July 2019 Food & Drink Festival Guide
Sat Jul 13 2019
July 2019 Food & Drink Festival Guide
written by Melanie May
Kick off the summer holidays in style with one of these fantastic festivals taking place across Ireland in July.
1st – 31st July 2019: Féile na Mara / Achill Island Festival of the Sea
Location: Achill Island, Co Mayo
There’s a whole month of celebrations taking place on Achill Island in Co. Mayo for its annual Féile na Mara. This festival is a cultural and culinary celebration of Achill’s rich heritage with the sea and it showcases the bountiful harvest of the Atlantic Ocean. But it is not just all food and drink, there are plenty of activities organised too like a half marathon and 10k race, painting workshops, a summer camp for children, a kite festival and a garden fête.
3rd – 7th July 2019: Kilmore Quay Seafood Festival
Location: Kilmore Quay Harbour, Co Wexford
Each July, Kilmore Quay, a charming and picturesque fishing village, on the south-east coast of Ireland, celebrates summer with delicious seafood platters, fishing and lots of fun activities for all the family.
6th -7th July 2019: Groove Festival
Location: Kilruddery House and Gardens, Bray, Co. Wicklow
Groove Festival will be returning for its 7th year to the stunning, world-renowned surrounds of Killruddery House and Gardens. The space offers an oasis of calm, open space for well-being, fun and creativity, and is the perfect setting for a summer festival escape for all the family.
8th – 14th July 2019: Ballina Street Festival
Location: Ballina, Co. Mayo
The Ballina Street festival has a jam-packed programme of events including a Heritage Day, Teddy Bear’s Picnic in the Park, a fireworks display, treasure hunt, street party, as well as events on the River May including a swim, sailing and stand up paddling boarding. This is a family-orientated festival with plenty to do for people of all ages.
10th – 28th July: Earagail Arts Festival
Location: Donegal
The Earagail Arts Festival is a bilingual (Irish and English language), multidisciplinary summer festival which takes place throughout Donegal along the Wild Atlantic Way. The festival programme features performances by award-winning international talent as well as home-grown artists. The performances take place in a wide range of venues from purpose-built theatres to more unique locations like forests and beaches. It really is a fanatic festival to see some unique performance in a spectacular setting.
12th – 19th July: West Cork Literary Festival
Location: Bantry, Co.Cork
Taking place over eight days in Bantry, the West Cork Literary Festival’s programme of events includes readings, workshops, interviews and seminars with a whole host of authors and high profile writers. This year the lineup includes Graham Norton, Mary Robinson, Joseph O’Connor, John Boyne, Sebastian Barry, Sarah Crossan, Kevin Barry, Sarah Moss, Anne Carson and Kit de Waal.
The festival also includes events especially for children and teenagers as well as actives like a festival swim, yoga, a guided historical walk of Whiddy Island, a bookbinding workshop as well as historical reenactments.
15th – 28th July: Galway Arts Festival
Location: Galway
The Galway International Arts Festival is one of the biggest and most diverse arts festivals in Ireland. The festival is an artistic celebration of all things theatre and drama and there are plenty of productions, talks and workshops taking place over the two weeks. You can watch theatre and opera productions, enjoy some visual arts exhibits, there are concerts too as well as circus performances and comedy shows. Plenty to do and see in one of the most vibrant counties in the country.
18th – 21st July: The Festival of Curiosity
Location: Various venues across Dublin
The Festival of Curiosity is Dublin’s annual celebration of all things science, art, design and technology.
The festival takes place in 14 different venues across Dublin with a programme of family-friendly daytime events and adult-only nighttime events. The festival curates a unique programme of visual and interactive cultural experiences with plenty of audience participation.
The programme includes immersive activities like a multi-sensory supper club, a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the moon landing, an aerial hammock lesson, virtual dance workshop as well as a walking and sketching tours and an interactive sound installation that explores technology and nature.
19th – 21st July: Knockanstockan
Location: Blessington Lakes, Co. Wicklow
This music and arts festival takes place along the shores of the beautiful Blessington Lakes in Co. Wicklow. The lineup this year includes over 100 acts from Ireland and further afield with a fantastic mix of musical genres represented.
There are six stages, loads of cool nooks and crannies to chill out in and a picturesque lakeside campsite with fire-pits. It really is one of the more interesting and chilled-out music festivals in Ireland.
20th – 21st July 2019: Wings Food Fest
Location: Bray, Co. Wicklow
Chicken wings are so popular in Ireland that they have a dedicated festival. Over two days, in Bray, you can devour delicious wings from around the country, as well as other street food. There will also be craft markets, live music, DJs, competitions and even the famous Bingo Wings!
20th – 21st July 2019: Valentia Island King Scallop Festival
Location: Valentia Island, Co. Kerry
The king scallops of Valentia Island are so delicious that they have their own festival. During the festival, there are loads of craft and food stalls, and demonstrations showing the many ways you can cook a scallop. However, the festival highlight is the cook-off among the island’s men to see who will win the hotly contested Mr King Scallop title.
