Storytellers set to spin their magic at festival

Hundreds of fans are set to throng a well-known Cork pub from Friday for a weekend of leprechaun tales, ballads and sean nós singing.

This is the 12th year of the To Tell It In Song and Story festival, during which An Spailpín Fánach on Cork’s South Main St will be the haunt of singers and yarn-spinners alike for two days and three nights of traditional music and craic.

“The aim is to keep song alive — we don’t allow any instrument but the human voice,” said Jim Walsh of the Cork Singers Club.

“We welcome singers from all over the world and have had them here, but the main emphasis is on ballads in English and Irish, as well as sean nós singing.”

Some of the well-known names who will perform this year include singer Jimmy Crowley, and John A Murphy, former Professor of Irish History at UCC.

The first night features well-known storyteller Pat Speight of The Yarn Spinners, who will tell traditional tales of “leprechauns and magic”, while fellow yarnster Gerry Miller will treat his audience to a series of comic urban stories.

Although the festival is mostly based in the pub, there are other events, including a singing tour of Cobh with Conor Anthony at the Cobh Heritage Centre, and an opportunity to learn a song with Maire Ní Chéileachair at the city library, both on Saturday.

The festival attracts people of all ages, said Mr Walsh. “It’s really aimed at people of any age who are simply interested in song and story, so we have a good range in age attending.

* For further information contact Jim Walsh on 087 2759311.