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- June - August 2026
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- Saturday 20th June 2026
- Saturday 27th June 2026
- Sunday 28th June 2026
- Saturday 4th July 2026
- Sunday 5th July 2026
- Saturday 11th July 2026
- Sunday 12th July 2026
- Saturday 18th July 2026
- Sunday 19th July 2026
- Saturday 25th July 2026
- Sunday 26th July 2026
- Saturday 1st August 2026
- Sunday 2nd August 2026
- Saturday 8th August 2026
- Sunday 9th August 2026
- Artists
- Liam Ó Maonlaí
- Dynamics Vocal Ensemble
- Paul Dooley & Kseniya Rusnak
- The Dublin Trio
- The Earls of Ormond
- Traditional Arts Collective (TAC)
- Seán Ryan & Ciara Callanan Ryan
- G. McKeon, M. Corcoran, R. Casey, T. McDonagh
- Ancient Music Ireland
- C. Rhatigan, T. Ni Mhiollain, E. Carr
- Eternum
- Mary Bergin & Mick Conneely
- Cappella Felsinea
- Ravensdale
- Kathleen Loughnane & Cormac Cannon
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Weekend Afternoons | June–August 2026 | 3–5pm
Dorlindon Nature Sanctuary, Co. Wicklow
This summer, experience a celebration of Ancient Music in one of Ireland’s most enchanting natural settings. Hosted at Dorlindon Nature Sanctuary, the 2nd annual edition of this open-air festival brings together live performances of Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque music, performed in a mythical forest environment rich with beauty, stillness, and atmosphere. A unique blend of sounds from across the ages, including Irish Classical and traditional influences.
- 3–5pm daytime concerts in a natural forest amphitheatre.
- Performances by ensembles and soloists from the European Ancient and early music tradition.
- A rare opportunity to gather, listen, and reflect in a place where music, imagination, and tradition meet.
- A contribution from proceeds will go to the Children’s Health Foundation, adding heart to every performance.
- A Celebration of Ancient Music in the Beautiful, Natural Forest setting of Dorlindon.
Tickets can only be purchased on Eventbrite online - From € 26.72 - Multiple dates.
Please note: Tickets are limited due to capacity constraints, so please book early to avoid disappointment.
This festival is dedicated to Brenda Grealis
This year's edition is dedicated to Brenda Grealis — an extraordinary harpist, a beautiful soul, and a true inspiration behind this event. Brenda is currently facing a rare, life-altering illness. If you are able, please consider supporting her and her family during this incredibly difficult time.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-brenda-following-a-life-altering-perm-sps-diagnosis
Saturday 20th June 2026
Liam Ó Maonlaí
Liam Ó Maonlaí presents a programme of traditional song and original music, drawing on Irish language song, improvisation, and his distinctive approach to performance. Blending elements of traditional Irish music with contemporary expression, his performance moves between voice and piano, creating an intimate and deeply expressive musical experience rooted in the living tradition.
Saturday 27th June 2026
Dynamics Vocal Ensemble
Dynamics Vocal Ensemble, an eight-voice vocal group, presents a programme of choral music spanning from the Renaissance to the present day. Their repertoire includes works by composers such as John Farmer, Palestrina, Monteverdi, Arvo Pärt, Hugo Alfvén, and Zoltán Kodály, alongside Irish and German folk songs.
Sunday 28th June 2026
Paul Dooley & Kseniya Rusnak
Paul Dooley and Kseniya Rusnak present a rich and evocative selection of traditional and early music from Ireland and Ukraine, performed on the historic Irish harp and Ukrainian bandura. Their programme includes medieval harp repertoire, compositions from the old Irish harper tradition, traditional songs and airs, and contemporary works inspired by ancient musical forms, highlighting the deep cultural connections between these two enduring harp traditions.
Saturday 4th July 2026
The Dublin Trio - Kevin Conneff (The Chieftains), Joe McKenna, Tony Byrne
The Dublin Trio presents a programme of traditional Irish music and song, featuring uilleann pipes, whistles, guitar, bodhrán, button accordion, and vocals. Their performance includes expressive slow airs, lively dance tunes, and traditional songs drawn from Ireland’s rich musical heritage. Bringing together three distinguished musicians, their programme reflects the depth and vitality of Ireland’s living tradition.
Sunday 5th July 2026
The Earls of Ormond
The programme spans from the Royal Courts to the heart of the forest, featuring works from the Henry VIII Manuscript and a thematic nod to the legends of Robin Hood. The performance balances haunting folk melodies with a vibrant selection of instrumental bird tunes and seasonal favourites. From intricate instrumental repertoire to the sounds of the countryside, this selection promises to bring the spirit of Roundwood to life.
Saturday 11th July 2026
Traditional Arts Collective (TAC)
Join TAC for an afternoon of Traditional music, myth, dance and song. You will hear tales from Irish mythology and be introduced to ancient instruments including Irish bronze age horn, flute, harp, voice and bodhrán along with sean-nós dancing demonstrations.
Sunday 12th July 2026
Seán Ryan & Ciara Callanan Ryan
Seán Ryan and Ciara Callanan Ryan present a programme of Irish traditional music, song, and dance, combining ancient and modern repertoire. Featuring instrumental performance, step dance, and song, their programme includes traditional airs and dance tunes, with dance steps complementing the music. They introduce each set by sharing the history and stories behind the pieces, bringing audiences on a journey through Ireland’s rich musical and cultural heritage.
Saturday 18th July 2026
Gay McKeon, Mary Corcoran, Roma Casey, Tom McDonagh
The concert features a selection of traditional tunes and songs drawn from Ireland’s rich musical heritage, reflecting the depth of experience and shared tradition of these accomplished performers and offering audiences an opportunity to hear this living tradition expressed through both instrumental music and song.
