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markets · Sunday 16 August 2026 · 10:00am 
Castledermot Agricultural Show
At Castledermot Showgrounds · Castledermot, Co. Kildare
At Castledermot Showgrounds · Castledermot, Co. Kildare
The Castledermot Agricultural Show is one of those summer days that reminds you what a county town is actually for. Organised by Castledermot Agricultural Society and held at the town’s own showgrounds, it pulls together livestock breeders, local craftspeople, food producers, and farming families for a single August Sunday. It suits anyone with a genuine interest in where food comes from - farmers, smallholders, parents who want their children to meet a real cow - but it is also just a good day out for people who enjoy the particular atmosphere of an Irish country show.
The core of the show is the livestock ring. Cattle, sheep, and other stock are brought in by local and regional breeders, judged on breed standards, and paraded in front of a crowd that largely knows what it is looking at. That seriousness sits comfortably alongside a craft and artisan stall area, where producers of local food and homemade goods set up for the day. Farm machinery and equipment displays run through the showgrounds - newer kit alongside older iron, which tends to attract its own devoted audience. Family entertainment rounds things out, making it a practical choice if you have children in tow. Gates open at 10:00am, and the day typically runs until late afternoon, giving you enough time to work through the full ground without rushing.
Castledermot sits in the south of County Kildare, roughly 75 km southwest of Dublin and about 10 km from Carlow town. The quickest road route from Dublin is the M9 motorway south, exiting for Castledermot. From Carlow, it is a short drive on the R448. On-site parking is available at the showgrounds - for an event of this size, arriving in the first hour after opening tends to mean the smoothest run in. Bus Éireann and J.J. Kavanagh & Sons operate limited services to Castledermot from Dublin and Carlow, though a car remains the most practical option for a day like this.
The town has a strong sense of its own history - the round tower, two carved granite high crosses, and the ruins of a Franciscan friary are all within a short walk of the centre, and worth ten minutes on your way back to the car. There is more to see in Castledermot and across Co. Kildare.
Heading to Castledermot Showgrounds in Castledermot? Kildare has plenty more to see. Read the Castledermot area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.