Cork Roots Fest: Clare Sands
Sat 31 Jan 2026
6:30pm
€22.50
Clare Sands is a sixth generation fiddle player and bilingual singer from Cork, Ireland.
Channeling the music of her ancestors, she weaves Traditional roots with Contemporary sounds and influences, embodying a fearless warrior-like spirit. By night, Sands is an open water swimmer and black belt, holding several world medals representing Ireland in martial arts!
Her eponymous album secured a place among the Irish Times’ Top 5 Folk Albums of
2022, and earned Sands a Best Folk Singer nomination at the Irish Folk Awards. Other notable projects include the ‘hypnotic and tribal’ (BBC Radio 2) Tírdhreacha agus Fuaimdhreacha (Landscapes & Soundscapes) EP, written and recorded across the four seasons in the four provinces of Ireland and Gormacha, a musical odyssey that treads a path between the Irish language, folklore and our natural world. Sands' passion for collaboration has led her to work with some of Ireland’s finest folk and traditional musicians, including Hothouse Flowers, Steve Cooney, Susan O’Neill, Niamh Regan, Brian Finnegan and more.
Her innovative
musical creations are matched by electrifying live performances - Clare brings her audiences on an exhilarating journey full of hope, singing, celebration, and heart. Recent festival appearances include Glastonbury & Cambridge Folk Festival (UK), Fête De la Musique (FR), Festival Cervantino (MEX) and Port Fairy Folk Festival (AUS).
With a new album near completion and Australia, Japan and France on the touring
horizon, Clare shows no signs of slowing down. She stands as a testament to the
enduring power of music to unite and inspire - a troubadour for the modern age, whose melodies resonate across generations and cultures alike.
'Her songs and music reflect and renew the past and present, both in English and Irish. Her own voice, sensibilities and cares make her music so powerful - the personal becoming the universal.' - The Irish News
‘Sands excavates into Ireland's ancient myths & landscapes whilst exploring the political exigencies of it's here and now… A bold, beautiful album brimming with ideas.' - Songlines Magazine
‘This fine debut revels in Sands innate & fearless curiosity, and her insistence on diving deep below the surface. A mighty first step to what promises to be a lifelong expedition. ’ - Siobhán Long, The Irish Times
‘Armed with the combined powers of virtuosity, boldness, and a touch of madcap spontaneity, Clare Sands has continued to mark herself as one of Irish music’s most compellingly unique forces. ’ - Lucy O’Toole, Hotpress Magazine
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