O’Carolan Harp Festival: 'At its heart, this festival remains a celebration rooted in the local community'
The O’Carolan Harp Festival and Summer School has officially opened in Keadue, Co Roscommon, bringing together musicians, students and visitors to celebrate the legacy of Turlough O’Carolan with concerts, workshops and traditional competitions until August 3.
The O’Carolan Harp Festival and Summer School is underway in Keadue, Co Roscommon, after being officially opened by Fiona Fitzgerald, Fáilte Ireland Regional Development Officer for Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands. The annual celebration of music and heritage runs until Monday, August 3, 2026.
The festival celebrates the legacy of Turlough O’Carolan, the blind harper and composer who is interred at nearby Kilronan Cemetery. The event has been held for nearly half a century, combining musical performances with community-led heritage.
The 2026 programme includes a Summer School, running until July 31, with tuition in harp, bodhrán, tin whistle, banjo, set dancing, button accordion, traditional singing, fiddle, guitar, concertina, flute and sean-nós dancing.
The official opening was followed by the Tutors’ Concert in St Ronan’s Hall, while Summer School workshops are now underway for participants.
Headline concerts include internationally acclaimed group Téada, celebrating 25 years on the road, and Sonóir, a contemporary harp showcase commissioned by Harp Ireland featuring Mel Mercier, composer Niamh O’Brien, Alannah Thornburgh, Malachy Robinson and John Leonard.
The festival programme also features traditional competitions including the Harp Competitions and the International Door Dancing Competition, along with street music, ceilithe, lectures and a festival parade.
“At its heart, this festival remains a celebration rooted in the local community and its connection to one of Ireland’s most distinctive musical figures,” the festival committee said.