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seasonal · Saturday 25 July 2026 · Various 
Mary From Dungloe International Arts Festival
At Multiple venues in Dungloe and surrounding areas · Dungloe, Co. Donegal
At Multiple venues in Dungloe and surrounding areas · Dungloe, Co. Donegal
One of the longest-running festivals in Ireland, the Mary From Dungloe International Arts Festival has been drawing visitors to west Donegal every summer since 1968. Over ten days it fills the small town of Dungloe with live concerts, traditional music sessions, Irish dancing, street entertainment, workshops, and community events - all building towards the centrepiece: the crowning of the Mary From Dungloe. It suits families, music lovers, diaspora visitors coming home, and anyone curious about what a proper Irish summer festival looks like when a whole town gets behind it.
The festival runs 25 July to 3 August and spreads across multiple venues in and around Dungloe. Past editions have drawn upwards of 45,000 daytime visitors, and the atmosphere is genuinely community-led rather than corporate.
The Mary From Dungloe competition is the emotional heart of it. Young women representing Irish communities from across the world - New York, Philadelphia, Edinburgh, London, Dubai and beyond - travel to Dungloe to compete for the title. The winner is chosen on the spirit of the festival rather than conventional pageant criteria, and serves as an ambassador for the following year.
Around this, the programme is broad. You can expect headline country and Irish music concerts, céilí and set dancing, an Irish dancing feis, hill walking on old horse tracks above the town, a parkrun, craft workshops, a wellness retreat at the Waterfront Hotel overlooking Dungloe Bay, and plenty of sessions in local pubs. Prices vary by event - some are free, others ticketed. Check the festival website or the official Facebook page (@MaryFromDungloeFestival) for the current programme and any tickets.
Dungloe sits on the N56 in the Rosses, roughly 60km northwest of Letterkenny and about 50km from Donegal Town. By car from Dublin, allow around 3.5 hours via the N2 or M1 and N3 through Letterkenny. Bus Eireann serves Dungloe from Letterkenny and Donegal Town; check current timetables before travelling as services in west Donegal run less frequently than in cities. Parking in Dungloe town is limited during festival week, so arriving early or staying locally makes life easier.
The Rosses is a striking stretch of coastline, loughs, and bog, with Arranmore Island reachable by ferry from nearby Burtonport and Carrickfinn Beach a short drive south. There is more to see in Dungloe and across Co. Donegal.
Heading to Multiple venues in Dungloe and surrounding areas in Dungloe? Donegal has plenty more to see. Read the Dungloe area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.