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music · Saturday 25 July 2026 · 3:00pm 
Catherine Rhatigan, Treasa Ní Mhiolláin, Eileen Carr
At Dorlindon Nature Sanctuary · Kilmacanogue, Co. Wicklow
At Dorlindon Nature Sanctuary · Kilmacanogue, Co. Wicklow
An afternoon of 18th-century Irish songs performed in a forest setting is a rare thing, and this concert at Dorlindon Nature Sanctuary is exactly that. Three accomplished musicians - Catherine Rhatigan, Treasa Ní Mhiolláin and Eileen Carr - bring together sean-nós singing and period instrumental music to conjure the world of older Ireland. The programme draws on songs from the Irish tradition dedicated to forests and forest animals and birds, alongside pieces about women in older Irish society. It ranges, as the organisers put it, “from the beautiful and simple to the quite complex.” This is a concert for anyone who has ever wanted to hear Irish traditional song in a setting that actually matches the music.
The performance runs from 3:00pm to 5:00pm in Dorlindon’s main outdoor auditorium - a natural forest amphitheatre known as the Cathedral of Trees. Sean-nós singing is one of the oldest vocal forms in Ireland: unaccompanied or lightly accompanied, sung in Irish, and ornamented in a way that gives each song its own particular shape and feeling. Rhatigan, Mhiolláin and Carr work in this tradition alongside period instrumental music, creating a programme that is both rooted in scholarship and very much alive on stage.
One detail that sets this concert apart: the trio plan to teach the audience a simple song in Irish to take home. It is a generous gesture, and a good reason to come with children who are curious about the language - the event is listed as suitable for ages 12 and up.
Gates open at 2:00pm, giving you time to settle into the forest before the music begins. The concert is part of Music in the Forest 2026, the second annual Ancient Music Festival at Dorlindon, a series that received RTÉ Supporting the Arts recognition and which dedicates this year’s programme to the harpist Brenda Grealis. A share of proceeds goes to the Children’s Health Foundation.
Kilmacanogue sits just off the N11 at the foot of the Sugarloaf, roughly 30 minutes south of Dublin city. Coming from Dublin, take the N11/M11 and exit at Kilmacanogue - the village is well signed. From Wicklow town the N11 north brings you there in under 20 minutes.
Parking is available on site for ticket holders, but capacity is limited and carpooling is recommended. Bus Éireann runs services along the N11 corridor; the nearest stop is on the main road and it is a short walk into the village. Given the outdoor setting, sturdy footwear and a layer for the afternoon are sensible.
Kilmacanogue sits at the gateway to the Wicklow hills, with the Great Sugarloaf rising sharply to the south - a straightforward walk for anyone who wants to stretch their legs before or after the concert. The village itself is quiet but the surrounding countryside repays a slow afternoon.
There is more to see in Kilmacanogue and across Co. Wicklow.
Heading to Dorlindon Nature Sanctuary in Kilmacanogue? Wicklow has plenty more to see. Read the Kilmacanogue area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.