Traditional Irish Music Festival Returns to Cork After Eight Years
Fleadh Cheoil na Mumhan returns to Cork tonight with 9 days of trad music, dance & culture. Nearly 40 events across the city until 19 July.
Cork's streets will come alive with the sounds of fiddles, flutes and bodhrán as Fleadh Cheoil na Mumhan begins tonight, bringing Munster's largest traditional music festival back to the Rebel County for the first time since 2017.
The nine-day celebration of Irish music, dance and culture runs from 12 to 19 July, featuring nearly 40 events across more than 20 venues throughout Cork city. Tonight's official opening at Cork City Hall will be followed by a special concert featuring renowned traditional group Téada at the MTU Cork School of Music on Union Quay.
Festival highlights include the headline concert with the Máirtín O'Connor trio on Thursday, 17 July, alongside an extensive programme of concerts, workshops, storytelling sessions and street performances. Traditional music enthusiasts can enjoy sean-nós dancing workshops, children's singing classes, guided walking tours of Cork city, and even an Ogham carving workshop.
Music sessions will spill into pubs across the city throughout the week, creating an authentic festival atmosphere that organisers hope will connect people of all ages through their shared love of traditional Irish culture.
Niall MacCarthy, Cork Airport's Managing Director, said:
"Cork Airport is delighted to be the major sponsor of Fleadh Cheoil na Mumhan 2025, as part of our Community Fund programme. We have a long-standing relationship with Comhaltas. Groups of musicians, young and old, regularly perform at the airport, gaining experience in performing for large crowds. Our passengers love traditional Irish music which differentiates and showcases our national culture and keeps proud musical traditions alive."
The festival also serves as an important competitive platform, with talented performers from across Munster competing in music, dance and storytelling events at the MTU Bishopstown Campus. Winners will qualify for Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, the national championships.
Ger O'Driscoll, Cathaoirleach of Fleadh Cheoil na Mumhan, emphasised the festival's community spirit:
"Fleadh Cheoil na Mumhan 2025, through its extensive programme of events, will create opportunities where people of all ages and backgrounds can connect together through the shared love of music, song & dance, and feel welcomed into a living expression of Irish identity. This is particularly true here in Cork City, a city that celebrates culture and people equally."
Cork Airport's sponsorship forms part of their 2025 Community Fund, which supports local arts, culture, education, tourism and sports initiatives. The airport, which welcomed 3.1 million passengers in 2024 and expects to reach 3.4 million this year, regularly features traditional musicians performing for travellers.
Full programme details and event schedules are available through Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, the organisation behind the provincial fleadh. With competitions, concerts, workshops and spontaneous sessions planned throughout the week, Cork's cultural calendar just got considerably livelier.
