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festivals · Sunday 28 June 2026 · Various 
Old Fort Quarter Festival
At Old Fort Quarter, Portlaoise · Portlaoise, Co. Laois
At Old Fort Quarter, Portlaoise · Portlaoise, Co. Laois
The Old Fort Quarter Festival is Portlaoise’s annual celebration of its own history - a free community day built around a town that has stood since the 1540s. The 2026 theme is “Then & Now”, tracing Portlaoise from the construction of Fort Protector, built to garrison the Midlands during the Tudor plantation, to the present day. It suits curious adults, history lovers, and families with children. Live music has been dropped this year, making room for a tighter focus on heritage activities.
The festival spreads across the historic Cultural Quarter of Portlaoise, taking in Fort Protector, Fitzmaurice Place, Main Street, and the Dunamaise Arts Centre.
The Big Dig returns - a hands-on archaeology experience for children, with a replica excavation site and trained archaeologists guiding participants through identifying artefacts. The Golden Ravens is back too, with medieval reenactors bringing the period to life through demonstrations rather than standing around in costume.
Walking tours with historians Michael Parsons and Teddy Fennelly are among the highlights. These move through the quarter’s streets while unpicking layers of occupation, rebellion, and settlement that shaped the town. Fennelly is a well-regarded chronicler of Laois history.
New for 2026: a fire show, a ghost tour, and pop-up storytelling for adults. The committee is already planning for 2027, which marks the 480th anniversary of Fort Protector’s construction - so this year is shaping up as a warm-up for something larger.
Portlaoise sits on the M7 motorway, around 80 kilometres southwest of Dublin - about an hour by road. Irish Rail Intercity services from Heuston Station run multiple times daily and take 55 to 65 minutes; the station is a short walk from the town centre. Street parking is available in the town, which is compact and walkable once you arrive.
The Dunamaise Arts Centre runs regular exhibitions and performances - worth checking if anything falls on the same weekend. The Rock of Dunamase, a striking ruin on a limestone outcrop just east of the town, is free to visit and one of the more dramatic heritage sites in the Midlands. There is more to see in Portlaoise and across Co. Laois.
Heading to Old Fort Quarter, Portlaoise in Portlaoise? Laois has plenty more to see. Read the Portlaoise area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.