Ireland. A Feast of Festivals 2019

Visiting an Irish Music Festival should be on the must-do list for any visitor to Ireland. It is not easy however to find information on these, especially the smaller ones. I am often asked by my friends in the blogosphere what is on and when during their proposed visit. I’m happy to help where I can but I thought a list might be useful to anyone planning a trip. On researching this I found a number of sites where festivals are listed but they are incomplete or not up to date. I am sure I too have left some out and I don’t have dates for everything, partcularly beyond August 2019. If you are aware of a festival that I’ve missed or have dates let me know and I’ll add it.

Do try and incorporate a festival on your next trip; you’ll be made very welcome. If you do want to visit a festival please don’t rely on the dates here. Some are subject to change. You should check with their website.

Festival	Location	Start	Finish
Shannonside Winter Music Festival	Six Mile Bridge, Clare	17 Jan 19	21 Jan 19
TradFest Temple Bar Ballincollig Music Festival	Dublin Ballincollig, Cork	23 Jan 19 23 Jan 19	27 Jan 19 27 Jan 19
IMBOLC International Music Festival	Derry	15 Jan 19	10 Feb 19
Packie Duignan weekend	Drumshanbo, Leitrim	25 Jan 19	27 Jan 19
Feile na Tana Rosslare song gathering	Carlingford, Louth Rosslare,	1 Feb 19 1 Feb 19	3 Feb 19 3 Feb 19
Concertina Cruinniú	Miltown Malbay, Clare	15 Feb 19	17 Feb 19
Scoil Cheoil an Earraigh	Ballyferriter, Kerry	20 Feb 19	24 Feb 19

