The Irish Walking Festival That Has Been Bringing People Together for 30 Years

Over four days, 8th- 11th October, the Ballyhoura Walking Festival offers guided walks and experiences that take place across mountains, forests, wetlands, farms, historic towns and villages throughout the stunning Ballyhoura Country.

Explore the full schedule

This article was produced in paid partnership with Ballyhoura Development.

The festival returns from Thursday 8th to Sunday 11th October 2026, marking 30 years since the community-led event first began. This makes it Ireland's longest-running community-led walking festival, but the basic idea remains the same: local people sharing the places, stories and routes they know best.

This anniversary also coincides with 40 years of Ballyhoura Fáilte and community tourism and 20 years of the Ballyhoura Mountain Bike Trails. Together, the three milestones reflect how long the communities of Ballyhoura have been working to make the region easier and more interesting to explore on foot and by bike.

More than 40 events will take place across Counties Limerick and Cork during the weekend. The programme ranges from a 42km mountain challenge to wildlife walks, woodland wellness, historic town tours, family experiences and traditional music sessions. Here are some of the highlights.

Built by Local Walkers and Communities

The festival is organised with the help of local walking clubs, volunteer leaders, guides, historians, environmental experts, musicians, artists and tourism businesses from across the region. Rather than bringing people to a place and leaving them to follow a map, many events are led by the people who regularly walk, study and work in these landscapes.

Jim Gallivan, Chair of the Ballyhoura Bears Walking Club, describes the festival as being about “sharing the places we love with others”. Club members have helped lead festival walks since its early years, adding the stories, wildlife and local history that can be easy to miss when walking alone.

Start Saturday on Seefin

One of the festival's signature events returns at 6am on Saturday with the Dawn Chorus Walk to Seefin. Walkers will set out in darkness before watching the sun rise over the Ballyhoura Mountains, with the sounds of the early morning landscape accompanying the climb.

It is an early start, but it offers a very different experience from arriving at the mountain later in the day. The changing light, the quiet trails and the chance to watch the region wake up make this one of the standout events in the programme.

Take on a Marathon in the Mountains

Those looking for a much bigger day can choose between the Ballyhoura Mountains Marathon Walk and Half-Marathon Walk on Saturday. The full 42km event begins at 8am, followed by the 21km option at 10am. Both are guided challenges intended for experienced walkers who want to cover serious ground in the Ballyhoura Mountains.

The programme also includes the relatively gentle Ballyhoura Valley Walk at 11am. Led by the Ballyhoura Bears Walking Club, it provides a more accessible way to experience the valley while still benefiting from the knowledge of a local guide.

Explore Ballyhoura at a Slower Pace

Not every festival event is about distance or elevation. The Galtycastle Woodland Wellness Experience with Yoga Walks Ireland invites participants to slow down and reconnect with the forest on Saturday morning. At the same time, naturalist Albert Nolan will lead a nature walk through Kilmoylan Woods in Doon, introducing walkers to its wildlife, habitats and biodiversity.

Griston Bog will host two events during the weekend. Friday's Autumn Migration Walk focuses on seasonal wildlife, migrating birds and the ecology of the peatland habitat. On Sunday afternoon, the family-friendly Bug Safari turns the same landscape into a place to search for the smaller creatures living there.

Walk Through Local History

Ballyhoura's history is woven through the programme. Friday's Kilmallock Community Connections Walk introduces the heritage of the medieval town, while a second guided heritage walk takes place there on Sunday morning. Visitors can also join the Lough Gur Heritage Walk and Meet the Maker Experience, combining archaeology and folklore with a pottery demonstration by Clair Jones of Lough Gur Pottery.

On Sunday, the Hill of Ardpatrick Walk pairs wide views with the history and folklore of one of the region's best-known landmarks. Later that day, historian Angela Hennessy and local musicians will lead a walk from Ballyorgan to the Joyce Homestead in Glenosheen.

Bring the Family

The weekend includes several events designed for families and less experienced walkers. The Farm Walk and Meet the Alpacas takes place at Ballyhoura Farm Escape on Sunday morning, offering a relaxed introduction to a working farm and its animals. The Bug Safari at Griston Bog provides another gentle option for families who want to spend time outside without committing to a mountain hike.

These events sit alongside shorter guided walks and nature experiences, making it possible for people of different ages and abilities to build their own festival weekend.

Stay for the Music Food and Creativity

Walking remains at the centre of the festival, but it is only one part of the weekend. The Joyce Brothers Music Festival will bring concerts, workshops and traditional sessions to Kilfinane, including performances by Laoise Kelly, Breanndán Ó Beaglaoich and The Clancy Boys. Saturday evening also features the premiere of From A House in Glenosheen, a new production inspired by the Joyce Collection.

Throughout the weekend, work created during Celina Buckley's Our Landscapes That Inspire Us workshops will appear in shop windows around Kilfinane. Food at the Apple Farm on Saturday and the Galty Valley Food Truck on Sunday add local food to the programme, while traditional sessions in Kilfinane and Ballyorgan give walkers somewhere to gather after the trails.

Planning Your Festival Weekend

The 30th Ballyhoura Walking Festival and Joyce Brothers Music Festival take place from Thursday 8 to Sunday 11 October 2026. Events are spread across Ballyhoura Country, so check individual meeting points, start times, difficulty levels and equipment requirements before booking.

View the full programme and booking information at Visit Ballyhoura.