Francis Humphrys: ‘People come to West Cork because I ask them to — not for the fees’

Noel Baker talks to West Cork Chamber Music Festival founder Francis Humphrys about his 30-year passion

Francis Humphrys: 'I have built up a reputation over 30 years and people know that I know the music, that I know what I’m talking about.'

Francis Humphrys has a theory: Cows hate rock and roll, but they love classical music.

“My son used to have to do the milking sometimes and he put on rock music and he came tearing back up to the house saying, ‘Take it off, take it off, I’m covered in shit!’,” he remembers, laughing like it was yesterday. “They just couldn’t stand it. Cows have great taste.”