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festivals · Saturday 15 August 2026 · Various 
National Heritage Week
At Multiple venues across Tipperary · County Tipperary
At Multiple venues across Tipperary · County Tipperary
Each August, National Heritage Week turns the whole country into a living classroom, and Tipperary - with its rock fortresses, medieval abbeys and deep seam of oral tradition - takes the occasion seriously. The 2026 week runs 15-23 August under the theme “Heritage At Risk”, asking communities to look at what is slipping away - old buildings, habitats, dialects, skills - and consider what they can do about it. Events spread across the county, organised by local groups, libraries, heritage bodies and individuals, and the range is wide enough to suit curious visitors as much as committed history enthusiasts.
The programme across Tipperary is built up from the ground: community groups, historical societies and local libraries register their own events through the Heritage Council, so what appears in any given year reflects what local people actually care about. Expect guided walks at archaeological sites, talks on vernacular architecture, nature trails, and traditional craft demonstrations. One confirmed highlight for the week is an afternoon with Eddie Lenihan - one of the last practising seanchaithe (traditional lore-keepers) in Ireland - at Carrick-on-Suir Library. Lenihan has spent decades collecting folklore and telling stories, and an hour in his company is a direct line back to how knowledge was passed on in rural Ireland before print took over. His sessions are free but booking is essential; the library service takes reservations by phone. Note that his stories are aimed at adults rather than children.
The wider programme also touches Redwood Castle, one of the county’s less-visited tower houses, and the full list of events is published on heritageweek.ie as registrations come in ahead of the week.
Tipperary town is on the M8 motorway corridor between Cork and Dublin, with Cahir and Clonmel both within easy reach. Irish Rail serves Tipperary town on the Limerick Junction - Waterford line; Carrick-on-Suir station is on the same line. Bus Éireann runs services through the main towns. Most individual events across the county will be in town centres with on-street parking or small local car parks nearby; check the specific venue on heritageweek.ie before travelling.
The county rewards a slow visit: the Rock of Cashel, Cahir Castle and Holycross Abbey are all within an hour of each other, and the Suir Valley is good walking country. There is more to see in Tipperary and across Co. Tipperary.
Heading to Multiple venues across Tipperary in Tipperary? Tipperary has plenty more to see. Read the Tipperary area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.