn Stringband show back in the bar back in 2002.

Bob Odenkirk in Better Call Saul.

 

Tell us about your TV viewing:

I don’t have a TV but do watch stuff online. I think my all-time favourite show may be Better Call Saul which sadly is going to an end soon. And its predecessor Breaking Bad, of course.

Radio listening and/or podcasts:

Pretty varied but mainly R na G and Lyric. I like history podcasts and some sports ones, I’m a big NFL fan during the winter so listen to a few around that.

You're curating your dream festival – which artists are on the bill?

Marvin Gaye, early Van Morrison, and The Bothy Band.

Your best/most famous celebrity encounter:

Ah sure, west Cork is full of celebs so we kind of ignore them. I once had to organise a session in Dublin so Radiohead could come along and play a few tunes, which was good craic. During Celtic Connections one time I shared a lift with Robert Plant who was dead sound.

You can portal back to any cultural event or music era – where, when, and why?

I guess the Swinging ‘60s, so much great music and lots more besides.

In your own life, have you been doing anything in particular in relation to climate change, biodiversity, etc?

We’re doing small things with the Fiddle Fair this year like having no plastic bottles & using recycled paper for all of our printing. This year’s Skibbereen Arts Festival will have climate change and sustainability as its main them. Small things, I know, but every little helps.