← All events
food-drink · Saturday 5 September 2026 · 7:30pm 
Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival Gala Dinner
At Midlands Park Hotel · Portlaoise, Co. Laois
At Midlands Park Hotel · Portlaoise, Co. Laois
The Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival Gala Dinner is a proper night out with a purpose. This is the centrepiece of a three-day homecoming festival - September 4 to 6, 2026 - drawing people with roots in Laois back from across Ireland and further afield. The gala dinner itself brings that gathering to a celebratory peak: a four-course meal, live entertainment, an awards ceremony, and dancing, all under one roof at the Midlands Park Hotel in Portlaoise. It suits people who want an occasion - those reconnecting with old friends or family, or anyone who simply enjoys a well-run evening of food, music, and good company.
Dinner is served at 7:30pm, with doors open from 6:30pm. The four-course meal runs first, and then the entertainment builds through the evening. The Musketeers - Mick Foster, Billy Morrissey, and TR Dallas - deliver folk and ballads, a sound rooted firmly in the Irish tradition. Country performers Shawn Cuddy and Damien Bowe lead the dancing portion of the night, with Trudi Lalor also on the bill.
The evening has a homecoming dimension beyond the music. Professor Noel Fitzpatrick - the Ballyfin-born “Supervet” known to audiences worldwide - is a guest of honour, and the programme includes an awards ceremony recognising unsung heroes from the county. Among those being celebrated is Christy Cullen, the songwriter behind the song “Lovely Laois” that gave the festival its name. It is that kind of night: part reunion, part tribute, part ceilidh.
Tickets at €69 cover the full meal and all entertainment. The event is organised by Buiochas Productions, and the festival as a whole spans music, literature, art, photography, workshops, and heritage events across the county across the three days.
Portlaoise sits at the centre of Ireland on the M7 motorway, roughly an hour from Dublin and 90 minutes from Cork. The town is also on the main Dublin - Cork / Limerick intercity rail line, making it one of the easier midlands towns to reach by train. The Midlands Park Hotel is in the town centre; parking is available at the hotel and in the surrounding streets and car parks.
The homecoming weekend itself gives plenty to do across the three days. Beyond the festival, Portlaoise is a good base for exploring the wider midlands - the Rock of Dunamaise, the Slieve Bloom Mountains, and the heritage town of Abbeyleix are all within easy reach. There is more to see in Portlaoise and across Co. Laois.
Heading to Midlands Park Hotel 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.