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food-drink · Monday 21 September 2026 · Various 
Kilanerin Food & Heritage Festival
At Multiple venues - Murphy's Pub and Shamrock Hall · Kilanerin, Co. Wexford
At Multiple venues - Murphy's Pub and Shamrock Hall · Kilanerin, Co. Wexford
A free community festival in the north Wexford village of Kilanerin, this event pulls together two things the county does well - good food and long memory. Run by a committee of local volunteers, it has grown steadily since its inaugural year, when more than 1,500 visitors made their way to the village from across Wexford, Wicklow, and beyond. The 2026 edition on Sunday 21 September is free to attend, making it an easy day out for families, food lovers, and anyone interested in the living history of rural Ireland.
The festival splits across two venues in the village. Shamrock Hall - a community building with roots going back to 1929 - hosts the local history and photography exhibition, bringing together archive images and new community projects that trace how Kilanerin has changed over the generations. It is the kind of exhibition where you can spend a quiet hour and come away knowing the place in a way you did not before.
Previous years have featured hands-on craft demonstrations alongside the food element: bread making, woodturning, blacksmithing, butter making, and flour grinding have all featured, with vintage machinery on show and steam engines drawing a crowd. An artisan food market puts local Wexford producers front and centre, with hot food available from food trucks on site.
The evening shifts to Murphy’s Pub from 7pm, where live music rounds the day off. It is the kind of session that tends to run long - bring good company and no fixed plans for the journey home.
Kilanerin sits on the N11 corridor in north County Wexford, roughly midway between Arklow and Gorey. By car from Dublin, take the M11/N11 south past Arklow; the village is well signed from the main road, about 1 hour 20 minutes from the city centre. From Wexford town, it is under an hour north on the N11.
Bus Eireann operates services on the Dublin - Rosslare route that stop at Gorey, the nearest sizeable town (about 10km south). A taxi or car from Gorey is the practical option for the final stretch. There is no rail station in Kilanerin, but Gorey is on the Dublin Connolly - Rosslare Europort line.
Parking in the village is informal but available; previous festivals have managed the space without difficulty, and the scale of the event suits the location.
North Wexford rewards a longer stay - the coastline around Courtown is close, and the town of Gorey has good independent shops and places to eat. There is more to see in Wexford and across Co. Wexford.
Heading to Multiple venues - Murphy's Pub and Shamrock Hall in Wexford? Wexford has plenty more to see. Read the Wexford area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.