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Chapter 1: What changes were made to busking regulations in Cork City?
It's two years since bylaws were introduced in Cork City to try to deal with noise issues and complaints from some traders who believe buskers were spending too long in one area. While there remains a strong busking tradition in the city, some buskers say that not everyone is abiding by the laws and that enforcement may be an issue.
Brian O'Connell has been speaking to some of the city's buskers for us and joins me now. Morning, Brian. Morning, David. So what are buskers allowed and what are they not allowed to do in Cork City?
Yeah, well, these bylaws were brought in in 2024. It follows the example of some local authorities who've imposed certain restrictions and regulations. So, like, we have a very strong busking tradition in Ireland. You think of Glen Hansard, Ali Sherlock, all prominent buskers. Some of them continue to busk at times. But it has evolved from the days of an acoustic guitar in a street corner.
amplification is the big change, isn't it? And it gets louder if there's a ban, for example. People can take up a lot of streetscape. Some businesses have complained, particularly if a busker is in the same spot all day long. So these laws, which were brought in in Cork City two years ago, essentially you need a permit, and if you have an app, a year's permit will cost you €60.
If you're under 16, you must be accompanied by a guardian. All buskers can only perform for two hours at one location, and then you have to move... to these designated locations. And there's a list then of locations and times, certain noise levels you can't go over. You must have half an hour, David, of at least non-repetitive material.
So, for example, you can't stand on a street corner doing Born in the USA over and over and over again.
Oh, sure.
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Chapter 2: What are the specific rules and restrictions for buskers in Cork?
Everybody'd love that. All right. So you went and you met some buskers to see how it was all working out.
Some of them are still busking away, sometimes making quite good money. One fellow told me he could make up to €400 on a weekend. One man I met has stopped completely. He feels it's not worth his while. But let's begin with one of the most recognisable busking voices in Cork City, Seamus. He's got a very distinctive voice, often seen and heard near Oliver Plunkett Street.
And I recorded a little bit of him singing the old Paul Anka classic, My Way, made popular, of course, by Frank Sinatra. But Frank Sinatra isn't a patch on Cork's Seamus.
How long are you busking Seamus?
About 17 years I think. What got you into it? I'm supposed to love the music. You have a particular style? I like all sorts of music. I did a bit of vice training years ago.
You can hear it, yeah. If someone said to you, you have one song left to sing?
Actually, to be honest, it would probably be that.
My way? Yeah, yeah. What was it about Sinatra? His phrasing was kind of incredible, wasn't it?
I think it's... Well, yeah, yeah. He's acting out the song, he's speaking out the song, he's singing, but he's personalising it, do you know what I mean?
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Chapter 3: How do buskers feel about the impact of new bylaws?
Well, yeah, it does. Noise is the big thing, really. I think the city is a lot noisier now. You've also got a lot of speakers outside shops.
What's your, just the last thing I'll ask you, you've got one song you can play. What is it?
I had an amazing day busking a few years ago where the artist David Keenan had been playing, opening up for David Gray with his band in Irish Independent Park the previous day and himself and his band stopped to listen to me and I was playing a song by Mercury Rev called Holes and it's definitely one of my favourite songs to play so that might be it.
All the long, bad lines
Andy Wilson there talking to you Brian I think I might get an LSO for myself in studio here it might make all the difference tell me about the last busker you talked to I chatted to Sean who's been busking about five years now he was outside Brown Thomas in Cork and he did have a microphone he did have an amp and he was singing a real range of styles and songs he adheres to regulations but he feels not everybody would adhere to them and that can be very frustrating now we'll hear a little bit of him singing first he's got a great voice and then we had a chat
I love you baby.
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Chapter 4: What challenges do buskers face under the new regulations?
Would you do a couple of hours a week, would you? In 2024, they brought in bylaws here to Busk, so before it was kind of a, literally a free-for-all. You know, I understand on Oliver Punk Street, for instance, there's residents, but here, like, there's no, like, I don't think the sound is going to affect any, no one lives here anymore, so some spots are 10 till 12, 2 till 4, 6 till 8.
And then in terms of what you're playing, is there any limitations on what you can play?
No, but there should be. For instance, some buskers, I won't name names, but they play copyrighted music and you know Imro is there. So a pub has to pay Imro if they want to play music or a shop, they're all members of Imro because if they're playing copyrighted music. Yes. So the thing is you can't play copyrighted music.
The issue is I've had issues the last few weeks when I've been busking like where I came in an hour before to set up my stuff and there's someone in the spot when it's not the time. So do you think it was a good thing to bring in bylaws? The council brought in the bylaws. Councillors don't know anything about what maybe someone would do, but there's no requirement for ability.
Should you have to audition to be a bus driver? In Killarney you do, because I have a licence in Killarney. If you live in Killarney, you can go and audition in front of the council, and if you...
don't you just send like a link if you have music or a song or whatever it's just to see you can sing because there is a quite a heavy flow of tourists compared to cork city do you think that's not a bad idea when i started busking there wasn't that much buskers so they didn't really need to be controlled by laws all they had to do was the council meet with the buskers what are the what are the songs you're busking that hit that hit home
Three ones that make money. I think Amy Winehouse always makes money. I kind of target... If I see a lot of old people in front of me, I kind of do Frank Sinatra, Frankie Valli, Grease Light... What is it? Grease is the word. What's the other guy called? The fellow who sings... And the Irish songs, then? Irish songs, I try... My favourite to do is, like, R&B.
Before I started busking, do you know what I just be annoying my neighbours, actually? Do you know what I mean? Like, singing. Hopefully, no, you're not annoying everybody else. Hopefully... Well, I probably am, but, you know, like...
He definitely isn't, I can tell you. Listen to his voice. He's got a great voice. So that was Sean. Now, I was out and about in the city centre yesterday, David. I didn't bring my guitar. I just don't think the public is quite ready for my reggae version of Spancil Hill yet. But I did ask people what they thought about busking.
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Chapter 5: How has busking evolved in Cork over the years?
What about the idea of us holding auditions to kind of have a certain standard where people would have to audition to be a busker in the city? Is that going a step too far, maybe? Yeah, no, let everyone have a chance.
I think if you're that bad, you're probably not going to be doing it in public, so...
Don't know about that. Now, you put that idea about busking auditions to Cork City Council. What did they have to say? I think it should be called busking idle.
It'd be good, wouldn't it? They said since the introduction of laws, 15 fixed payment notices have been issued where breaches were identified. This year, 16 complaints. Only four of them have been outside of normal working hours. They've carried out 61 inspections. On that suggestion of having people audition, They said they considered it, but it was ruled out.
Perhaps they couldn't get Simon Cowell in the end. It's been addressed, they said, by including a condition that, as I said earlier, a performer who plays music and sings songs, you have to have a sufficient repertoire to play a half-hour set without repeating a song. So you can't do Hotel California over and over.
OK, well, that's a no from me. Brian O'Connell, thank you very much for joining us.
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