← All events
family · Monday 10 August 2026 · Various 
Puck Fair
At Killorglin Town · Main Street, Killorglin, Co. Kerry
At Killorglin Town · Main Street, Killorglin, Co. Kerry
Puck Fair is one of those events that earns the word “ancient” without any exaggeration. Officially chartered by King James I in 1613, it almost certainly predates that - scholars link it to the Celtic harvest festival of Lughnasa, making it one of the oldest fairs in Europe. Three days, a wild mountain goat, a town that barely sleeps, and around 100,000 visitors: this is Killorglin at its loudest and most itself. Families, traders, music lovers, and people who just want to stand in a crowd and feel something real all come here for the same long weekend.
The festival runs from 10 to 12 August. Each morning brings roughly 12 hours of free entertainment, and the nights stretch until 2 or 3am with live music spilling out of pubs and onto the streets.
The centrepiece is the coronation of King Puck - a wild goat caught in the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks mountains and brought down to the town square, where a local schoolgirl places the crown on his head, officially opening the fair. It is a genuinely peculiar ceremony, done with complete seriousness, and worth arriving early to see clearly.
The horse fair is the other anchor of the first day, with traders and buyers converging on Killorglin from across the country. Livestock trading has been part of this fair for centuries and still draws a serious crowd of its own.
Beyond those set pieces, the town fills with craft stalls, street food vendors, fairground rides, buskers, face painters, storytelling, traditional music sessions, céilí dancing, and puppet theatre for younger children. A fireworks display on the final night closes things out. There is no wristband, no gate, no main stage ticket - the streets are the venue.
Killorglin sits on the N72, about 25 minutes from Killarney and a similar distance from Tralee. It is on the Ring of Kerry route, so the approach roads are well signposted. Bus Éireann runs services from both Killarney and Tralee - worth checking schedules in advance as extra capacity is often added during the fair weekend.
By car, plan for congestion on all approach roads during the first and last day especially. Parking is available at Annadale Road, Killarney Road, and Tralee Road (bring cash, roughly €10). Arriving early on the opening morning is the best way to avoid queuing.
The town sits above a bend in the River Laune, with good walking along the riverbank when the crowds thin out. The surrounding countryside - looking south towards the Reeks and west towards Dingle Bay - is some of the finest in Kerry. There is more to see in Killorglin and across Co. Kerry.
Heading to Killorglin Town in Killorglin? Kerry has plenty more to see. Read the Killorglin area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.