← All events
markets · Wednesday 12 August 2026 · Various 
Fair of Muff
At Rock of Muff · Muff, Kingscourt, Co. Cavan
At Rock of Muff · Muff, Kingscourt, Co. Cavan
The Fair of Muff is one of the oldest fairs in Ireland, held every 12 August on the same ground near Kingscourt where it has run since 1608. What began as a horse trading fair under a licence granted by King James I still draws hundreds of people to Muff each year for horse dealing, market stalls and an evening of music and dancing. It is kept going today by the Loughanleagh and Muff Heritage Trust, more than four centuries after it started.
The fair traces back to a Celtic gathering tied to the old Loughanleagh festival of Lunasa, and its modern form took shape after King James I granted a licence to Garret Fleming of Cabragh to hold a fair at Muff on 1 August and the two days following. Over time the date settled on 12 August, and it is only moved to another day if the 12th falls on a Sunday. Horse trading remains at the centre of the day, with dealers and buyers meeting on the same patch of ground their predecessors used centuries ago. Around the horse dealing, street traders set up stalls, and the old fairground games of Penny Toss and Skittles are still played. A bar, live music and dancing carry the day into the evening, and for many local families it is as much a chance to meet neighbours and reconnect as it is a market.
Muff is a townland in the Loughanleagh hills of east Cavan, reached off the R165 between Bailieborough and Kingscourt, the nearest town. There is no rail service to this part of the county, so the fair is reached by car, with informal parking on the grass margins around the fair green on the day.
Kingscourt is the closest town to Muff and a good base if you are making a day of the fair, with shops and places to eat on Main Street. There is more to see in Kingscourt and across Co. Cavan.
Heading to Rock of Muff in Kingscourt? Cavan has plenty more to see. Read the Kingscourt area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.