The native of Glanmire, Co Cork, is, with his 1000 Beasts project, regarded as one of the brightest prospects in Irish pop.

A former army officer who set up a music school with the aim of promoting music as a tool for social inclusion is the winner of Cork Person of the Year Award.

Bob Seward, founder of the Cork Academy of Music, has been named February’s ‘Cork Person of the Month’ for his ground-breaking work in music education on the northside of Cork city.

With everything from karate for kids to computers for the silver surfer, this year’s Cork Lifelong Learning Festival is fun, fascinating and — best of all — free.

CORK is poised to become the capital of all things rock.