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festivals · Monday 27 July 2026 · Various 
O'Carolan Harp Festival and Summer School 2026
At Keadue village, O'Carolan Centre at St Ronan's Hall · Keadue, Co. Leitrim
At Keadue village, O'Carolan Centre at St Ronan's Hall · Keadue, Co. Leitrim
Every July, the quiet Leitrim-border village of Keadue fills with harp strings, fiddle reels and the kind of concentrated musical energy that only a week-long summer school can produce. The O’Carolan Harp Festival and Summer School runs from 27 July to 3 August 2026, honouring Turlough O’Carolan, the blind itinerant harper who is buried in the churchyard just up the road. He composed well over 200 pieces and remains one of the defining voices in Irish traditional music. Coming here for the festival is not simply a concert trip - it is a chance to learn, compete, listen and spend time in a village that takes this tradition seriously.
The week divides into two strands that complement each other. The summer school runs through the week, with morning classes covering harp, tin whistle, concertina, bodhrán and set dancing, and afternoon sessions in banjo, flute, button accordion, fiddle, traditional singing and sean-nós dancing. All ages and abilities are welcome; complete beginners can try the “Try the Harp” initiative, a supported introduction to the instrument in a relaxed group setting.
In the evenings, the festival shifts into concert mode at St Ronan’s Hall in the O’Carolan Centre in the village. The 2026 programme includes the premiere of Sonóir, a newly commissioned work by Mel Mercier scored for two Irish harps, bassoon, viola da gamba and traditional percussion. It will be performed on Friday 31 July by a cast that includes harpers Niamh O’Brien and Alannah Thornburgh alongside musicians from the Irish Chamber Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra, joined by local North West harpers from the Keadue Harp Ensemble. Sunday evening brings a headline set from Téada, the internationally acclaimed traditional group known for their raw energy and precision, touring since 2001.
The annual harp competition draws entrants from across the world, and the festival closes on August Bank Holiday Monday with the much-loved Door Dancing competition and a parade through the village.
Keadue sits just over the Leitrim border into Co. Roscommon, roughly 15 km south-west of Carrick-on-Shannon. By car from Dublin, take the M4/N4 west to Carrick-on-Shannon (about two hours), then follow local roads south-west through Leitrim village and on towards Keadue. From Sligo, it is around 45 minutes south via the N4 and local roads through Boyle. There is no direct public transport to the village, so a car or lift-share is the practical option for most visitors. Parking in Keadue is village-scale; arriving slightly early for evening concerts will save circling.
Accommodation in Keadue itself is limited, so book early. Carrick-on-Shannon has the widest choice of hotels and guesthouses nearby, with Boyle a closer option.
The area around Keadue is calm, lough-dotted countryside - good walking and easy days on the water if you want to stretch the visit into a short break. There is more to see in Leitrim and across Co. Leitrim.
Heading to Keadue village, O'Carolan Centre at St Ronan's Hall in Leitrim? Leitrim has plenty more to see. Read the Leitrim area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.