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music · Sunday 9 August 2026 · 3:00pm 
Kathleen Loughnane and Cormac Cannon at Music in the Forest
At Dorlindon Nature Sanctuary · Kilmacanogue, Co. Wicklow
At Dorlindon Nature Sanctuary · Kilmacanogue, Co. Wicklow
Harpist Kathleen Loughnane and multi-instrumentalist Cormac Cannon bring a programme of 17th and 18th-century Irish and Scottish music to the woods of Dorlindon Nature Sanctuary on a Sunday afternoon in August. The setting does a lot of the work: the concert takes place in the Cathedral of Trees, an outdoor forest amphitheatre at a sanctuary that also features a Music Island, log bridges, and handcrafted woodland structures less than 30 minutes from Dublin. It suits anyone who likes traditional and early Irish music played with real scholarship, and anyone who wants to spend two hours sitting in a forest listening to the harp and uilleann pipes without the bustle of a festival stage.
The pair have performed this repertoire together before and know exactly what they are doing with it. Kathleen Loughnane is one of the most respected interpreters of the early Irish harp tradition - her work draws on the manuscripts of early music collectors and illuminates music that goes back to the great blind harpers of the 17th century. Cormac Cannon, her son, plays uilleann pipes, flute and whistle; he learned pipes from Tommy Keane and has been a regular presence at the Willie Clancy Summer School.
The programme covers solo harp works alongside joint pieces, exploring piping and harping repertoire that the pair draw from historic manuscripts. This is not a trad session in a pub - it is an afternoon of focused, beautifully played early music in an unusual outdoor space. The concert runs from 3:00pm to 5:00pm and closes out the 2026 Music in the Forest season. A portion of proceeds goes to the Children’s Health Foundation.
Wear outdoor footwear and bring a layer. Concerts move to a sheltered area of the forest if the weather turns.
Kilmacanogue sits just off the N11 in north Wicklow, about 25 km south of Dublin city centre. By car, take the N11 south from the M50 and follow signs for Kilmacanogue village. Dorlindon Nature Sanctuary is signposted locally. On-site parking is available for ticket holders but is limited, so carpooling is recommended. By public transport, Bus Eireann services along the N11 corridor stop at Kilmacanogue; check the Bus Eireann planner for current timetables from Dublin Busaras.
Kilmacanogue is the gateway to the Glen of the Downs and a short drive from the Sugar Loaf mountain, so there is every reason to make a day of it before the 3:00pm start. There is more to see in Kilmacanogue and across Co. Wicklow.
Heading to Dorlindon Nature Sanctuary in Kilmacanogue? Wicklow has plenty more to see. Read the Kilmacanogue area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.