Kilkee Currach Regatta

What to Expect

The Kilkee Currach Regatta is a full afternoon of traditional currach rowing on Kilkee Bay, staged by the West Clare Currach Club as part of National Heritage Week. The day opens at midday on the slipway with a talk on the history of West Clare’s fishing currachs, led by Dr Criostoir Mac Carthaigh alongside club members - for roughly 200 years, more than 20 currachs worked out of Kilkee, and local families depended on them for fishing along this stretch of coast before engine-powered boats took over. From 12:30pm to 2pm, the club opens the boats up for hands-on try-it sessions, letting visitors get into a currach and row it in the bay under supervision, a rare chance to handle one of these narrow, canvas-hulled boats rather than just see one on display. The main event follows from 2pm to 6pm: a competitive regatta with crews travelling from Galway, Kerry and Cork as well as Clare to race the boats against each other, a format that rewards technique and crew coordination as much as raw power, since a mistimed stroke can turn a currach sideways in seconds.

Good to Know

• Saturday 22 August 2026, 12:00pm to 6:00pm, on Kilkee Bay.
• Free to attend and watch; the hands-on rowing session from 12:30-2pm is open to visitors as well as club members.
• Organised by West Clare Currach Club - contact 087 674 4550 or richardcollins.ennis@gmail.com for more information.
• The event is wheelchair accessible, family-friendly and reachable by public transport, with car parking available in Kilkee.
• All activities are weather dependent, so check locally on the day if conditions are rough.
• Part of National Heritage Week 2026 (15-23 August), which runs events across the county.

Getting There

Kilkee Beach and slipway are in the centre of Kilkee town on Clare’s west coast. Kilkee is served by regular Bus Eireann routes from Ennis and Kilrush, and there is parking along the seafront.