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family · Sunday 28 June 2026 · Various 
An Tóstal Festival 2026
At Drumshanbo · Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim
At Drumshanbo · Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim
An Tóstal Festival in Drumshanbo is one of the most quietly remarkable community events in Ireland. This small town on the southern tip of Lough Allen is the only place in the country where An Tóstal - the national cultural gathering launched in 1953 - has run every single year without a break. That is over seventy years of parades, music, storytelling, and local pride, kept alive by the people of Drumshanbo when everywhere else let the tradition lapse. It suits families with young children as much as it suits anyone looking to spend a week in a genuinely community-run Irish festival rather than a commercial one.
The festival runs across a full week from 28 June to 4 July, with events spread throughout the town rather than concentrated on a single stage or site. Past programmes have included street parades, live music sessions, fishing workshops on Lough Allen, poetry readings, water sports, and market stalls with local crafts and produce. Because this is a true community festival, the daily line-up tends to build and change as the week goes on - check the An Tóstal Facebook page (@antostal) or contact the organisers at antostaldrumshanbo@gmail.com closer to the date for the full programme. Most of what is on is free to attend, which makes it easy to dip in and out across several days if you are staying locally.
Drumshanbo sits at the southern end of Lough Allen in the middle of Co. Leitrim, about 12 km north of Carrick-on-Shannon. By car from Dublin take the N4 west and turn off at Carrick-on-Shannon, then follow the R280 north to Drumshanbo - roughly two hours from the capital. From Sligo, take the N4 south-east and come in via Drumkeeran or Ballinamore, about 45 minutes. Bus Eireann serves Carrick-on-Shannon from Dublin and Sligo; from there a local taxi or car is the most practical way to cover the final stretch. Parking in the town centre is informal and generally fine during festival week, though early mornings are better if you want to be close to the main street.
The town sits right on the Lough Allen Canal, and the lake itself is large enough to feel genuinely wild. The Shed Distillery, home of Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, is just outside the town and runs tours if you want to fill an afternoon. There is more to see in Drumshanbo and across Co. Leitrim.
Heading to Drumshanbo in Drumshanbo? Leitrim has plenty more to see. Read the Drumshanbo area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.