Tobercurry: Music, Tradition and Landscape

Tobercurry combines cultural events with a distinctive natural setting. The main features of a stay here are the traditional music of the South Sligo Summer School, the heritage of Old Fair Day, and the woodland and bog character of the Tubbercurry Trail. Nearby, a golf course and a regional loop trail offer additional points of interest. This lets you choose between a visit timed around a specific event and a stay focused on the landscape.

Music programme in July

The South Sligo Summer School of Traditional Music, Song and Dance takes place every year in the second week of July in Tubbercurry. Its programme includes masterclasses, céilithe, workshops, talks, concerts and sessions. It combines tuition with group music events and talks. In recent years, all activities have been held in Tubbercurry town centre; individual venues may vary. The second week of July provides a clear timeframe for planning your trip. For your specific plans, it is advisable to check the programme for that year.

Old Fair Day: crafts and demonstrations

The Tubbercurry Old Fair Day Festival 2025 was a five-day celebration of Tubbercurry’s heritage and community spirit. Tubbercurry Old Fair Day features craft and heritage villages, as well as demonstrations of spinning, weaving, thatched roofing and butter-making. Vintage tractors and classic cars are also part of the event, along with an award-winning livestock show on the streets of Tubbercurry. The specific programme may vary.

Woodland, bog and trails

The Tubbercurry Trail is a woodland and bog trail on the R294, Ballina Road, in Tubbercurry. It passes through deciduous and coniferous woodland as well as open bog; along the trail, there are views of nearby Rathscanlon Bog and the Ox Mountains. Its mix of woodland, open bog and views gives the trail a different focus from the cultural events tied to specific dates.

Near Tubbercurry, the site known as the “Hill of the Fairies” occupies a spectacular limestone plateau with sweeping views across the North Connacht plain. Its size and commanding position suggest that it was a regional centre from the Neolithic period into prehistoric times.

Tubbercurry Golf Course, a 9-hole course in County Sligo, is located near Tubbercurry. For the Lough Easkey Loop, Tubbercurry is the nearest town for both the start and finish. The golf course and loop are additional regional points of interest alongside the Tubbercurry Trail.

County Sligo as a distinct regional setting

As a wider destination, County Sligo offers other distinct cultural and landscape themes. Carrowmore is Ireland’s largest and oldest collection of Neolithic tombs, with more than 30 surviving monuments that are almost 6,000 years old. At Carrowkeel, visitors can explore tombs that are more than 5,000 years old; the tombs must not be climbed on or damaged. Sligo Abbey is a Dominican priory with extensive surviving medieval remains of its church, sacristy and chapter house. These sites offer different ways to experience archaeological and medieval heritage.

Streedagh Beach is a three-kilometre sandy beach connecting Streedagh Point with Connor’s Island. The dunes and estuary are home to a rich variety of flora and fauna. Surfing and windsurfing are possible in the coastal waters; stand-up paddleboarding takes place in the sheltered estuary. Check sea conditions before taking part in water sports. At the beach, the Spanish Armada Visitor Centre presents recovered artefacts and immersive exhibitions about the wreck and its sole survivor. Check current opening hours before your trip.

Lissadell House & Gardens is on the shore of Sligo Bay in the north of Sligo and was the childhood home of Countess Markievicz; visitors can enjoy woodland and walking trails there. Mullaghmore Head is a well-known surf spot in County Sligo and also has a walking route along the coast. Check conditions before surfing and local conditions before walking.

Discover more destinations: Mullaghmore, Cloghboley, Templeboy, Easky, Strandhill, Cloonacool, Ballisodare, Geevagh

For the broader travel overview: County Sligo.