SKIBBEREEN Town Hall will resonate with cutting-edge Irish music this weekend as The Listening Project returns for a series of pre-Christmas gigs.

The show starts from 8pm on Friday and Saturday and will bring bold, contemporary sounds to West Cork audiences. Friday’s concert features Elaine Howley, founding member of Cork band The Altered Hours and one of the Irish underground’s most compelling voices.

She will be joined by long-time collaborators Dan Walsh on drums and Cathal Mac Gabhann on guitar.

Elaine’s concert is followed by duo Bog Jazz, who reinterpret traditional Irish tunes with an improvisational twist.

On Saturday, Aoife Ní Bhriain and Cormac McCarthy perform tracks from their acclaimed new album Cosán Casta, joined by cellist Eimear Reidy and local artist MUIRIS.

Curators Brian Granaghan and Robin Foley founded The Listening Project with a mission to enrich Skibbereen’s arts scene, teaming up with Cork County Council in the process.

‘We both yearned to experience more live music in Skibbereen,’ said Brian. ‘We have now landed in the main space of the Town Hall, which is a fantastic venue. We are fine-tuning the live music experience with a bunch of talented people. We are delighted with the space and have changed the arrangement to a more ambient and intimate experience.’

Both Brian and Robin live just outside Skibbereen and have ties to the local arts community. Brian works as a teacher and has led a number of sustainability initiatives and community projects linked to biodiversity and school gardens. He has long been involved in initiatives like the West Cork Food Festival and the Feel Good Festival. Robin is an artist and designer, who also designed the colourful artwork for their current concert series.

Together they set out to create something that would keep creativity grounded in the community. And this mission shines through in The Listening Project’s programming, which spans experimental and traditional sounds, often blending genres and leaving space for collaboration.

Robin said: ‘We love the old and the new. Concertinas and fiddles meet synths and drum machines. Ireland is going through a golden era of creativity in experimental music, traditional Irish music, world and rhythm-based music are all merging bringing an exciting wave of artists.’

At this time of the year, the concerts will give music fans a chance to come together, enjoy the festive atmosphere and make a night of it in Skibbereen—whether you’re stopping at The Corner Bar, one of Brian and Robin’s favourite music pubs, or Ar n’Áit arts café,  which has a performance by De Anu from 6pm on Friday night, and Dave Desmond Jazz Trio from 5pm on Saturday.

For tickets and information about The Listening Project visit www.thelisteningproject.ie/events