DONEGAL FESTIVALS

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Renowned for its tranquillity and beauty, County Donegal is home to a vibrant repertoire of festivals and events staged throughout the year. No matter which part of this stunning county you visit, you will receive a warm welcome from local communities who play an integral part in the organisation and provision of entertainment at Donegal Festivals. From Seafood Festivals to the celebration of traditional Irish music, Donegal certainly serves an eclectic line-up of festivals that draw in thousands of visitors from other parts of Ireland and beyond each year.

Central to the county's heritage and cultural excellence is the Donegal Town Heritage Festival staged in March each year. This festival never fails to excite and inspire visitors each year with its diverse repertoire of traditional fiddle playing, performing arts and theatrical performances including a strong focus on Donegal's history. This event culminates in the sea of green at Donegal's St. Patrick's Day Parade rivalling the St Patrick's Day celebrations in Letterkenny, the largest town in Donegal. Both parades are of equal importance in Donegal's Cultural Calendar and present the finest talents that this enchanting county has to offer, from spectacular marching bands to children's entertainment.

Inarguably the largest annual festival in Donegal, The Pan Celtic Festival staged in March in Letterkenny, is a magnificent cultural feast, celebrating the diversity of Celtic Arts and Music from Ireland and beyond. Festival goers can bear witness to the remarkable similarities and subtle differences of Celtic Music and Art from each region and marvel at awe-inspiring performances ranging from Celtic Step Dancing to the haunting sounds of traditional Pipe Bands from Scotland, Ireland and Brittany.

If your passion is food and savouring the culinary delicacies of Donegal, you will not be disappointed with the range of annual Donegal Festivals that cater for discerning palettes. Around Donegal's rugged coastline, the area's seafood and produce is celebrated con gusto with an endless array of annual food festivals akin to the fresh seafood caught offshore. Killybegs Seafood Festival is a fine example where you can indulge in a gastronomic feast of fresh fish, oysters and shellfish culminating each year with the Grande Finale Seafood Banquet, guaranteeing to titillate your taste buds accompanied with first-class entertainment. The Dunfanaghy Seafood Festival in North West Donegal is of equal standing where you can take part in a colourful fiesta of fireworks, street theatre and live music adding a cultural flavour to this enchanting Seafood Festival. Enjoy and sample smoked and barbecued fish and learn some culinary skills by watching the various demonstrations.

Why not capture the essence of the very best of traditional Irish Music at Ireland's longest established folk music festival, The Ballyshannon Music Festival held annually at the beginning of August. The festival has metamorphosed into one of the most significant folk music festivals in the international arena and each year, never failing to attract household names of Irish Music who have enchanted audiences from Donegal and beyond. Performances range from open-air concerts to impromptu sessions staged at various venues and pubs throughout the charming town of Ballyshannon in Donegal's South West. In spite of its rural and desolate landscapes, Donegal never fails to inspire traditional music enthusiasts with its endless array of music festivals that cover the whole spectrum. You are guaranteed to receive a memorable and enriching experience of Donegal's effervescent culture and music scene.


February ... Colmcille Winter School, Letterkenny (29 Feb – 2 Mar) Feile An Tseanbheairic (22-24)

March... Ar Ais Aris Buncrana Traditional Arts Festival (27-30) Ardara Walking Festival (15-16) Donegal Town Heritage Festival (25-30) Hillwalking in the Donegal Highlands (22-29) International Pan Celtic Festival (25-30) St Patrick's Day Parade (17) Traditional Music Easter Festival (22-24)

April... Killybegs Seafood Festival (29 Apr – 1 May) Wee Donegal Weekend (24-26)

May... Cup of Tae Festival (2-5) Celtic European Festival of the Sea l (1 May – 30 June) Dunfanaghy Seafood Festival (30 May – 2 June) Killybegs Seafood Festival (2-5) Ladies Golf Classic, Letterkenny (22-24) North West 10k Run and Walk, Letterkenny (4) One day species competition, Killybegs (3) Tullaghbegley Mountain Walk (4)

June... 2008 Irish Seniors Open, Ballyliffin (20-22) Ireland’s Environment and Culture, Glencolmcille (28 Jun – 5 Jul) Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival (29 May – 1 Jun) Shell Donegal International Car Rally (13-15)

July... Buncrana Music Festival (last week in July) Bundoran Horse and Pony Racing Festival (5-6) Donegal Music Festival (11-13) Dunfanaghy August Fair (27 Jul – 4 Aug) Earagail Arts Festival, Letterkenny (10-20) Killybegs International Sea Angling Festival (5-6)

August ... Ballyshannon Folk & Traditional Music Festival (1-3) Break for the border (24) Clonmany Family Festival, Clonmany (3-10) Downings Festival (1-4) Feile Gleanncholmcille - Feile Ghleanncholmcille (9-17) Festival at the Top, Inishowen (7-14) Marine Painting Summer School (23-30) Traditional Dances at Donegal, Glencolmcille (16-23)

September/October ... Ardara Traditional Dancing Festival (3-5 Oct) Ballyshannon Performing Arts Street Carnival (4 Oct) Bundoran Autumn Festival (5-7 Sep) Donegal Bay/Fermanagh Lakeland Amateur Seniors, Bundoran (23-25 Sep) Donegal Motor Club Harvest Stages Rally (11 Oct) Halloween Madness Weekend, Dunfanaghy (31 Oct – 2 Nov) Hills of Donegal Celtic Festival (25-29 Sep) Inishowen Open Draughts Tournament (15 Oct – 10 Dec)

November ... Ardara Matchmaking Weekend (7-9)

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