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family · Tuesday 7 July 2026 · 10:00am 
Galway Film Fleadh with Generation Fleadh Family Programme
At Town Hall Theatre and Pálás Cinema · Galway City Centre
At Town Hall Theatre and Pálás Cinema · Galway City Centre
The Galway Film Fleadh is one of Ireland’s longest-running and most respected film festivals, and in 2026 it marks its 38th edition with six days of features, documentaries and short films spread across two city-centre venues. For families and younger film fans, the festival runs a dedicated strand called Generation Fleadh - a programme of thoughtful, carefully chosen films aimed at young audiences, alongside the Junior Film Fleadh, which puts the spotlight on films actually made by young people. If you have a teenager with an interest in storytelling, cinema or the arts, this is the kind of event that can genuinely spark something.
Generation Fleadh brings together foreign-language films, Irish-language productions, animations and documentaries selected to resonate with younger audiences rather than talk down to them. The Junior Film Fleadh is a festival within the festival: short films and narratives created by young filmmakers, shown to real audiences in proper cinema seats. Workshops led by working film professionals run alongside the screenings, covering aspects of filmmaking craft, and there are competitions and panel discussions as part of the mix. The Generation Jury - open to 16 to 18 year-olds - gives young attendees a formal role in the festival, watching and evaluating films as part of the judging process. The wider festival also takes in first and second-time directors through its Peripheral Visions strand, and there is a strong music-film thread running through the 2026 programme. Specific film titles and screening times are released closer to the event via the official website.
Galway city is well connected by rail and bus from Dublin, Limerick and other major centres - the journey from Dublin by train takes around two hours fifteen minutes from Heuston Station, and Bus Éireann and GoBus run frequent services. The two festival venues are within easy walking distance of each other in the city centre: Town Hall Theatre is at Courthouse Square, and Pálás Cinema sits on Merchants Road Lower near the Spanish Arch. Both are reachable on foot from the train and bus stations in under fifteen minutes. Street parking in Galway city centre is limited; the Jurys Inn and Eyre Square Centre car parks are the most central options. Cycling is practical - there are bike racks near both venues.
July is a fine time to be in the city, with the long evenings giving you space to walk the Latin Quarter after a screening or follow the River Corrib out towards Salthill. There is more to see in Galway and across Co. Galway.
Heading to Town Hall Theatre and Pálás Cinema in Galway? Galway has plenty more to see. Read the Galway area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.