Sunday 19th July 2026
Ancient Music Ireland - Co-Founders: Simon O'Dwyer & Maria Cullen O'Dwyer
This performance brings audiences on a journey through the ages, exploring the sounds of prehistoric and early medieval Ireland, progressing through the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Early Medieval periods, featuring accurate reproductions of ancient Irish instruments, brought vividly to life through performance, storytelling, and music archaeology. The presentation begins with the earliest known musical instrument discovered in Ireland - the ‘Wicklow Pipes’ from Charlesland, Co. Wicklow, dating to circa 2,240 BC.
Saturday 25th July 2026
Catherine Rhatigan, Treasa Ní Mhiolláin, Eileen Carr
The programme offers an interesting glimpse into 18th-century Ireland and earlier, drawn from old Irish sources and accompanied by instrumental music from the period. Complemented by the authenticity of Treasa’s voice and sean-nòs singing style, the concert offers a rich mix of music and songs from a long-ago Ireland.
Sunday 26th July 2026
Eternum
Eternum conjures a timeless, enchanting sound that carries the listener back through the centuries, weaving together evocative vocals with the rich tones of lute guitar, Irish lute/Irish bouzouki, blockflöte and bodhrán.
Saturday 1st August 2026
Mary Bergin & Mick Conneely
Mary Bergin and Mick Conneely present a programme of traditional Irish music drawn from Ireland’s rich instrumental traditions. Featuring tin whistle, fiddle, and bouzouki, their performance includes expressive slow airs, lively dance tunes, and traditional repertoire shaped by regional styles and generations of musicians. Their programme reflects the depth, subtlety, and expressive beauty of Ireland’s living musical tradition.
Sunday 2nd August 2026
Cappella Felsinea
The programme highlights the intricate interplay between the human voice and the cello - an instrument that found its solo voice in Bologna. Countertenor Francesco Giusti, baroque cellist Norah O’Leary, and organist Thomas Charles Marshall unite to explore this repertoire, weaving together vocal agility with rich instrumental textures to illuminate the vibrant acoustic landscape of the Baroque.
Saturday 8th August 2026
Ravensdale
Ravensdale presents compositions inspired by a variety of influences from the Early Medieval period, sung in Old Norse, Slavic, English, and Germanic, drawing on Slavic and Nordic lore.
Sunday 9th August 2026
Kathleen Loughnane & Cormac Cannon
Kathleen Loughnane and Cormac Cannon explore seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Irish and Scottish repertoire, drawing from the manuscripts of early music collectors and historic instrumental traditions. Their programme features solo harp works alongside collaborative performances, including music from the old Irish harpers and historic piping repertoire. Cormac performs on uilleann pipes, flute, and whistle, bringing this repertoire vividly to life, while Kathleen’s harp arrangements highlight the richness and expressive depth of the early harp tradition.
FAQs
Can tickets be purchased at the door?
No, tickets can be purchased only through Eventbrite.
From what time can I access the festival/car park?
Gates will open at 2:00pm; please have your ticket handy at the gate in order to access the carpark/forest; gates close at 6:00pm after the event, parking must be vacated by that time.
Parking
Parking is limited, please organise carpooling if possible; parking is restricted to ticket holders, please have your ticket handy at the gate in order to access the car park; parking is unsupervised, please leave nothing of value in the car.
Is it an outdoor event?
Yes, it is hosted in a forest, so please bring suitable outdoor footwear and clothing and possibly an umbrella if on a rainy day; in case of bad weather the event will be hosted in a more sheltered area of the same forest, however an umbrella will be necessary to reach that area and the toilets.
Can you walk around the Forest freely?
No, the event is hosted in a nature sanctuary and access is strictly limited to the event area (Cathedral of Trees) and only via paved tracks.
Are the paths wheelchair friendly?
Unfortunately not, the paths are forest tracks so you should mind your steps. It is an adventure after all and reflective of Ancient Music in the Forest in a natural environment.
Can alcohol be consumed on site?
Strictly No Alcohol can be purchased or consumed at the Venue.
Can children attend?
Due to Insurance restrictions, no young children are permitted at the concerts. Only 12+ with a valid ticket are allowed and under adult supervision.
> Events
Tickets can only be purchased on Eventbrite online.
The Bronze Age instruments: sounds unheard for 3000 years will echo once more in Dorlindon ...
From Ireland’s ancient cast-bronze horn, a prestigious instrument likely played during ceremonies, rituals or possibly even during battles, to many other earliest known musical instrument from Ireland, like the "Wicklow Pipes" or prototype "Fipple Pipes", discovered in Charlesland, Co. Wicklow and dating to circa 2,240 BC.
The horn will play again Saturday 11th July 2026, thanks to Traditional Arts Collective (TAC), while Ancient Music Ireland will bring vividly to life on Sunday 19th July 2026 their amazing instrument collection, progressing through the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Early Medieval periods.
A contribution from proceeds will go to the Children’s Health Foundation, adding heart to every performance.
Children's Health Foundation raises vital funds to support sick children and their families in Children's Health Ireland hospitals and urgent care centres in Crumlin, Temple Street, Tallaght and Connolly. This support includes funding vital life-saving equipment and providing essential patient and parental supports to making ground-breaking, paediatric research possible.
The concerts will be held in the main auditorium: "The Cathedral of Trees". In case of poor weather they will be moved to a sheltered area. These locations are 10 minutes walk form the entrance, outdoor footwear is advised.
Our Event Partners
Catering:
The Divine Foodie
Website: thedivinefoodie.com
Sound engineers:
Dicker Event Tech
Website: dickereventtech.ie
