Dunkineely Reunion and Killaghtee Festival 2026

What to Expect

The Dunkineely Reunion and Killaghtee Festival is a five-day celebration of the Killaghtee parish in southwest Donegal, built around bringing home people with roots in the area alongside the community that stayed. The centrepiece is a specially written community musical, “At The End Of The Day,” staged by local performers, and the festival opens with a traditional parade led by local groups including the Killaghtee Accordion Band. Alongside the theatre and music there is a full family programme: children’s entertainment with fancy dress, local food vendors, and guided walks and scenic coastal trips, which in past years have included excursions to Ards Forest Park. It is a genuinely community-organised event, run out of Dunkineely Community Centre rather than by an outside promoter, and the “reunion” framing points to a deliberate effort to draw back former residents and their families for the week.

Good to Know

Dates: Wednesday, August 19 to Sunday, August 23, 2026, based at Dunkineely Community Centre in Ballymagowan. Organisers describe admission as most events free, with others carrying a small cover charge, which fits a programme mixing free outdoor activities like the parade and walks with ticketed elements such as the community musical, where a hall performance with a full cast typically needs a door charge to cover costs. For the musical’s performance times, walk meeting points, or any other detail, contact the community centre on +353 85 255 3225 or dunkineelycommunity@gmail.com, or check killaghtee2026.com for the full programme.

Getting There

Dunkineely is a small village on the N56 in southwest Donegal, between Donegal Town and Killybegs, roughly 15 minutes from either. There is no rail service in this part of Donegal, so the village and community centre are reached by car, with on-street parking available around the village for festival days. Transport for the guided coastal excursions further afield is organised as part of the festival programme rather than left to visitors to arrange independently.