Rekindle Festival of Lost Skills 2026

Rekindle Festival of Lost Skills returns to North Clare for its 4th year, running from Friday 14th to Sunday 16th August across Ennistymon, Common Knowledge and Lisdoonvarna. The festival celebrates living heritage, intergenerational skill-sharing and the traditions connecting Clare's settled and newcomer communities.

Friday evening opens with 'People of Rekindle', a photographic exhibition by Patrick Cross documenting the craftspeople, elders, musicians and makers behind the festival's skill-sharing programme, followed by traditional music and dance.Saturday begins with a guided heritage walk to the Old Spa Well, exploring its geological and social history, followed by 'At the Well', a public conversation on architecture, folklore and community memory with Shelley McNamara and Aindrias de Staic.

In the afternoon, Common Knowledge hosts rotating hands-on workshops in stone walling, scything, weaving and textile repair, and peatland conservation, delivered by experienced craftspeople. The day closes with Lasraí, an intercultural concert of traditional music and dance at Common Knowledge, featuring Eoin Ó Ceannabháin, Ultan Ó Brien, Changó, Eva Carroll and Loor Amin.

Sunday sees Lisdoonvarna transform into an open-air heritage day, with the Land & Lore artisan market and craft demonstrations including basketmaking, blacksmithing, hide tanning, spinning, natural building, chairmaking and clock repair. A community céilí, heritage trail talks, storytelling and seed-saving sessions run throughout the afternoon, before a family session with Aoife Kelly and a closing gig with the Lyons Family (Ann Lynch Lyons, Aisling Lyons and Seán Lyons) at the Hydro Hotel bring the festival to a close.

Rekindle is free; booking is recommended.
Common Knowledge is also running free daily Heritage Tours of the land at the Common Knowledge Centre, Kilfenora throughout Heritage Week, see https://www.ourcommonknowledge.org/full-listings

Rekindle is funded by The Heritage Council, Clare County Council's Clare, and The Arts Council, in collaboration The Courthouse Gallery, Burren Smokehouse, Hydro Hotel, Burren Storehouse and the Roadside Tavern. For queries, contact Aoife and Brendan at rekindle@ourcommonknowledge.org or 083 442 5819