Ould Lammas Fair

The Ould Lammas Fair is a historic two-day harvest fair held annually in late August in Ballycastle, County Antrim. It is celebrated on the last Monday and Tuesday of August (the traditional Lammas harvest festival) with street trading, horse markets, artisan stalls, music, dance, fireworks, and the tasting of local delicacies like dulse and yellow man 1 2. The town is transformed by hundreds of stalls lining the streets, horse-trading in the traditional horse village, and entertainment that reflects Ballycastle’s culture and past as Ireland’s oldest traditional fair, dating back to the 17th century 2 3.

Ould Lammas Fair traces its roots to Lammas/Lúnasad(月仪)，the ancient Gaelic harvest festival. By combining field produce with community trade, it reflected the Gaelic-Irish agricultural calendar and was patronized by figures like 17th-century chieftain Sorley Boy MacDonnell 1. Over centuries it has evolved into a secular community celebration marking the end of summer, preserving farming and folk traditions such as horse fairs, spirited local music and dance, and artisanal crafts. 2 3