ONE OF Ireland’s most popular traditional music fairs received an injection of Hollywood glamour yesterday when Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons gave his first public performance as a fiddler.
Irons participated at the Baltimore Fiddle Fair in west Cork which took place over four days, ending yesterday. He performed a solo number at the Glebe Gardens Ampitheatre in Baltimore last night.
As part of a new nine-part traditional music series for TG4, Irons took it upon himself to learn the fiddle under the guidance of musician extraordinaire Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh.
The actor, who won a Best Actor Oscar in 1990 for his role as Claus von Bulow in Reversal of Fortune, has dabbled with the instrument in the past. In a 2004 interview he said he played “very badly”, as he found the rhythms very difficult to master.
Irish master fiddlers Martin Hayes, Bríd Harper and Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh also appeared at the fair, and overseas artists included Cape Breton legend Jerry Holland and traditional Galician music band Berroguetto.
The fair first took place in 1992 and is recognised as one of the best traditional and folk music festivals in the world.
Yesterday, fair organiser Declan McCarthy said the festival had been an outstanding success. “It has been going great. There is great music and loads of atmosphere. We are very pleased with it all.”
Initially the festival consisted of two weekends of music in McCarthy’s bar in Baltimore, featuring mainly local musicians. The first line-up included Nomos, Any Old Time, Seamus Creagh, Dordan, Ritchie Tisdall and Steve Wickham.
The festival took a leap in 1998 when Guinness came on board as sponsor, enabling organisers to bring artists from further afield.
Since then the Fiddle Fair has hosted some of the best talent, including Altan, Sharon Shannon and The Woodchoppers, 4 Men and A Dog, Lúnasa, Patrick Street, Dervish, Calico, Ciaran Tourish with Paul Brady and Frankie Gavin.
Irons has lived in west Cork since the late 1990s. The Isle of Wight-born star and his wife Sinéad Cusack bought the 15th century Kilcoe Castle outside Ballydehob in 1997/98 and lavishly renovated it. Irons is known for his contribution to the local community and has worked with the Hope Foundation and the Greater Chernobyl Cause.
He has also campaigned on environmental issues and opposed an incineration project planned for the area.