Russell Memorial Weekend	Doolin, Clare	21 Feb 19	24 Feb 19
The Gathering Traditional Festival	Killarney, Kerry	27 Feb 19	3 Mar 19
Mount Leinster Traditional Music Festival	Borris, Carlow	February?
Tionól Niocláis Tóibín	An Rinn, Waterford	8 Feb 19	10 Feb 19
Éigse an Spidéil	Spiddal, Galway	10 Feb 19	14 Feb 19
Corofin Traditional Festival	Corofin, Clare	27 Feb 19	3 Mar 19
Aran Celtic Music Festival	Inis Mor, Galway	8 Mar 19	11 Mar 19
NYAH Traditional Music Festival	Cavan	15 Mar 19	18 Mar 19
Kilkenny Tradfest	Kilkenny	14 Mar 19	19 Mar 19
Ceardlann Earraigh	Celbridge, Kildare	?? Mar 19	?? Mar 19
Inishowen Singing Festival	Donegal	22 Mar 19	25 Mar 19
Blossom Harp Festival Tullamore Tradfest	Tuamgraney, Clare Tullamore, Offaly	12 Apr 19 12 Apr 19	14 Apr 19 14 Apr 19
Feile Patrick Byrne	Carrickmacross, Monaghan	12 Apr 19	14 Apr 19
Maurice O’Keefe Weekend	Kiskeam, Cork	?? Mar 19
Carlow Pan Celtic Festival	Carlow	16 Apr 18	22 Apr 18
Clifden Trad Fest	Clifden, Galway	11 Apr 19	14 Apr 19
Cruinniú na bhFliúit Flute Meeting (registrations closed)	Ballyvourney, Cork	24 Apr 19	27 Apr 19
Consairtin Leitrim Dance Week	Ennis, Clare Carrick on Shannon	25 Apr 19 22 Apr 19	28 Apr 19 28 Apr 19
Ballydehob Traditional Music Festival	Ballydehob, Cork	12 Apr 19	14 Apr 19
Kilfenora Music Festival Ulster song gathering	Kilfenora Clare Omagh,	26 Apr 19 26 Apr 19	29 Apr 19 27 Apr 19
Feile Neidin, Kenmare Irish Music Festival Ceol na nGlinnti	Kenmare, Kerry Antrim	April? April?
Fleadh nagCuach (Cuckoo Fleadh)	Kinvara, Galway	3 May 19	6 May 19
Joe Heaney Festival	Carna, Galway	? May	? May
Cup of Tae Festival	Ardara, Donegal	? May	? May
Feile Chois Cuain	Louisburgh, Mayo	3 May 19	6 May 19
Carrigaholt Oyster & Trad Festival	Carrigaholt, Clare	3 May 19	5 May 19
Cos Cos Sean Nos Festival	Drumcliffe, Sligo	6 May 19	12 May 19
Fiddle Fair Fleadh na Deise. Waterford Traditional Music Festival	Baltimore, Cork Kilmacthomas, Co Waterford	9 May 19 17 May 19	12 May 19 19 May 19
Feile Chnoc na Gaoithe, Tulla Trad Music Festival	Tulla, Clare	17 May 19	19 May 19
Skerries Traditional Music Weekend	Skerries, Dublin	? May 18	? May 18
World Fiddle Day	Scartaglin, Kerry	18 May 19
World Fiddle Day	Glenties, Donegal	18 May 19
Fleadh Nua	Ennis, Clare	19 May 19	27 May 19
Michael Dwyer Festival John McKenna Music Festival	Allihies, Cork Drumkeeran, Co Leitrim	7 Jun 19 7 Jun 19	9 Jun 19 9 Jun 19
Doolin Folk Festival Ballydehob song gathering	Doolin, Clare Ballydehob, Cork	14 Jun 19 14 Jun 19	16 Jun 19 16
Con Curtin Festival	Brosna, Kerry	?? Jun 19	?? Jun 19
Jim Dowling Uilleann Pipe and Trad Festival	Glengarriff, Cork	21 Jun 19	23 Jun 19
Craiceann Summer School	Innis Oir, Galway	24 Jun 19	28 Jun 19
Blas International Summer School	Limerick	24 Jun 19	5 Jul 19
Cross Traditional Music Weekend	Cross, Clare	?? Jun 19	?? Jul 19
An Chúirt Chruitireachta (International Harp Festival)	Termonfechin, Louth	30 Jun 19	5 Jul 19
Feile Brian Boru	Killaloe/Ballina, Clare, Tipperary	3 Jul 19	7 Jul 19
Féile Traidphicnic	Spiddal, Galway	5 Jul 19	7 Jul 19
Scoil Samraidh Willie Clancy	Miltown Malbay, Clare	6 Jul 19	14 Jul 19
Ceol na Coille Summer School	Letterkenny, Donegal	8 Jul 19	12 Jul 19
South Sligo Summer School	Tubbercurry, Sligo	14 Jul 19	20 Jul 19
Fleadh Cheoil Na Mumhan (Munster Fleadh)	Ennis, Clare	14 Jul 19	22 Jul 19
Ceili at the Crossroads Festival	Clarecastle, Clare	?? Jul 19	?? Jul 19
Joe Mooney Summer School	Drumshanbo, Leitrim	20 Jul 19	27 Jul 19
Fiddler’s Green Festival	Rostrevor, Down	21 Jul 19	28 Jul 19
Meitheal Summer School	Ennis, Clare	22 Jul 19	27 Jul 19
Scoil Acla Summer School	Achill Island, Mayo	27 Jul 19	3 Aug 19
Donegal Fiddle Summer School	Glencolmcille, Donegal	29 Jul 19	2 Aug 19
Belfast Summer School of Traditional Music	Belfast	27 Jul 19	3 Aug 19
Sliabh Luachra Summer School	Rockchapel, Cork	July?
Laois Trad Summer School	Portlaoise, Laois	July?
Phil Murphy Weekend	Carrig-on-Bannow, Wexford	July?
Kilrush Traditional Music and Set Dancing Festival	Kilrush, Clare	31 Jul 19	5 Aug 19
Sean McCarthy Weekend Festival	Finuge, Kerry	1 Aug 19	5 Aug 19
James Morrison Traditional Music Festival	Sligo	?? Aug 19	?? Aug 19
O’Carolan Harp Festival	Keadu, Roscommon	2 Aug 19	7 Aug 19
Feakle International Traditional Music Festival	Feakle Clare	7 Aug 19	12 Aug 19
Scully’s Trad Fest	Newmarket, Cork	?? Aug 19	?? Aug 19
Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann	Drogheda, Louth	11 Aug 19	18 Aug 19
Feile Ceol Na Locha	Tourmakeedy, Mayo	?? Aug 19	?? Aug 19
Masters of Tradition	Bantry, Cork	21 Aug 19	25 Aug 19
Crotty Galvin Traditional Music Weekend	Moyasta, Clare	?? Aug 19	?? Aug 19
Ballyshannon Folk and Traditional Music Festival	Ballyshannon, Donegal	2 Aug 19	5 Aug 19
Seachtain Ceoil Chois Fharraige	Spiddal, Galway	August?
Fingal Fleadh and Fair,	Swords Castle, Dublin	?? August
Gig’n the Bann	Portglenone, Antrim	?? Sep
Johnny Doherty Music & Dance Festival	Ardara, Donegal	20 Sep 19	22 Sep 19
Ceol Na gCruach	The Glen Tavern, Donegal	Sep?
Dingle Tradfest	Dingle, Kerry	Sep?
Tuam Trad Festival	Tuam, Galway	Sep?
Gerry Whelan Memorial Weekend	Cootehill, Cavan	Sep?
Feile Cheoil Larry Reynolds	Ballinasloe, Galway	Sep?
Frank Harte Festival	Dublin	Sep?
Music Under the Mountains	Wicklow	Sep?
Cork Folk Festival	Cork, Cork	Sep?
Garry McMahon traditional singing festival O’Carolan Harp Festival	Abbeyfeale. Limerick Nobber, Meath	18 Oct ??Oct	20 Oct
Glenties Fiddlers Weekend	Glenties, Donegal	?? Oct
Ed Reavy Traditional Music Festival	Cavan	?? Oct
Foxford Traditional Weekend	Foxford, Mayo	?? Oct
Sligo Live Folk Roots and Indie Festival	Sligo	?? Oct
Cooley Collins Festival	Gort, Galway	?? Oct
Willie Keane weekend	Doonbeg, Clare	?? Oct
Feile Strokestown	Strokestown, Roscommon	?? Oct
Féile Chruite Achill Harp Fest	Achill Island, Mayo	25 Oct 19	28 Oct 19
Scoil Cheoil na Botha	Scotstown, Monaghan	??Oct
Patrick O’ Keeffe Traditional Music Festival	Castleisland, Kerry	25 Oct 19	28 Oct 19
Ennis Trad Fest	Ennis, Clare	7 Nov 19	11 Nov 19
William Kennedy Piping Festival	Armagh	?? Nov
Drogheda Traditional Music Weekend	Drogheda, Louth	?? Nov
Éigse Dhiarmuid Uí Shúilleabháin	Ballyvourney, Cork	?? Dec
Scoil Gheimhridh Ghaoth Dobhair	Gweedore, Donegal	?? Dec
Trá Buí /Pearse Holmes memorial Traditional Music Weekend.	Dohooma, Mayo	?? Dec