South Sligo community holds annual festival this week

This month sees the return of the Cloonacool Sheep Festival from September 17 to 20. The unique festival has been running, in one form or another, since 2019. Since that time, the South Sligo village has played hosts to some great events and spectacles and their 2026 festival will be no exception.

The festival, running over four days and nights, has the ambition to celebrate the sheep farming tradition of Cloonacool as well as providing top entertainment and novel events. Sligo’s own, Kieran Quinn, will mark opening night again this year and up-and-coming dance sensation, Gavin Gribben will play for the Festival Dance on Saturday, September 19, while Sunday, September 20, is Open Day and features the region’s top Sheep and Dog shows.

This year, Cloonacool Sheep Festival or offering a weekend ticket for the three nightly events of the festival. This ticket comes with a discount and covers opening night with Kieran Quinn, Songo Bingo on Friday night and the Gavin Gribben dance on Saturday.

The Sheep Festival draw is taking place again this year and tickets are now on sale locally. They will be on offer from committee members and at the Mill Community Café in Cloonacool Village. The top prize this year is €1,000. The proceeds from this draw are used to cover festival set-up costs and also allow the organising committee to provide a free admission open day on the final day of the festival, Sunday, September 20.

If you want to finish off your late summer experiences with a flourish, visit Cloonacool Sheep Festival at some stage on the weekend of September 17 to 20. You will experience a community who has refused to die, making the most of its traditions and showcasing itself to the wider region. There is something for all ages to enjoy and the whole concept is an example of what is best about rural living and the farming way of live.