Calendar of Events

Summer or Winter, Spring or Autumn, Dingle is constantly alive with events, festivals, music and sport.

26th December : On this day of every year, Dingle Town celebrates a custom that has survived here since the time of the Pagans. The Wren's Day (pron. wran) is a day of fancy dress, drum and fife bands, and huge celebration for the town. Wrenboys from different areas, march the town under rival Wrens and rival banners making merry in a way that can only have come from pagan times.

2nd Weekend of August : Ireland's last great "Flapper" Meet takes place at Dingle's Racecourse at this stage every year, and is another distinctly Dingle tradition. Horses, jockeys, trainers and, of course, bookies come from all over the country as well as from across the Irish Sea, to take part and become part of Dingle's largest summer festival.

1st Week of May : One of the areas newest festivals is Féile na mBealtaine ( May Festival) which takes place over 9 days at the start of May. The Féile is a huge event that celebrates music, drama and culture from all over the world. A shot of acts and troupes from around the world fill every venue in town over the course of the festival. And MacCarthy's has had some great nights with performers setting the pub alight with sounds and craic.

13th - 16th September : The Carlsberg Music Festival is one of Ireland's finest music festival's. Although not on the scale of the country's largest music events, it doesn't present some of the world's best artists. Already, the festival has played host to greats such as Mary Black, Lunasa, Scullion, Paddy Casey and Mundy.

It takes place this year on the dates shown above, and will include a variety of music from samba to salsa, trad to rock, and The Backroom @ MacCarthy's will have some of the best acts. See the calendar for details.

3rd Sunday of August : The West Coast of Ireland still hosts regattas for traditionally built rowing boats. ( called Naomhógs or Currachs)There are six separate regattas on the Dingle Peninsula alone. These are held at different days during the summer months.The Dingle Regatta is held usually on the third Sunday of August and is generally seen as a great day for the locals with visitors to the town also taking part in the craic.

And let us not forget the weekly game of "31" on Tuesday Nights.

All day, everyday MacCarthy's has a special atmosphere. It's relaxing, sociable, and friendly, without being too hectic.