Leila O’Driscoll rounds up the West Cork sounds to look forward to.

Live music is once again threaded through the West Cork schedule for the October Bank Holiday, with small rooms, church spaces and festival corners offering the kind of closeness that big venues can’t match. From folk and storytelling to jazz week-enders, the coming fortnight gives audiences multiple chances to hear touring names in familiar local settings.

West Cork is lining up a strong run of small-venue music over the next few weeks, with Leap, Bandon and Kinsale all on the map. Leap folds gigs into its Scarecrow Festival, opening with Seán Keane in the Church of Ireland on Thursday 23rd October and LOWmountain the following night.

An evening of chilling storytelling and music fills the Leap Inn on Tuesday October 28th, with two big nights in Connolly’s later in the week: Ger O’Donnell and Trevor Sexton on Bank Holiday Monday, and Paddy Hanna on Thursday October 30th.

In Bandon, the Banshee Festival brings The Henry Girls to Bandon Folk Club on Friday 24th October, always a dependable draw for folk fans.

In Ballydehob, meanwhile, Niamh Regan plays live at Levis on Sunday off the back of her 2024 release, Come As You Are.

Kinsale leans into jazz the same weekend, with String Fellows at The Blue Haven on Friday October 24th, the Lewis Barfoot Jazz Quartet at The Bulman on Saturday October 25th, and Loose Change back at The Blue Haven on Sunday, October 26th.

Happy Halloween.