Ould Lammas Fair

What to expect

The fair now runs over four days. The weekend brings a heavy horse show and parade, vintage vehicles, street theatre, music on the seafront and fireworks over the bay on the Saturday night. The main fair days are the Monday and Tuesday, when hundreds of stalls fill the town and horse traders gather on Fairhill Street, as they have for centuries. There are horseshoeing demonstrations, buskers, a street food village and family fun zone. It gets very busy, with crowds of tens of thousands.

The story behind it

Lammas, from the old festival of Lughnasa, marked the start of the harvest, and fairs were held around this time across Ireland. Ballycastle's fair is usually traced back to the early 1600s and has survived ever since. It was a place to trade livestock, hire labour and meet. The fair is celebrated in the well-known song asking whether you treated your Mary Ann to dulse and yellowman. Dulse is dried edible seaweed, salty and chewy, and yellowman is a crunchy honeycomb toffee broken off in chunks. Today the livestock dealing is a small part of a much bigger festival, but the horse trading on Fairhill Street keeps the old fair alive.

Getting there and home

Ballycastle has no railway. Translink adds Ulsterbus services during the fair, and some bus stops move. A park and ride runs from McQuillan GAC on Whitepark Road, with buses every 20 minutes or so. Town centre parking is very limited, and roads around the Diamond, Castle Street and Ann Street close on the main fair days, so leave the car outside the town. Extra buses are laid on, but services are busier than usual, so allow extra time.

Watching, taking part and tips

Entry is free. Come early on the Monday or Tuesday for the horse trading and to beat the crowds. Bring cash for stalls, wear comfortable shoes and be ready for sun or rain. Keep a close eye on children in the busy streets. Try both dulse and yellowman, even if you only do it once. Blue Badge holders have dedicated spaces at Market Street, the Harbour car park and North Street, on a first come, first served basis.

Accessibility and families

The council's 2026 information is a handy starting point for questions about the next fair. It listed accessible toilets at the permanent toilet blocks, extra accessible portaloos and a mobile accessible changing unit on the main fair days. Those were the arrangements for that year, so the unit may not be in the same spot next time. Tell the event team exactly which facility you need and ask where it will be on the day you're going.

With a family, agree a meeting point before anyone drifts off to browse. The fair spreads across several streets and the seafront, so make sure children know what to do if you get separated. Save the event map on every adult's phone and find a toilet before you settle down to watch the entertainment. Well-behaved dogs on leads are allowed, though the council warns that crowds, loud music and fireworks may not suit them. A quiet coastal walk and a packed evening display are very different outings, so pick the part of the programme that works for your household.

Eating and drinking

Leave proper time for the food stalls — they deserve more than a quick bite between purchases. Alongside artisan traders and local produce you'll find the familiar dulse and Yellow Man. If anyone has an allergy or dietary need, ask each trader about ingredients and preparation. A traditional name doesn't tell you everything that's in it, and different stalls may make their sweets or hot food in different ways.

Bring a bag that keeps your hands free for a drink or a sample, and save delicate buys until you're heading back to your accommodation. Fancy a sit-down meal? Either eat before the busiest browsing time or book a table in town. Check the restaurant's own opening times too — not every café keeps special hours just because the fair is on. For a picnic, find a spot away from the horse trading and the stream of people. Hold on to wrappers in the sea breeze and use the bins provided, or take your rubbish home.

Make a day of it nearby

For a coastal day out, Carrick-a-Rede has its rope bridge and clifftop scenery west of Ballycastle. You must book a bridge crossing in advance with the National Trust, even as a member. The first section of path is accessible; beyond that the route is steep, stepped and uneven. Decide whether your group wants the crossing or simply a good walk, and don't promise everyone the same route.

Rathlin Island is the other big option, with the RSPB's West Light Seabird Centre and walking trails. It deserves a day of its own and a checked ferry plan, not a squeeze between fair activities. Spring and early summer are the main seabird season, so don't count on puffins in August. The lighthouse and viewing platform involve a lot of steps. Check the centre's seasonal opening, transport on the island and your return sailing before you book. Either trip gives your stay a change of pace, while the fair remains the main event.

Questions people ask

Where it is

Map pin shows the approximate area where the event happens. Open in OpenStreetMap ↗

Go straight to the source

Independent research. The organiser’s own information always wins — we have not visited or tested the journeys.

• Causeway Coast and Glens Council: 2026 fair ↗
• Visit Causeway Coast and Glens: FAQs ↗
• Council tourism: fair information ↗
• Council tourism: 2026 fair FAQs ↗
• National Trust: Carrick-a-Rede ↗
• RSPB: Rathlin Island ↗