NEXT weekend’s Courtmacsherry Songs & Stories by the Sea is easily identifiable as one of West Cork’s popular arts weekends.

From its roots in the old Courtmacsherry Storytelling Weekend it has changed over time to become an eclectic cocktail of stories, traditional song, ballads, music, poetry and humour - all still harnessing the warmth and intimacy that made the original weekend so popular.

Back in 2001, the late Eamon Kelly topped the bill. The Storytellers of Ireland record that Kelly’s final public performance was at the Courtmacsherry Storytelling Festival in September of that year.

The four venues - the Pier House Bar, Courtmacsherry Hotel, the Lifeboat Inn and the Anchor Bar - continue as the constants, opening on the Friday night (September 11th) with an open mic night at the Pier House where poets, storytellers and singers get together for an informal evening of entertainment.

The highlight of the weekend is Saturday night’s concert in the Courtmacsherry Hotel. Brochures are available locally with the list of entertainers also performing at the Anchor Bar and the Lifeboat Inn. Following the untimely death of the event founder, broadcaster and storyteller Bob Jennings, the current small but dedicated committee continue to broaden the scope of the weekend entertainment.

In recent years, internationally recognised storytellers such as Liz Weir, modern-day seanchaí Colin Urwin along with musicians, singers and local performers has seen the weekend develop beyond its original storytelling focus.

Event secretary Paul Finn said: ‘That evolution is perhaps one of the reasons the weekend has endured.

It respects the old tradition of sitting down, listening to a good yarn and enjoying a song, while also giving new generations of performers a place on the stage.’

The committee acknowledges Cork County Council as the principal sponsor, along with support from Barryroe Co-op, Blue Broe Ltd and B & M O’Brien.

Backboned by decades of tales and tunes, characters and memories, Courtmacsherry Songs & Stories by the Sea remains a fitting celebration of the enduring Irish tradition of gathering together to listen, laugh, sing and, of course, tell a good story.