West Cork History Festival

The West Cork History Festival is scheduled to take place from Friday, August 7th to Sunday, August 9th, 2026, at Inish Beg, a private island estate located near Baltimore in County Cork, Ireland. Organised by Simon and Victoria Kingston, the festival is dedicated to exploring historical themes, with the 2026 edition focusing on 'Boundaries: setting them and crossing them'.

Attendees can expect a rich programme of talks, discussions, and unique experiences. The festival is slated to be opened by Taoiseach Micheál Martin. It brings together eminent academics, journalists, artists, and diplomats to discuss topics ranging from local archaeology to polar exploration, and from ancient times to contemporary events, often placing Irish experiences within wider European and global historical contexts.

The festival's schedule includes sessions such as interviews with contributors to a book on Taoisigh, discussions on Irish defence and security policy, the Irish Boundary Commission, and the history of European borders. Other topics covered will include the concept of a United Ireland, the Russian conquest of Central Asia, Soviet border-making, death in Irish prehistory, and the 1926 Irish Free State census. The programme also features presentations on the founding of Castletownshend and Glenbarrahane, a talk on 'The Waterboys' by Myles Dungan, and insights into Irish paupers in 19th-century London.

Beyond the lectures, the festival incorporates practical elements like field trips, allowing participants to explore local heritage first-hand by foot, bike, and kayak. Evening screenings of three films on West Cork's history, covering a sculptor, placenames, and holy wells, are also planned. A special event will mark the 300th anniversary of Jonathan Swift’s *Gulliver’s Travels*.