Limerick festival celebrates three decades of music, community and walking
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The anniversary programme offered something for every age, interest and walking ability
THE BALLYHOURA region is celebrating 30 years of walking, music and community.
Over the course of four days in October, the 30-year anniversary of the Ballyhoura Walking Festival and Joyce Brothers Music Festival was marked with great ceremony.
More than 350 people participated in Ballyhoura Walking Festival events, while the Joyce Brothers Music Festival attracted an estimated 400 attendees.
Together, the two festivals showcased the very best of the region with more than 40 walks and experiences with outstanding traditional music, local heritage, creativity and the community hospitality that has made this festival weekend so special for three decades.
The anniversary programme offered something for every age, interest and walking ability, taking participants from the heights of the Ballyhoura and Galtee Mountains to the region's historic towns, woodlands, peatlands and rural communities.Visitors discovered the medieval heritage of Kilmallock and the ancient folklore and pottery traditions of Lough Gur as well as exploring Georgian Mitchelstown through photography, enjoying woodland wellness experiences in the Galtees and taking part in community walks.
An essential part of the anniversary celebrations was the Joyce Brothers Music Festival, which once again joined forces with the walking festival.
Inspired by the musical legacy of P.W. Joyce and Robert Dwyer Joyce of nearby Glenosheen, the music programme brought concerts, workshops, song, dance and lively traditional music sessions to Kilfinane throughout the weekend.Reflecting on the weekend, Ciara Flanagan said: “There's something very special about bringing walking and traditional music together in the place that inspired the Joyce brothers. This year's festival captured that connection beautifully, from the concerts and workshops to the informal sessions and conversations that continued throughout the weekend. It was wonderful to see visitors experiencing not just our musical heritage, but the warmth and community spirit that keep these traditions alive.”
The stage has already been set for next year with the festivals to return October 7-10, 2027.