Enya, Ireland’s biggest- selling solo artist, brought a touch of Christmas spirit to Cork yesterday ahead of her first appearance on Irish TV in a decade.

The centenary of the Easter Rising has given us an abundance of commemorative

Bantry Bay will ring with the sounds of traditional music as the acclaimed Masters of Tradition series runs for the next four days in the town, having opened last night.

Some of the best things to do this week.

Percussive stylist Nic Gareiss will perform at the Masters of Tradition festival, says Colette Sheridan

Kilkenny Arts Festival

As he prepares to play in Bantry, Ricky Skaggs talks bluegrass, country greats and Irish links with Ed Power

If you have the courage to make the leap, experimentation can bring excitement to your life, Martin Hayes tells Ed Power in advance of tbe Masters of Tradition festival

MUSIC NEWS: Beyoncé has posted a short teaser trailer for the upcoming 50 Shades Of Grey movie on her Instagram account — although it seems fairly ironic that the singer, a key figure in the ‘Ban Bossy’ campaign for young girls, should lend her support to a film based on a book which has been criticised for its portrayal of women and overt sadomasochist themes.

IT WAS a strange way to start a band. “In 2011 we announced we were going be a group,” says the Gloaming’s Iarla Ó Lionáird.

“THIS festival has been a beacon in the traditional music calendar,” said traditional fiddler Paddy Glackin on Monday night at the last Frankie Kennedy Winter School in Donegal.

Live music: Masters of Tradition

NOW in its 11th year, the Masters of Tradition Festival in Bantry, Co Cork (August 14-18) has turned out to be exactly the kind of festival that its artistic director, Martin Hayes, envisaged.

MUSIC NEWS: She’s conquered Britain, America and the world, now Adele is following in the footsteps of music legends Shirley Bassey, Paul McCartney, Tina Turner and, er, Sheena Easton.

FOR fiddle virtuoso Martin Hayes, every Masters of Tradition festival in Bantry, West Cork, is special, so how to celebrate its 10th anniversary?

THE enigmatic Dublin-born fiddle player Caomhín Ó Raghallaigh has stirred the traditional scene, releasing five albums in 10 years, four of them collaborations with leading lights in Irish music.

ONE of the country’s best loved arts shindigs, The Galway Arts Festival, was launched last night but the gloss was taken from the event with news that an alternative programme was to be announced by a fringe group unhappy with the official proceedings.

SOMETHING for everyone may be a cliche, but Special Olympics organisers have even managed to arrange a treat that could coax Eddie Irvine out of retirement.