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arts · Thursday 16 July 2026 · 11am to 5pm daily 
Open Submission Art Exhibition
At TBC · Venue to be confirmed, Boyle, Co. Roscommon
At TBC · Venue to be confirmed, Boyle, Co. Roscommon
Every July, Boyle fills with art - and the Open Submission Exhibition is where you feel it most directly. Unlike curated shows, this is an open-call display: artists from all over Ireland send one piece each, in any medium they choose, and the result is a genuinely unpredictable mix of painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, and whatever else the year brings. Admission is free, the run lasts ten days, and it suits anyone who enjoys looking at original work without the gallery-going formality.
The exhibition takes place at Sweeney’s on The Crescent, beside the courthouse in the centre of Boyle. The space fills with work across all genres - you might find oil on canvas alongside textile art, linocut prints next to acrylic abstracts. Every piece is original and previously unexhibited in Boyle, and works must be professionally framed, so the standard of presentation is consistently good.
Two awards give the show a little extra edge. The Sue Hill Perpetual Trophy for Merit recognises outstanding work overall, and a separate prize goes to the most promising artist under 25. Winners from the Open Exhibition are also invited to show in the Main Art Exhibition at King House the following year - so there is real momentum for artists who do well here.
Beyond Sweeney’s, the festival runs an Art Trail that spreads across the town: artists secure spots in shop windows and vacant spaces along Boyle’s streets, turning a walk through the town into an extended gallery experience. It is worth allowing time for both.
Boyle sits on the N4 Dublin-to-Sligo road, roughly 160km from Dublin - about two hours by car. The town is also served by Irish Rail on the Dublin Heuston to Sligo line, with several trains daily; Boyle station is a short walk from The Crescent. Bus Eireann services connect Boyle to Sligo, Carrick-on-Shannon, and Longford. Parking in the town is generally straightforward during the festival, with spaces along the main streets and near the courthouse area.
The town is a good base for a day out - King House, the Georgian mansion at the top of the main street, runs its own exhibitions as part of the festival and is worth a look on the same visit. There is more to see in Boyle and across Co. Roscommon.
Heading to TBC in Boyle? Roscommon has plenty more to see. Read the Boyle area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.