The following evening at The White Horse will see multi-instrumentalist-singer-songwriter Larry Campbell and singer-guitarist Teresa Williams’ bring a touch of Americana to the festival. They released their acclaimed eponymous debut in 2015, after seven years of playing in Levon Helm’s band. The duo were frequent guests with Phil Lesh, Little Feat, Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, and are renowned for bringing to the stage the crackling creative energy of a decades-long offstage union.

Irish Times’ journalist, Tony Clayton-Lea, brings a mix of lively debate, interesting interviews and live performances to The White Horse on Saturday January 27, with Culture Vultures, while that night, Cork legends Rubyhorse are set to bring brand new material to the venue that night. The band are set to release new tracks in 2018, with shows in Ireland and the US, where they had a billboard top 20 hit with ‘Sparkle’ and appeared on the David Letterman Show, Conan O’Brien and Good Morning America.

Sunday January 28 will see an afternoon show, featuring trad maestros Frankie Gavin, Alec Finn and Derek Hickey with special guest, Italian folk and world music star, Lavinia Mancusi. Meanwhile, the festival takes a step away from Ballincollig for a show at Cork Opera House, where The White Horse Guitar Club bring Kentucky and Tennessee roots music to a new level with an ensemble of guitarists drawn from widely varying backgrounds.

Bringing the festival to close on Sunday night, The Niall McCabe Band will launch a new album with support from Rowan. Further news on festival workshops, discussions and more great artists will be announced in the coming weeks.

"We'll have much more to announce in January” says festival organiser Joe Carey, “but felt that we would whet music lovers’ appetites before Christmas with what is in store for Ballincollig Winter Music Festival 2018. We’re looking forward to welcoming back Music in Community as part of the festival programme as well as a lots of workshops and sessions throughout the weekend". All tickets on sale now from www.wintermusicfestival.ie