In Tobercurry, traditional music and customs meet woodland and bog landscapes. The South Sligo Summer School provides an annual focal point, while the Tubbercurry Trail reveals another side of the town. The Old Fair Day also offers a distinct way to experience local traditions. You can plan your stay around whether you are mainly interested in an events programme or in experiencing the landscape and history.
Music, Dance and Local Traditions
The South Sligo Summer School of Traditional Music, Song and Dance takes place annually in the second week of July in Tubbercurry. Its programme includes masterclasses, céilithe, workshops, lectures, concerts and sessions. Learning and performance formats sit side by side: the event is not limited to attending concerts, but brings together different ways of engaging with traditional music, song and dance. In recent years, all activities have taken place in Tubbercurry town centre; individual venues may vary.
The Tubbercurry Old Fair Day has a different focus. Its format includes craft and heritage villages, as well as demonstrations of spinning, weaving, thatching and butter-making. Vintage tractors, classic cars and an award-winning livestock show are also among the attractions on the town’s streets. Individual programme items may vary from year to year. The 2025 Tubbercurry Old Fair Day Festival was a five-day celebration of Tobercurry’s heritage and community spirit.
The Summer School is the clearest planning anchor: it takes place in the second week of July. The Old Fair Day offers a different cultural focus; its five-day format refers to the 2025 edition. Music programmes and historical demonstrations can therefore be viewed as distinct reasons to plan a stay around a particular event.
Woodland, Bog and Getting Around Tobercurry
The Tubbercurry Trail is a woodland and bog trail on the Ballina Road (R294) in Tubbercurry. It passes through deciduous and coniferous woodland as well as open bog. Along the way, there are views of nearby Rathscanlon Bog and the Ox Mountains. The trail’s description thus brings together different types of landscape rather than focusing on a single viewpoint.
There are also two distinct points of reference for getting around the wider area. Tubbercurry is the nearest town to the Lough Easkey Loop, both at its start and at its finish. The Tubbercurry Golf Course, a 9-hole course, is also nearby. The loop and golf course therefore offer different ways to shape your stay around the landscape or sport; each description refers to a separate activity.
Another landscape and history feature is the “Hill of the Fairies,” near Tobercurry: a limestone plateau with wide-ranging views across the North Connacht Plain. Its size and commanding position suggest that the site may have been a regional centre from the Neolithic period into prehistory. Its possible historical significance remains an interpretation based on its size and location.
Discover More of County Sligo
County Sligo has other independent destinations, each with a different focus. Carrowmore is Ireland’s largest and oldest collection of Neolithic tombs. More than 30 monuments remain there, dating back almost 6,000 years. Sligo Abbey is a Dominican priory with extensive surviving medieval remains of its church, sacristy and chapter house. Those interested in archaeology and medieval architectural history will find two clearly distinct themes here.
Streedagh Beach is a three-kilometre sandy beach linking Streedagh Point with Connor’s Island. Dunes and an 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. These landscape and watersports experiences complement the woodland and bog trails you can find in Tobercurry itself.
Food is also part of the region’s offerings: the Sligo Food Trail is a network of more than 70 food-related businesses in County Sligo. It includes four weekly craft and food markets. As market frequency may change, it is advisable to check dates before travelling. Alongside the cultural and landscape destinations, this offers another way to tailor your stay in County Sligo to your interests.
Discover more destinations: Castlebaldwin, Cloghboley, Easky, Inishcrone, Derrybeg, Riverstown, Strandhill, Gorteen
For the broader travel overview: County Sligo.
