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There are many traditional Irish music pubs to explore around Donegal and also the county plays host to various annual festivals. With four weeks of music during June and July, theatre, visual arts, film, literature, childrens, circus and carnival entertainment at Donegal’s largest arts festival, the Earagail Arts Festival honours the true creative spirit of County Donegal.
Tory Island is well known for its regular Céilí’s which take place throughout the summer months – plan for an overnight stay to enjoy the all night music and dance.
You can hop over the border into Derry in Northern Ireland and explore the Derry Jazz festival held at the end of April. In 2013 the City of Culture, Derry, also played host to the annual Irish Fleadh festival and hopes are that it will soon return.
Other music festivals in Donegal include the Swell Festival on Arranmore Island in July, the Rory Gallagher Festival in Ballyshannon in June, and the Sea Sessions festival in Bundoran in June.
If you fancy an evening at the theatre, check out what is on at The An Grianan theatre in Letterkenny with its frequent high quality arts events.
For a great art gallery experience head out to the Glebe House and Gallery. Glebe House, the home for nearly thirty years of the renowned artist Derek Hill, is situated on rising ground, beside Lough Gartan, east of Glenveagh National Park, Co. Donegal. Originally known as St Columb’s, the 1828 Regency-style house is decorated with William Morris textiles, and collections of Islamic and Japanese art. The full collection includes three hundred works by leading twentieth-century artists such as Picasso and Kokoshka. Irish and Italian artists are especially well-represented.
