A musician who performed at this year’s West Cork Chamber Music Festival was twice refused boarding at Cork Airport.

Pablo Zapico travelled from Spain to West Cork in early July to perform with a Baroque ensemble, Concerto 1700.

He brought a custom-made Baroque guitar and a theorbo, a large string instrument also from the Baroque era.

Following his performances in Bantry, he was refused boarding for his Cork-to-Denmark flight with KLM on July 5.

Ground staff told him he had not booked a second seat for the theorbo.

The frequent flyer usually reserves one additional seat for the instrument, while storing his guitar in the overhead locker or securing it with a seatbelt on the same seat as the theorbo.

When he refused to put both instruments into the luggage hold, he was denied boarding.

The musician was again refused boarding on July 6 and was forced to pay a further €1,060 to fly out of Ireland from Dublin.

Writing on Instagram, he said: “I would like to clarify that the West Cork Chamber Music Festival has offered to cover all the extra costs. We are infinitely grateful.”

The internationally renowned musician also gave a masterclass at Bantry's Christian Fellowship Church on July 3 as part of the festival.

A spokesperson for Cork Airport said the airport does not bear any responsibility for baggage handling policies, which are set by airlines and managed by their respective ground handling agencies.

KLM was contacted for comment.