There’s no shortage of music options at the newly-expanded festival.

A party atmosphere kicked off the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival when large crowds thronged a free open-air concert, signalling the start of celebrations for the festival’s 40th birthday.

Michelle and Barack Obama welcomed a mix of Hollywood A-listers, captains of industry and prominent Chinese-Americans to the White House as they threw a “quintessentially American” state dinner for the president of China, complete with apple pie, ice cream and jazz music.