← All events
sport · Sunday 19 July 2026 · Event starts during daytime 
Maam Cross Connemara Pony Show 2026
At Maam Cross · Maam Cross, Connemara, Co. Galway
At Maam Cross · Maam Cross, Connemara, Co. Galway
The Maam Cross Connemara Pony Show is one of those days that still feels genuinely rooted in rural Irish life. Held at the mart ground in Maam Cross, deep in the Connemara landscape of west Galway, it brings together breeders, farmers and curious visitors for a full day of livestock showing and competition. If you have any interest in the Connemara pony - one of Ireland’s native breeds, bred hardy and sure-footed in this exact terrain - this is the show that takes it most seriously. It suits families well, and anyone who wants to see a working agricultural community in its element rather than a sanitised version of it.
The show is organised around judging classes for Connemara ponies, cattle, sheep and dogs, with the programme running from morning into the afternoon. Pony judging typically opens proceedings, with handlers showing animals in hand across a range of categories by age, type and breeding. A dog show follows in the afternoon. The atmosphere is relaxed and social - you will hear as much Irish spoken at the ringside as English, and the crowd is a mix of local farming families, pony enthusiasts from across the country and visitors who have stumbled onto something they did not expect to enjoy as much as they do. There are stalls, refreshments and the informal trading and catching-up that goes with any country show. The Connemara pony itself is the draw - compact, athletic and bred specifically for the boggy, rocky ground of this region over centuries.
Maam Cross sits at a crossroads in the middle of Connemara, roughly 35 km west of Galway city on the N59. It is an easy drive from Galway city, taking about 40 minutes, and is well signposted from both the N59 and the R336. If you are coming from the east, the Oughterard road brings you through good Connemara scenery before you arrive. There is no reliable public transport direct to Maam Cross on show day, so a car is the practical choice. Parking at agricultural shows in this part of Galway is typically in adjacent fields - wear shoes that can handle a damp field if the weather has been wet.
Maam Cross is a landmark crossroads in Connemara, with Peacockes Hotel at its centre and the Maumturk mountains rising to the north. The road up through the Maam Valley is one of the finest drives in the county, and Glengowla Mines and Connemara National Park are both within easy reach for the days around the show. There is more to see in Maam Cross and across Co. Galway.
Heading to Maam Cross in Maam Cross? Galway has plenty more to see. Read the Maam Cross area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.