Ballydehob Jazz Festival. Pt. 1 Colossal Craic!

Posted 14th May 2025

Many of the great European jazz festivals have impressive settings. Think Umbria, Montreux, North Sea, Marciac and Love Supreme. However all are hard pressed to match the idyllic environment of Ballydehob (Gaelic: Béal Átha an Dá Chab, meaning ‘mouth of the two river fords’), West Cork. This gorgeous village, about a 90 minute drive from Cork City and airport, stands on Roaringwater Bay on the Wild Atlantic Way and at the gateway to the Mizen Peninsula. Jeremy Irons and Sinéad Cusack look on from the towering splendor of Kilcoe Castle. The festival was started by local resident, John Fagan in 2007 but in more recent times has come under the stewardship of Caroline and Joe O’Leary and a team of amazing community volunteers. Caroline and Joe run Levis Corner House, a landmark pub and shop on Main Street. Regular gigs are hosted at Levis throughout the year. The couple have deep roots with the music industry and Joe was formerly frontman for the Cork Indie band, Fred.

This year’s BJF, held from 2nd-5th May, once again showcased its unique blend of music, art, and community spirit. The festival is mostly free and features around 30 bands and performers playing in a “music trail” usually pubs and cafes dotted along the main village street. There are other attractions too -a comedic outdoor circus show, a craft fair, swing dance classes, a poetry slam, face painting, and of course lots of great street food. There are no overbearing security guards (I saw one member of the Garda all weekend). Overall the mood is great and the craic is powerful.

Musically, the BJF is an eclectic mix. Lots of swing jazz with some New Orleans, funk, fusion, folk, chanson, early blues, manouche and even a flavor of new-classical ambient art music. In short something for everybody. There are not yet the superstar headliners seen at the big festivals but that is the BJF’s charm. What you get is excellent grass roots music that is accessible and fun. The event peaks with a New Orleans funeral style parade on late Sunday afternoon. There are huge ghostly puppets, fantastical puppets, a marching band and every kind of flamboyant costume imaginable. Also a coffin carried by some scary voodoo/zombie types and let by a particularly spine chilling marshal. I can’t think of a more random shindig in all of Ireland and am tempted to speculate that the voodoo reference is poking fun at the church-led anti-jazz movement of the 1930s.

The BJF is without doubt my new favorite small festival. Its size, location, charm and outstanding friendliness make it a standout. I strongly recommend a visit (but please don’t all go at once).

Below are some photographic souvenirs of the parade -I’ll do a Part 2 photoessay of the musicians very soon.

Sláinte!

Review and photos by John Morrow