Quilt Ireland National Quilt Expo

What to Expect

The National Quilt Expo is a new two-day event from Quilt Ireland, a business founded to celebrate quilting heritage and community across the island, and it launches at The Heights Hotel in Killarney on 23 and 24 October 2026. The organisers have set it up as the anchor event of their annual calendar through at least 2028, built around three strands: exhibition, education and events. Expect finished quilts on display from Irish makers, hands-on workshops for different skill levels, and a run of vendor stands selling fabric, notions and equipment from around the country.

Because it is the first edition, there is no established format to compare it against, but the stated aim is to bring together hobbyist quilters, professional makers and complete beginners under one roof, tying in the wider quilting community rather than just showcasing finished work. For Kerry, it adds a genuinely new craft fixture to the autumn calendar, distinct from the county’s existing arts and heritage festivals, and it is likely to draw visitors from well outside Kerry given quilting’s dedicated national following in Ireland.

Killarney’s hotel conference spaces already host a steady run of hobbyist and trade events through the shoulder season, and the Quilt Expo joins that pattern, giving the town another reason for visitors to come outside the main summer tourist window. For local quilters and needlecraft groups around Kerry, having a national-scale expo on their doorstep rather than needing to travel to Dublin or further afield is a genuine change from previous years.

Good to Know

• Dates: Friday 23 and Saturday 24 October 2026, at The Heights Hotel Killarney.
• Tickets start from €10; general admission and VIP options are available.
• Address: Cork Road, Killarney, Co. Kerry, V93 XKR4.
• Programme includes exhibitions, workshops and vendor stands across both days.
• Inaugural edition, intended as an annual fixture from 2026 onward.

Getting There

The Heights Hotel is on the Cork Road on the eastern edge of Killarney town, with hotel parking on site and an easy walk from the town centre.