• Cork Heads: Turncoat Press

    June 8, 2015 - By 

    Turncoat Press is an independent Irish comics publisher based in Cork. They are Emmet O Brien, Chris O Halloran and Colin O Mahoney. On June 13 they are launching their second comic book ‘Life Signs’ in the Franciscan Well, Cork from 2pm until 8pm. Photos and interview by Brid O’Donovan. Turncoat Press. Colin: Turncoat Press is the three of us. Emmet, Chris and myself. We are a small press comics publisher. We’re based in Cork and we are on to our second publication now. So Turncoat Press is still very young. Myself and Emmet write and Chris draws. We wanted…

  • Cork Heads: Ray Blackwell (De Barra’s)

    May 6, 2015 - By 

    Ray Blackwell is the manager of De Barra’s Folk Club which is situated in Clonakilty in west Cork. He is a founding member and organiser of the Clonakilty International Guitar Festival – now in its eleventh year – and has been a member of the South of Ireland Band Championships committee for the last six years. Words and photos by Brid O’Donovan. Your earliest memory of De Barra’s. To answer this question really specifically would be really difficult for me. I remember being here (De Barra’s) as a kid. I lived here with my mum and my dad and my sister. We…

  • Cork Heads: Jack Crotty (The Rocket Man)

    February 25, 2015 - By 

    Jack Crotty is founder and owner of The Rocket Man, which is a salad and juice bar on Princes street in Cork city. He also trades at markets and organises events in Cork. Food at Home There are two different sides of my family, as there is with everyone’s family. My mum’s side of the family would be very into growing food and eating healthily and my Dad’s side wouldn’t be as much but they still would have a good respect for food. It certainly was from my Mum that all that came from. Sourcing properly and ethically. It’s really…

  • Cork Heads: F I L T E R

    January 27, 2015 - By 

    F I L T E R espresso and brew bar in Cork city has quickly become the go to spot for coffee lovers in Cork city. They are situated on Georges Quay and promote a relaxed and cheerful atmosphere with banging tunes and regular exhibitions promoting local creatives. In the latest installment of her column Cork Heads, photographer Brid O’Donovan captures an average day in F I L T E R and chats to owner Eoin MacCarthy and barista Alex Bruce. Can you blindly tell what kind of coffee you’re drinking? Alex: Maybe not the specific region but maybe the…

  • Cork Heads: Dog Day Media

    December 19, 2014 - By 

    Dog Day Media are a fast growing media production company based in Cork city. They are best known for their viral videos where they sent a jar of Ballymaloe relish into space and their Kearys road trip around Ireland. In the latest installment of Cork Heads, photographer Brid O’Donovan shoots the guys in their working environment and discusses the company thus far. The Birth of Dog Day Media Alex: We all know each other from west Cork. Billy, William and Eoin grew up there and I go down there every summer. I’ve a house there all my life. We all…

  • Cork Heads: Colm McAuliffe and Máire Dineen (Cork Film Festival)

    November 7, 2014 - By 

    In the latest installment of Cork Heads – looking at some of the brightest creative sparks in the Rebel County – photographer Brid O’Donovan shoots and talks to Colm McAuliffe and Máire Dineen of Cork Film Festival, which opens on Friday, November 7 and runs until November 16. Colm is Head of Short Film for the festival. He also writers for the Quietus, Sight & Sound, Film4, Fade to Black and the Skinny. Maire is Head of Live Music and Special Events for the festival. She also works with Body and Soul Event Creations Ltd. How did you both first become…

  • Track Record: Caoilian Sherlock (The Shaker Hymn)

    June 27, 2014 - By 

    In the latest installment of Track Record – a feature looking at the record collections of Irish musicians and artists – photographer Brid O’Donovan shoots Caoilian Sherlock, lead singer and guitarist for Cork alt-rock four-piece The Shaker Hymn choosing and selecting some of his all-time favourite records, everything from legendary West Coast rappers and local psych-rock masters. The Clash – London Calling This is the only Clash album I actually like. When myself and my friend Oran were fifteen we went to Kerry for a holiday and we had two albums. Oran was the first person I met that knew about records…

  • Cork Heads: Pretty Handsome Studio

    June 3, 2014 - By 

    In the second installment of her wonderfully-titled column Cork Heads – looking at some of the brightest sparks in Cork’s currently thriving arts scene – photographer Brid O’Donovan talks to Billy ‘Pretty Boy’ Browne and Roisin ‘Handsome’ Hanley from Pretty Handsome Studio, a project that combines the DIY aesthetic of screen printing with inspired musings and doodlings in a mission to produce the finest t-shirts, designs and prints for your wondering eyes to feast on. [How it all started] Billy: We were in college together, studying design communication in CIT. We were friends and then we got together at the end of first…

  • Bouts @ Mr Bradleys, Cork

    November 12, 2013 - By 

    Brid O’Donovan was kind enough to capture Dublin-based indie rock masters Bouts play Mr. Bradley’s as part of their recent Irish tour. Check out her photos below and all hail the finest merch table (box) in Ireland.

  • Track Record: Brendan Fennessy (O Emperor)

    October 16, 2013 - By 

    In the latest installment of Track Record, Brid O’Donovan catches up with Brendan Fennessy, drummer with Cork-based alt-rock five-piece O Emperor as he chooses and talks about a selection of his favourite and most treasured records – everyone from Curtis Mayfield and Tame Impala to Neu! and Harry Nilsson. Some taste on you there, Brendan! Todd Rundgren – A Wizard A True Star I probably picked this up a year ago. I had quite a lot of trouble finding it because there is no version in print at the time so I had to get it online. It was just…