Pre Festival Gathering and Ceremony, Sentry Hill

At Sentry Hill, Ringfort and Barrow Tomb, we celebrate the Celebration of Light — a moment to honour our ancestors, our community, and the intentions we carry into the festival and for future generations.

Lughnasa, the ancient festival of the harvest, invites us to pause, gather, and honour the turning of the year in appreciation and gratitude, wildness, exuberance and joy, when communities came together to give thanks for the bounty of the land..
The festival takes its name from Lugh, (Light), the radiant Celtic God. The one who sees beyond the everyday and reminds us of the golden time we live within.

As John Moriarty writes:
“Lugh was the god of the higher view…
And all year long, at home in the lowlands, we would live in the golden time
and from the higher view.”

Join us on Sentry Hill as we sing, dance, laugh and play, welcoming the light and celebrating the cycle of life.

Meeting Point: Farm road entrance near parking area
Parking: Space for 15 cars at F94 E899
Walk: 15‑minute gentle climb to the hill — short, easy, and absolutely worth it
Car Pool: 8pm from Dunkineely Community Centre