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seasonal · Friday 25 September 2026 · Various 
Johnny Doherty Festival
At Multiple venues in Ardara · Ardara, Co. Donegal
At Multiple venues in Ardara · Ardara, Co. Donegal
Every September, the small town of Ardara in south-west Donegal quietly becomes one of the most important places in Irish traditional music. The Johnny Doherty Festival is a weekend-long celebration honouring the life and fiddle playing of John Doherty (1900-1980), who was born here and is widely regarded as one of the defining voices in Donegal trad. If you care about the music at any level - whether you play yourself, follow it seriously, or just love a good session in a proper pub - this is the kind of gathering that is hard to find anywhere else.
The weekend runs from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 September across multiple venues in the town. The programme mixes formal concerts with informal pub sessions, céilí dances, barn dances, set dancing, sean-nós singing, and workshops led by accomplished traditional musicians. Past years have brought performers of real stature to Ardara - accordion players, fiddlers, flute players, and singers who carry the Donegal style in their bones.
John Doherty himself was a Traveller, the son of a tinsmith and fiddler, and he played with a richly ornamented style - bowed triplets, rolls, cuts, and double-stopping - that drew as much from Scottish piping traditions as from the mainstream of Irish music. He was a direct influence on The Chieftains and on Altan, among others. The festival keeps that spirit alive: it is less a polished showcase and more a communal act of remembrance and playing, where the informal session can matter as much as the ticketed concert.
Events are priced individually - some are free to attend, others carry a charge. Check the official programme at ardara.ie for the full schedule once it is published.
Ardara sits on the N56, roughly 40 km south-west of Letterkenny and about 65 km north-west of Sligo town. Driving is the practical option for most visitors - the town is small and parking is generally available on and around the main street, though it fills quickly on busy festival evenings so arriving early helps. Bus Éireann serves Donegal town and Letterkenny from Dublin, but onward connections to Ardara are limited; a hire car from either hub gives you the most flexibility. If you are coming from Northern Ireland, the route via Donegal town on the N15 is straightforward.
Ardara is a heritage weaving town, still home to workshops producing Donegal tweed, and the surrounding landscape takes in the Owenea River valley, the beach at Narin and Portnoo, and the cliffs at Slieve Tooey. A September visit means the worst of the summer crowds have gone, which suits the place well. There is more to see in Ardara and across Co. Donegal.
Heading to Multiple venues in Ardara in Ardara? Donegal has plenty more to see. Read the Ardara area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.