Bill Shanley is a guitarist from Clonakilty, West Cork, who has played and made music with, among others, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Ray Davies, Mary Black, Eleanor McEvoy, and Paul Brady. He got lessons with Noel Redding of the Jimi Hendrix Experience as a youngster and ever since has had a fascinating career. We talk though as much of that career as we can - spoiler alert: it features the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony - in this interview recorded at Clonakilty International Guitar Festival 2023.

Clonakilty International Guitar Festival returns September 19-22, 2024 around the town. For more, see Clonguitarfest.com

On Garinish Island, West Cork, on September 20-22, Crosstown Drift is taking place. There will be free-to-attend walking tours as well as seated events with writers, poets, musicians and cultural creatives. Cormac Begley and Lisa Hannigan are playing evening concerts on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. I'll be chatting to various writers over the weekend including Toner Quinn from the Journal of Music, about his book, What Ireland Can Teach the World About Music. See https://thegoodroompresents.com/