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seasonal · Wednesday 12 August 2026 · 2:00pm 
Mid-Summer Trad Sessions at Altamont Gardens - August
At Altamont Gardens · Altamont, Tullow, Co. Carlow
At Altamont Gardens · Altamont, Tullow, Co. Carlow
On a Wednesday afternoon in August, the walled garden at Altamont Gardens fills with fiddles, flutes and the kind of unhurried session music that is genuinely hard to find in a concert-hall setting. This is the second of two mid-summer trad afternoons organised by the Carlow Garden Trail at one of Leinster’s most remarkable historic gardens - free to attend, relaxed in pace, and well suited to families, garden visitors, and anyone who just wants to sit on a rug for a couple of hours and let the music wash over them.
Musicians from County Carlow and the surrounding counties gather in the shelter of the old walled garden for an informal session running from 2pm to 4pm. Previous years have drawn twenty-five or more players, and the atmosphere is closer to a Sunday afternoon rambling house than a staged performance - musicians face each other, tunes follow tunes, and the audience sits around on blankets or garden chairs. The walled garden gives the session a naturally sheltered, acoustic quality, and if the August sun is out, the stone walls trap the heat nicely. Bring a rug or a folding chair, and there is no harm in packing a picnic. The OPW, which manages Altamont Gardens, has supported these sessions and they have become a quiet highlight of the Carlow summer calendar.
Altamont itself is worth the visit in its own right. The estate dates to the 18th century and was shaped over generations, with a lake added in the 1840s during the Famine years as relief work. The gardens were developed through the 20th century by Corona North, who spent decades collecting unusual plants before passing the estate to the state in 1999. The walled garden today includes the Corona North Commemorative Border - one of the largest herbaceous borders of its kind in Ireland.
Altamont Gardens is about four kilometres outside Tullow town, off the R726 road between Tullow and Bunclody. Tullow itself sits on the River Slaney in east County Carlow and is easily reached from the M9 motorway - exit at Carlow town and take the N80 east, or approach via Leighlinbridge on the R705. From Dublin the drive is around 90 minutes. There is no regular public transport directly to the gardens, so a car is the practical option for most visitors. On-site parking is available.
Tullow is a solid market town with a good few independent businesses and the River Slaney running through it - a pleasant stretch of river bank for a walk before or after the session. There is more to see in Tullow and across Co. Carlow.
Heading to Altamont Gardens in Tullow? Carlow has plenty more to see. Read the Tullow area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.