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arts · Saturday 25 July 2026 · Various 
Féile Lughnasa
At Cloghane/Brandon region · Cloghane/Brandon, Dingle Peninsula, Co. Kerry
At Cloghane/Brandon region · Cloghane/Brandon, Dingle Peninsula, Co. Kerry
Féile Lughnasa is a community harvest festival rooted in one of the oldest celebrations in Ireland - the Celtic feast of Lugh, which marks the turning point from summer into the early harvest season. Held each year on the last weekend of July in the twin parishes of Cloghane and Brandon, just north of Dingle town on the Dingle Peninsula, the festival was revived in 1995 and has grown into a beloved annual gathering drawing locals and visitors alike. It is free to attend throughout, family-friendly, and as much about community spirit as it is about spectacle. If you want to experience an Irish festival that still feels like it belongs to the people who live there, this is a good one to seek out.
The programme typically runs across three or four days and mixes the ancient with the convivial. Expect street theatre, art workshops, guided hillwalking, tug-of-war competitions, quizzes, a fancy dress parade through Cloghane village, and live music in local pubs and at the Halla Le Chéile in Brandon. Among the more distinctive traditions are a blessing of the boats at Brandon Pier - a ceremony that connects the festival’s harvest roots to the sea-going heritage of this stretch of coast - and sheep shearing displays that carry a real sense of working rural life.
The centrepiece for those willing to lace up their boots is the pilgrimage to the summit of Mount Brandon (952 m), Ireland’s second-highest peak and a site of pre-Christian and early Christian significance. There are two routes up: the Cosán na Naomh on the western side and the more demanding eastern approach. The summit climb is not guided hiking in the formal sense - check local notices for the festival schedule. Schedules and event listings are posted in local bars, at Siopa An Phobail, and at the Halla Le Chéile.
Cloghane and Brandon sit on the north side of the Dingle Peninsula, roughly 20 km from Dingle town via the Connor Pass road or the coastal route through Castlegregory. Dingle itself is approximately 80 km west of Tralee on the R559 and R561. There is no direct public transport to Cloghane or Brandon, so a car is the practical choice. Parking is informal along the village roads - arrive early at busier events. If you are coming from further afield, Tralee or Killarney make sensible overnight bases.
The festival gives a good reason to spend a few days on the peninsula - the Brandon Bay coastline, the Great Blasket Island ferry from Dún Chaoin, and the Irish language heritage of this Gaeltacht area all reward time taken slowly. There is more to see in Dingle and across Co. Kerry.
Heading to Cloghane/Brandon region in Dingle? Kerry has plenty more to see. Read the Dingle area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.