West Cork are taking over the airwaves, as Skibbereen’s Aaron O’Sullivan, AKA Shimmer Boy, makes his debut with Under the Surface, the first glimpse into his debut album, In The Aftermath, We Bloom, coming in 2026.

A raw and empathetic song about watching a friend struggle with addiction, Aaron says that at a point where he is almost two years sober, ‘it feels like the right song to put out first’.

Co-written with Fionn Hennessy, drummer with Cian Ducrot, Pa Sheehy and Little House, Aaron said that the duo have always been great friends, ‘and we spoke heavily about alcoholism and addiction when writing this. It’s a song about friendship, holding out hope and never giving up on those around you, because it’s never too late to turn it all around’.

Aaron has explored various musical pursuits since playing DeBarra’s Folk Club every Friday night at the age of 15, and has since gigged extensively in Ireland and abroad, supporting and sharing the stage with the likes of Eric Bell of Thin Lizzy, James Arthur, Cory Wong, and Ariel Posen of Vulfpeck and Bros Landreth.

Aaron O'Sullivan.

Elsewhere, West Cork musical blow-ins The Fynches have recently debuted their self-titled album and lead single, Here and Now. The release follows their highly successful singles Heavy, I Will Follow, Find It For Yourself and Lead On.

Brothers Ferdia and Oisín Walsh-Peelo were raised in a musical family in County Wicklow. With seven years between them, what began as softly sung bedtime melodies from an eleven-year-old boy to his little brother, developed into the musical explorations that became their sound.

Over the years, composer and arranger Oisín honed his skills touring and recording with Villagers, Flyte, Hudson Taylor, and Bombay Bicycle Club. A natural frontman, Ferdia found fame on the silver screen with a role in Sing Street, CODA, Pistol by Danny Boyle, and Four Letters of Love.

With several permutations of the band along the way, the brothers are now joined by Camryn Teehan  on drums, Fionn O’Neill on bass, and Julia-Maria on cello. The Fynches play Kinsale Folk Fest later in October, and Connolly’s of Leap in November, as well as numerous other gigs across Ireland.