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festivals · Friday 2 October 2026 · Various 
Skellig Coast Archaeology Festival
At Multiple venues, Iveragh Peninsula · Caherdaniel, Co. Kerry
At Multiple venues, Iveragh Peninsula · Caherdaniel, Co. Kerry
The Skellig Coast Archaeology Festival gathers archaeologists, historians and local heritage groups across villages on the Iveragh Peninsula each October, running talks, walking tours and hands-on events that dig into the area’s Bronze Age forts, holy wells and rock art. Based around Caherdaniel and reaching into neighbouring villages such as Castlecove and Ballinskelligs, the festival is timed for early October, running Friday, 2 to Sunday, 4 October 2026, and draws both specialists and curious locals to a stretch of coast better known for the Skellig Islands than for its inland archaeology.
Past festivals have followed a Friday-to-Sunday format spread across several venues: a Friday talk on Bronze Age discoveries at Staigue Fort House in Castlecove, Saturday sessions on rock art and on the holy wells of the Iveragh Peninsula paired with live traditional music, and a Sunday walking tour to Cill Buaine led by a local guide, followed by traditional music in Ballinskelligs. The programme typically also includes an astronomy event, reflecting the peninsula’s status within the Kerry Dark Sky Reserve, along with Irish-language sessions and at least one organised hike. Talks are generally free or low-cost and open to all ages, while some events are ticketed through Eventbrite. Exact venues and speakers change from year to year, so the festival’s Facebook and Instagram pages are the most reliable place to confirm the final 2026 running order closer to the date.
Caherdaniel is on the Ring of Kerry, about 27km southwest of Kenmare and 30km from Waterville. The festival’s venues are spread across several villages on the peninsula, so a car is effectively essential for moving between them over the weekend.
Caherdaniel sits on the Ring of Kerry with Derrynane House and its beach close by, an easy add-on to a festival weekend spent moving between peninsula villages. There is more to see in Caherdaniel and across Co. Kerry.
Heading to Multiple venues, Iveragh Peninsula in Caherdaniel? Kerry has plenty more to see. Read the Caherdaniel area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.
In town for Multiple venues, Iveragh Peninsula? These Kerry tours book out in summer.