The Grace O’Malley Festival – A Celebration of Ireland’s Legendary Pirate Queen
22–24 May 2026 | Achill Island, Co. Mayo
Join us for the first ever Grace O’Malley Festival, a bold new celebration inspired by the fearless Grace O’Malley (Gráinne Mhaol).
Rooted on Achill Island, the festival brings together jaw-dropping circus, live music, storytelling, performance, art and heritage-inspired events to champion daring women of the past and present.
Festival Highlights
Grace: The Story of a Pirate Queen Show: Circus250’s aerial outdoor spectacular brings Grace’s tale to life with astounding circus, entrancing storytelling and original music. A voyage like no other set against the dramatic landscape of Achill Island.
Camille O’Sullivan Concert: Hailed as ‘mesmerising’, ‘spellbinding’ and ‘courageous’, Ireland’s leading singer of stories and song comes to Achill Island for the first time.
Pirate Queen Cabaret: Sign up for a night out with the crew of Grace’s galley in a circus, music and storytelling cabaret that will make your timbers shiver. Tickets on sale now.
Original Sand Art Portrait of Grace by Sean Corcoran: After over 400 years, witness Grace wash up again in the waves of the West Coast of Ireland. Sand artist Sean Corcoran will be drawing her giant portrait on Achill’s worldclass beach.
