Newport Grainne Uaile Festival

10/08/2026

🦀 A look back at our Crab Fishing Competition! 🎣

There was great fun down on The Quay as our young crab fishers put their skills and patience to the test!

Plenty of excitement, plenty of competition and, most importantly, plenty of crabs safely returned to the water afterwards. 👏

Thanks to John Brannen and Gráinne for hosting the competition and to everyone who took part and helped make it such an enjoyable festival event. 💚

10/08/2026

🎭🧪📚 A look back at a brilliant Saturday with Harbour Kidz and the Family Treasure Hunt! 💚

Harbour Kidz brought plenty of smiles, laughter and excitement to The Quay during this year’s Newport Gráinne Uaile Festival!

There was a huge turnout for the various events. From fantastic storytelling, to a brilliant puppet show, a hugely entertaining science show and a lively kid's disco, there was something to keep everyone amused - and judging by the reactions, the kids themselves absolutely loved it! 😄

It was wonderful to see such a great crowd of families enjoying the morning together and adding to the atmosphere around Newport over the festival weekend.

A huge thank you to Jay Ryan and Laura White, everyone who helped organise and run the event, and of course to all the children, parents and families who came along and made Harbour Kidz such a success. 🙌

The Treasure Hunt also took place on Saturday, commencing in the Children's Playground and taking participants on a tour around Newport Town, following the exciting and fun clues. Thanks to Dáire Mc Manamon and Eoin Mullowney for putting this all together.

Here are just a few photos from a very fun and varied day for all the family… 📸

09/08/2026

🌟 A look back at a fantastic Festival opening night 🌟

Our 60th anniversary celebrations got off to a truly wonderful start, with Newport coming together for a very special opening of the Newport Gráinne Uaile Festival. 💚

Before the evening’s festivities began, our former Festival Queens gathered in the Gráinne Uaile, where they enjoyed drinks and nibbles and had the chance to catch up and share memories from festivals past.

The opening celebrations then began in memorable fashion, as our 2026 Festival Queen, Sarah, made her entrance into Newport Bay by boat (thanks to Darragh McGee Clewbay Charters for sponsoring this). After coming ashore, she joined our very first Festival Queen, Margaret Canon, in a horse-drawn carriage (special thanks to O’Haire Travel for sponsoring this) for the Heritage Parade through the town.

A special mention must go to the four children who truly embraced the occasion and went all out with their fantastic costumes. They brought great colour, character and fun to the parade and certainly looked the part!

During the parade, the festival flag was raised before our MC, Brian, welcomed everyone and reflected on the remarkable 60-year history of the festival. It was particularly special to have so many former Queens present and introduced to the crowd, including Margaret, who was crowned the very first Festival Queen six decades ago.

The evening also included a poignant tribute to the past committee members, volunteers and supporters who are sadly no longer with us. A wreath was laid in their memory, recognising the enormous contribution they made to the festival and to the community over the years.

Sarah then officially declared the 2026 Newport Gráinne Uaile Festival open, bringing a very special and fitting opening ceremony to a close.

Thanks to all who took part, helped behind the scenes or came along to support the occasion. It was a night filled with history, community spirit, happy memories and pride in a festival tradition that has now been part of Newport life for 60 years.

Here are just some of the wonderful moments from the evening. 📸

09/08/2026

💚 Looking back on a very special 60th anniversary festival… 💚

It’s been a few days since the final event of the 2026 Newport Gráinne Uaile Festival, and after a chance to catch our breath, we simply want to say a huge and heartfelt THANK YOU.

What a festival it was.

After months of planning, organising, fundraising, building and plenty of hard work, it was wonderful to see Newport come alive for five very special days as we celebrated 60 years of the Gráinne Uaile Festival.

From our opening night and the return of so many past Festival Queens, to Harbour Fest, family entertainment, heritage, music, competitions, activities and everything in between, there were so many brilliant moments and memories made.

But none of it happens without people.

To our volunteers and committee members, who gave countless hours before, during and after the festival – thank you.

To our sponsors, supporters and local businesses, whose generosity and backing make the festival possible – thank you.

To everyone who provided equipment, services, land, expertise or simply stepped in when something needed to be done – thank you.

