Puck Fair in Kerry – Ireland’s Oldest Festival and a Living Craft Tradition

My connection to Killorglin runs deep. Both sides of my family come from this vibrant Kerry town, and I spent a lot of my early years there. I remember the fairs, the markets, and the hum of local life that filled every corner, a real sense of community and tradition that stays with you.

Every August, Killorglin’s streets fill once again with music, markets, cattle, horses and sheep. A fair like no other in the world.

For centuries, locals have gathered to crown a wild mountain goat as King Puck. Strange? Yes. Wonderful? Absolutely.

And it’s that mix of the unusual and the traditional that makes Puck Fair so memorable.

King Puck statue in Killorglin, County Kerry, celebrating Ireland’s oldest festival

A Kerry Tradition Older Than Most

Puck Fair has run, in some form, for over 400 years. It began as a cattle fair and grew into something much bigger, part trading event, part carnival, part reunion for families scattered across Ireland and beyond.

You’ll find:
• Livestock trading
• Street music
• Market stalls
• The travelling amusements of William Bird & Sons Funfair
• Old friends meeting again
• A pint or two......
• Stories passed down generation after generation

It’s noisy. It’s lively. It’s very Kerry.

Where Old Craft Still Lives

Now here’s where I bring it back to something personal.

Just 17 miles from Killorglin, in Tralee, I run a working woodturning workshop. My family may be from Killorglin, but my craft life is based in the capital of Kerry.

While the streets bustle during Puck Fair, the older traditions of making are still quietly alive behind workshop doors too.

I’ve also written about other Kerry makers in Exploring the Beauty of Irish Craft Gifts if you enjoy discovering authentic Irish work.

Woodturning in Ireland goes back centuries and remains part of rural craft life today.

In my workshop, I work with Irish hardwoods — some sourced from around Killorglin — turning bowls, boards, ring holders and other pieces that aren’t churned out in factories.

That’s the contrast I love:

A 400-year-old goat festival outside.
A centuries-old craft continuing inside.

Crowds filling the streets of Killorglin during Puck Fair with colourful bunting and market stalls in County Kerry

A Different Kind of Festival Break

Puck Fair can be intense.

Music late into the night.
Crowds.
The odd sociable pint or two.

If you fancy something a little quieter during your visit, you can book:

• One-to-one Woodturning Tuition (around 4 hours)
• A Woodturning Experience (2–3 hours)

You can see how a log is prepared, dried and turned into something functional and beautiful. Or you can try turning a piece yourself.

It’s by appointment, so it works well as a morning break before heading back to Killorglin for the afternoon buzz.

Bring Home More Than a Souvenir

Plenty of visitors buy something labelled “Irish” at the fair.

Some of it genuinely is.
Some of it isn’t.

There’s something different about taking home a piece made in a working Kerry workshop. I often use storm-felled local wood, and each piece carries the story of where it came from.

Woodturning itself has deep roots in Ireland, shaped by local timber, rural craft traditions, and generations of makers. If you’re curious about that history, I’ve written more about it over on my woodcraft blog.

And sometimes it’s not even about buying something for yourself. Experiences tend to last longer than souvenirs. If you’re ever stuck for Father’s Day gift ideas, I’ve shared why woodturning tuition can make a genuinely memorable gift.

And yes, if you spent a bit too much time at the bar during Puck, a handcrafted ring holder might smooth things over at home.

In Closing

Puck Fair is part of who we are in this corner of Kerry.

It’s noisy, colourful, slightly mad, and rooted in centuries of tradition.

If you’re coming to Killorglin in August, enjoy the goat, enjoy the music, enjoy the chaos.

And if you’d like to see a quieter tradition still alive just down the road, my workshop door is open by appointment.

You’ll leave with more than a souvenir.
You’ll leave with a story.

Thanks for Reading,

David

About the Author

I’m David Condon, a small business owner and blog writer based in Tralee, Co. Kerry. Running my own woodcraft business means I’ve seen first-hand how much confusion there can be around shipping times, delivery dates, and what “business days” actually mean. That’s why I wrote this post — to share a bit of what I’ve learned and hopefully save you some frustration.

Every so often I step outside the workshop to write about wider business topics like this one. If you’d like to know more, you can follow the link in the Note from the Author section below or visit my About Me page to learn more.

💬 Note from the Author
This post was written specially for David Condon Finds. If you enjoyed it, you might also like my other projects:

Phoenix DVD Blog – where I write about DVDs, Blu-rays, and life as a collector
David Condon Woodcraft – my main site focused on woodturning and handmade Irish pieces

If you’d like to support my writing, you can do so through the Buy Me a Coffee button below. It helps keep these side projects going — thank you!

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