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family · Saturday 1 August 2026 · Various 
Féile Inis Bigil - Inishbiggle Island Festival
At Inishbiggle Island · Inishbiggle, Co. Mayo
At Inishbiggle Island · Inishbiggle, Co. Mayo
Féile Inis Bigil is one of the more unusual days out you can have in the west of Ireland - a community festival held not in a town square or a GAA pitch, but on a small inhabited island off the Achill coast that most people living in Mayo have never set foot on. The festival runs over the August Bank Holiday weekend and draws families and day-trippers across the water to Inishbiggle, a quiet island of just 2.6 km² sitting in the channel between Achill Island and the Ballycroy mainland. It is the kind of event that feels genuinely local: rooted in the island’s heritage and traditions rather than put together for a tourist audience.
The festival is described as a celebration of traditional island life, with a focus on the wildlife and natural beauty of the island alongside its heritage and culture. Inishbiggle - the name translates roughly as “Island of Fasting” - has a small elderly population that has maintained farming and fishing traditions stretching back generations. The August festival is the moment when the island opens up to visitors and marks that community identity. Activities vary year to year; the festival Facebook page (search Inis Bigil) tends to carry the most up-to-date programme. Expect a relaxed pace, outdoor settings, and the kind of atmosphere that comes from a community gathering on a piece of land the Atlantic surrounds on all sides. The crossing itself, roughly ten minutes by boat, is part of the occasion.
Inishbiggle is reached by boat from two departure points: Doran’s Point at Ballycroy on the mainland, or Bullsmouth at Dooniver on the Achill Island side. The channel at Bullsmouth carries one of the strongest tidal currents in Europe, so crossings are weather-dependent - August is typically the most reliable window. During festival weekend a boat service operates to the island; check the festival Facebook page or contact Achill Tourism (098 20400) in the weeks before for confirmed times. By road, Achill Island is reached via the N59 from Westport - around 45 minutes. Ballycroy on the mainland is a similar drive from Castlebar via the N59 west. Park at the departure point and travel light.
Achill Island has some of the finest Atlantic coastline in Ireland - Keem Bay alone is worth the drive - and the festival weekend is a good reason to base yourself there for a couple of nights. There is more to see in Achill and across Co. Mayo.
Heading to Inishbiggle Island? Mayo has plenty more to see. Browse the area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.