To our performers, musicians, entertainers, speakers, contractors, stewards, security, emergency personnel and everyone else who helped us deliver the programme – thank you.

And, of course, to everyone who came out and supported the festival – whether you bought a ticket, attended a free event, brought the kids along, joined in an activity, made a donation or simply came into town and enjoyed the atmosphere – thank you. ❤️

Seeing Newport so busy, vibrant and full of life throughout the festival made all the work worthwhile.

We have far too many photographs, stories and special moments to fit into one post, so there’s plenty more to come! Over the coming days we’ll be looking back at individual events and sharing many more photos from what was a truly memorable 60th anniversary festival. 📸

For now, from everyone involved in the Newport Gráinne Uaile Festival 2026, thank you for being part of it and for helping to make our 60th anniversary one to remember.

Here’s to the memories made – and to many more years of the Newport Gráinne Uaile Festival. 💚🏴‍☠️

03/08/2026

🎶 Monday Open Mic: A Tribute to Declan ❤️

What a special way to round off this year's Newport Gráinne Uaile Festival.

The Back of Nevins is full of music, stories, laughter and great company as friends, family and musicians come together to celebrate the life and legacy of Declan – a man whose love of music and people made this night so special for so many years.

It's a fitting tribute to someone who gave so much to our community, and it's wonderful to see so many familiar faces keeping that spirit alive.

If you're nearby, there's still time to call in, enjoy the music and be part of a truly memorable evening.

Thank you to everyone performing, supporting and sharing in this special tribute. ❤️🎤🎸

03/08/2026

💦 The action is well and truly underway at Splash Watersports on Newport Quay! 🌊

There's plenty of fun on the water, loads of smiles and a fantastic atmosphere down by the harbour. If you're nearby, there's still time to come down and enjoy it!

🦀 And don't go too far after... our Crab Fishing Competition will be getting underway shortly! Bring the family, try your luck and see who can land the biggest catch. Prizes are up for grabs, and it's always one of the festival's favourite events!

Splash is happening again tomorrow evening at The Quay so if you've missed today, be sure to come and join the fun tomorrow!

03/08/2026

What. A. Night. 🙌🎶

Harbour Fest 2026 finished in style last night with an absolutely packed marquee and an incredible atmosphere from start to finish!

A huge thank you to Mylo & Vinny for getting the party started before The Highstool Prophets brought the house down with a phenomenal headline performance. The singing, dancing and energy in the marquee was something special, and it was fantastic to see so many people enjoying the final night of Harbour Fest.

To everyone who bought a ticket, volunteered, sponsored, worked behind the scenes, and helped make the weekend such a success – thank you. Your support made our 60th anniversary festival one to remember.

We'll be sharing plenty more photos and highlights over the coming days, so keep an eye on our page and tag your friends if you spot them!

Thank you, Newport! 💙⚓

02/08/2026

A huge thank you to the Order of Malta for being with us every night throughout the festival. ❤️ Your professionalism, dedication and willingness to help never go unnoticed, and we’re incredibly grateful for everything you do to keep everyone safe. Thank you for your outstanding service and support! 👏🙌

Day 4 of Newport Grainne Uaile Festival

02/08/2026

Important Notice

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we have made the difficult decision to cancel tomorrow’s Fun Run (Monday 3rd August).

We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate everyone’s understanding.

All events taking place tonight will still be going ahead as planned, and we look forward to welcoming you for another great evening at the Newport Gráinne Uaile Festival.

Thank you for your continued support, and we hope to see you later tonight. 💙

02/08/2026

What a fantastic evening we had last night! 🎶

A huge thank you to and for two outstanding performances. The atmosphere was electric from start to finish, and Hermitage Green’s moving tribute to Glen Hansard with The Auld Triangle was truly spine-tingling. 💙

A sincere thank you once again to our fantastic volunteers, security team, bar staff, sponsors and everyone who worked behind the scenes to make another memorable night possible. We couldn’t do it without you!

The festival fun continues tonight, so don’t miss out! Join us for Milo & Vinny at 7pm, followed by The High Stool Prophets taking to the stage at 9pm. We can’t wait to see you all there! 🎉🍻