President Catherine Connolly launches Pan Celtic Festival at Visual
Visitors from Wales pictured at the ‘Informal Gathering’ prior to the official launch of the Pan Celtic Festival '26 in Visual. Pic: © Michael O'Rourke Photography 2026
“WHAT brings us here is not nostalgia for what once was, but the recognition of what we have in common,” said president Catherine Connolly on the opening night of the Pan Celtic International Festival at Visual, Carlow.
The president is one of more than 10,000 people from Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Brittany, Cornwall and the Isle of Man descending on the town for the week-long celebration of celtic heritage.
“This very, very special festival reminds us, of course, that our culture, our shared culture, is not static or fixed in the past. It is a culture that is constantly in flux shaped by the instruments we use, by our voices, by people coming together and, of course, by events,” president Connolly continued.
“The celtic way of seeing the world is one that values imagination, creativity, community and that very, very deep link between people, place and language.”
The opening concert of the festival was peppered with musical and dance performances by all the celtic nations, giving a hint of what is to come over the next week. There will be 26 trad sessions and many more concerts, traditional singing and instrumental competitions, storytelling, cultural events and a colourful parade of cetlic people in traditional costumes on Friday at 2pm.
The song contest between six representatives of the celtic nations will take place tomorrow, Thursday 9 April at 7.30pm. The winners will receive the Pan Celtic Festival trophy and a cash prize of €1,500.
“The international song contest is sold out on Thursday night, but we are very excited that there will be a livestream of the competition on a large screen in the balcony area and the gallery of The Visual theatre,” said festival organiser Bríde de Róiste.
Ireland's entry, ‘Dúlra Scriosta’ or ‘Nature Lost’, was written in both Irish and English by retired teacher from Carlow Dave Barron and will be sung by Clara Hutchinson from Bennekerry. The music was composed by Clara’s husband, Fiach Ó Muircheartaigh, who is a fluent Irish speaker from Ballyfermot in Dublin.
“The song references all sounds that were common to us in our nature’s past that are either beginning to or have disappeared, and Clara’s interpretation really gets under its skin,” said lyricist Dave Barron, who is originally from Pollerton in Carlow.
“The oral tradition once moulded how people thought and developed, and events like Pan Celtic show the culture of people entertaining themselves with songs and stories is growing again.”
