Kildare County Council welcomes vibrant and diverse programme for Seachtain na Gaeilge 2026
Céad Míle Fáilte Roimh Chách - One hundred thousand welcomes to all
Seachtain na Gaeilge 2026 will be celebrated across the County of Kildare from Sunday, 1 March to Tuesday, 17 March featuring 17 days of Irish language, bilingual and multilingual events. Many of the events are supported by Kildare County Council through the Creative Ireland programme, Kildare Library and Arts Service and Kildare County Council’s Irish Language committee ‘Coiste Gaeilge’.
This year’s programme offers something for everyone – from fluent Gaeilge speakers to those with a ‘cúpla focal’, or anyone beginning their Irish language journey.
The festival will conclude on Tuesday, 17 March with Féile Sráide Lá Fhéile Pádraig Nás na Ríogh, the annual Irish Language Saint Patrick’s Day Street Festival organised by Cill Dara le Gaeilge. The event will take place on Naas Main Street from 2pm to 5pm, supported by Kildare County Council, through the Creative Ireland Éire Ildánach Programme.
Members of the public are encouraged to contact their local library or local Irish language community group for details of events in their area. You can also browse Cill Dara le Gaeilge’s event calendar at www.cilldaralegaeilge.ie or the national Irish language information hub www.sceal.ie for a full list of Seachtain na Gaeilge events taking place in Kildare.
Cathaoirleach of the County of Kildare, Councillor Carmel Kelly, has welcomed the Seachtain na Gaeilge 2026 programme: “I look forward to Seachtain na Gaeilge every year. It’s a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our native language, culture and heritage, and I am so appreciative of the hard work that has been done by community groups, organisations, libraries and officers across the county to provide this vibrant and varied Seachtain na Gaeilge programme for the people of Kildare.
Gaeilge is our national language. It is unique to our island and is one of the oldest and most beautiful languages in the world. It is also a vibrant living community language, with over 42% of Kildare’s population reporting that they can speak Irish, and with Irish language community groups ‘Grúpaí Pobail’ working to promote Gaeilge and organise events in all municipal districts.
Irish is no longer seen as just a school subject or as something that has to be done. It can be a pleasure and a treasure for all, and it is great to see our language really coming back into our daily lives now and coming into the mainstream. There’s a great energy about the language now and the ‘cúpla focal’ goes a long way - a ‘go raibh maith agat’ here and a ‘slán go fóill’ there. You will be surprised at how many people can answer you as Gaeilge, and at how happy they are to have the opportunity to do so. I encourage everyone to give Gaeilge a go this Seachtain na Gaeilge.”
Joe Boland, Director of Service, Corporate, Culture and Emergency Services, Kildare County Council said: “Kildare Library Service is delighted once again to support Seachtain na Gaeilge festivities across county Kildare, bringing the Irish language to the fore of our fun-filled library events and workshops. There is something for everyone, adults and children, so check out a library near you.
Board games and sean-nós singing in Naas, storytelling in Celbridge, the Mobile Music school in Maynooth, films in Leixlip and arts and crafts in Kildare Town - these are just a sample of what is on offer, as well as our regular cirocal comhrá groups and book clubs. Let the adventure begin this Seachtain na Gaeilge and let us come together to celebrate our language and culture and Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, our national holiday.
This year we welcome our Irish Writer in residence, Dubhán Ó Longáin, in association with Maynooth University and Kildare Arts to read from his new book in Maynooth Community Library and immediately afterwards begin the first in his series of workshops for up-and-coming writers in Irish in Co. Kildare. Make sure to book a place. Check it out in Maynooth Library.
Through Kildare’s Creative Communities programme, we are proud to support the Féile Sráide agus Céilí which will fill the streets of Naas with Irish language, music, dance and culture in a way that is accessible to everyone as we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. “
Muireann Ní Bheaglaoich, Oifigeach Gaeilge Chomhairle Contae Chill Dara, Irish Language Officer, Kildare County Council added: “Gaeilge is such an important and valuable part of Irish society, culture and identity and it is an honour to work in conjunction with local Irish language community groups, national Irish language organisations, associations, Coiste Gaeilge Chomhairle Contae Chill Dara (Kildare County Council’s Irish Language Committee), Kildare County Council Library and Arts Service, Cill Dara le Gaeilge, Riverbank Arts Centre, Shackleton Experience, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí and Maynooth University to provide, for the people of Kildare, one of the best Seachtain na Gaeilge programmes in the country.
Irish was first seen in Ogham inscriptions in the fifth century and we are very fortunate to have in Cillín Chormaic, Baile Choilbhín, Contae Chill Dara (Killeencormack, Colbinstown, Kildare) the largest collection of ogham stones found at a single site in Leinster. This Seachtain na Gaeilge, I would like to encourage the people of Kildare to find out what’s going on in your own local area, and to observe the Irish language in the locality – perhaps learn more about our original Gaeilge ‘logainmneacha’ placenames or maybe undertake a Seachtain na Gaeilge project such as researching the names of our native Irish trees on which the 20 letters of the ancient celtic ogham alphabet were based.”
Join us in celebrating Seachtain na Gaeilge 2026 and experience Irish language, culture and heritage.
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