Des O’Driscoll looks back on the strange set of circumstances that led to the founding of the festival in 1978.

Harry Connolly is a veteran of all 40 Cork Jazz Festivals having played at each and every one.

A strange set of circumstances led Jim Mountjoy to suggest a jazz festival for Cork in 1978. Little did he know how his idea would snowball, writes Des O’Driscoll

IT got off to a soggy start, but no amount of moisture could have killed the carnival in Cork last night where jazz junkies got down and dirty to swinging big band music and lashings of Latin groove.

By Tim O'Brien Harry Connolly at Muskerry’s 6th; Robert Walsh and Martin Fitzpatrick at Kinsale’s 6th and 11th respectively.