Cork X SouthWest

Client: Declan McCarthy

Founder of Ireland's longest running Irish traditional music festival "The Fiddlefair" Declan McCarthy decided in 2007 that he wanted to organise a more contemporary laid-back music festival along the lines of Electric Picnic and the legendary South X South West in Texas in the beautiful West Cork town of Skibbereen. The money was tight, the stage was a back of a truck, but the people of West Cork loved it and a landmark event was established.

With Corporate Sponsorship in place for 2008, Real Events were brought on board to help up the ante and develop (and deliver) a varied and exciting program of events. This included the addition of a fringe festival on the Friday before the main festival. We also provided technical assistance in raising the production values to come in line with other boutique festivals around Europe from a staging and pa point of view. Iinternationally recognised world music artists included Afel Boucum, Thomas Truax and Preston Reed. Along with Irish festival stalwarts The Walls The Waterboys and the best of the new breed, Jape, Cathy Davey. The West Cork boutique feel was furthered with locally produced food and "slow cooked" approach (no burger vans) and the best in Music, Theatre, Film, Food and Art that West Cork, Ireland and beyond has to offer.

Over the past 3 years, attendance has steadily risen from 700 to nearly 3000 and in 2009 the festival was "weather proofed" the festival by providing a number of large marquees where the various elements of the festival took place.