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music · Friday 31 July 2026 · Various 
Kilrush Traditional Music and Set Dancing Festival 2026
At Various venues, Kilrush · Kilrush, Co. Clare
At Various venues, Kilrush · Kilrush, Co. Clare
Every summer, Kilrush earns its reputation as one of west Clare’s most musical towns by hosting a six-day festival that puts traditional music and set dancing front and centre. The Kilrush Traditional Music and Set Dancing Festival, run by the local Comhaltas branch, draws players, dancers, and listeners of all ages for a week that mixes workshops, open-air ceilis, concerts, and late pub sessions. If you have any interest in Irish trad - whether you play, dance, or simply want to sit in a square and hear it done properly - this is the kind of week that stays with you.
The 2026 festival runs from Thursday 31 July through Monday 3 August, using three main venues across the town: Kilrush Town Square, Teach Ceoil Kilrush, and the Community Centre.
Thursday opens with a seisiun at Teach Ceoil to warm things up. Friday brings daytime workshops at 10am and 1pm, followed by the official opening and an open-air ceili with Dalgcais Ceili Band at 7pm, then music in the town bars from 10pm. Saturday repeats the workshop pattern in the morning, moves into an afternoon ceili with the Johnny Reidy Ceili Band at 2:30pm, and rounds off with a Variety Concert at Teach Ceoil in the evening. Sunday is the most varied day: a traditional mass at noon, a display in the square at 2:30pm, a session at Vandeleur Walled Gardens at 4pm, and an evening ceili with Donie Nolan Ceili Band. The farewell ceili on Monday with Shandrum Ceili Band closes out the week.
Workshops are open to all levels - complete beginners are welcome. The mix of structure (workshops, concerts) and informality (pub sessions, the square ceili) means there is always something on whether you want to participate or simply watch.
Kilrush sits on the north bank of the Shannon estuary on the N68, roughly 50km from Ennis. From Ennis, Bus Eireann runs a service along this route. Drivers coming from Kerry can use the Shannon Ferries crossing from Tarbert in Co. Kerry, which lands just a few kilometres from Kilrush - a fast and scenic alternative to driving around the estuary. Kilrush itself is a compact market town, and all three festival venues are within easy walking distance of each other. Street parking is generally available in the town centre.
The town has good cafes and traditional pubs, and the nearby Vandeleur Walled Gardens - which feature in the Sunday programme - are worth a visit in their own right. The west Clare coastline, with Kilkee and the Loop Head Peninsula a short drive away, gives the trip a natural extension. There is more to see in Kilrush and across Co. Clare.
Heading to Various venues, Kilrush in Kilrush? Clare has plenty more to see. Read the Kilrush area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.