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food-drink · Wednesday 15 July 2026 · Various 
Sneem Summer Festival Food & Market
At Sneem Village · Sneem, Co. Kerry
At Sneem Village · Sneem, Co. Kerry
Sneem is not short of scenery, but once a year in July the village turns its colourful squares into an open-air kitchen. The Sneem Summer Festival runs for five days mid-month, and the food strand - a street feast, a proper food market, and roaming food trucks - sits at the centre of it. It draws locals from across the Iveragh Peninsula and visitors doing the Ring of Kerry who time their loop to land here. It suits families, slow travellers, and anyone who would rather taste a place than photograph it from behind glass.
The Sneem Food Market is the anchor event. Local chefs and artisans set up stalls showcasing what this stretch of Kerry produces: freshly caught Atlantic seafood, artisanal cheeses, handmade preserves, freshly baked goods, and the Sneem black pudding - a regional speciality you will struggle to find elsewhere. The street feast adds a livelier edge, with food trucks pulling into the village and turning the square into a long table of sorts. Alongside the food there is an annual Summer Market with craft stalls, and live music runs through the week. Entry to the festival atmosphere is free - you pay only for what you eat or buy. The full programme for 2026 was yet to be published at time of writing, so check the festival website closer to July for the confirmed daily schedule and any new additions.
Sneem sits on the N70, the southern leg of the Ring of Kerry, about 25 km west of Kenmare and roughly 50 km from Killarney. By car it is a straightforward drive from either direction, though the Ring of Kerry road is single-track in places and slow in high summer. If you are coming from Killarney, allow an hour at a relaxed pace. Bus Eireann serves Kenmare from Killarney, and a handful of local taxi and tour operators run Ring of Kerry shuttles that stop at Sneem. Parking in the village itself is limited during festival week - arriving early in the morning or on foot from nearby accommodation gives you the smoothest start.
The village is worth a wander well beyond the festival stalls - the two squares divided by the River Sneem, the painted houses, and the riverside park all slow you down in a good way. There is more to see in Sneem and across Co. Kerry.
Heading to Sneem Village in Sneem? Kerry has plenty more to see. Read the Sneem area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.