The Ballintogher Traditional Music Festival (located in Ballintogher, Co. Sligo) is a long-standing event established in 1998 to honour the memory of local flute player John Egan.
It features a diverse programme including an annual Feis (competitions in music, dance, singing, storytelling), traditional concerts, céilís, Irish-language nights, set dancing evenings, and pub session music.
Over the years, the festival has grown from a weekend to a two‑week celebration, with a strong focus on the Irish language and culture, including comhrá (conversation), amhránaíocht (singing), scéalaíocht (storytelling), and damhsa (dance).
The annual Feis, held in the village, consistently draws participation in dancing, music, singing, and sean-nós storytelling.
John Egan
John was born in 1903 in Ardleebeg, Ballintogher, Co. Sligo. He started playing the flute at home at a young age and both himself and his brothers were involved in the local fife and drum band in Sooey. He learned his first tunes from Andy and James Doyle from Lackagh. He met and played with John Joe Gardiner from Corhubber, Ballymote.
John left Sligo in his early twenties to work first on the railway in Donegal and later in London. He married Mary Reynolds from Donegal and returned to Dublin in 1937 where he worked in Murphy’s Pub. He joined the Piper’s Club and there he met and played with Kathleen Harrington, Pat O’Brien, John Brennan and John Stenson from Sligo, Tom and Joe Liddy and Tim and John Mulligan from Leitrim. He was a member of the Kincora Céili Band.
In 1952 John and other musical friends established the St. Mary’s Traditional Music Club in Church Street. Later the group moved to another Dublin venue – Brú na nGael in North Great George’s Street, which accommodated up to 100 people – musicians, dancers and singers. Sessions were held here every Wednesday night until the time of John’s death on January 10th 1989. John Egan had a significant influence on many flute players in the Dublin area.
More info…
- Admission fees: Please check here
- Open: 19th – 28th of September
- Indoor facilities: Yes
- Toilets: On-site
- Location 1: Community Centre – F91 XW 71
- Location 2: Enterprise Centre – F91 C2 HT
About Ballintogher
Nestled between the rolling hills of County Sligo and the shimmering waters of Lough Gill, Ballintogher is a charming Irish village where music, culture, and natural beauty meet. Just 8km from Sligo town, this warm and welcoming community is best known for its annual Traditional Music Festival, a lively celebration of Irish heritage that fills the village with the sounds of fiddles, flutes, and spirited céilís every autumn.
Steeped in folklore and surrounded by iconic landscapes – including the nearby Lake Isle of Innisfree, made famous by W.B. Yeats – Ballintogher offers a true taste of rural Ireland. Whether you’re here for the music, the scenic walks through Slish Wood, or a quiet pint at the Innisfree Pub, you’ll find a village full of heart, history, and the unmistakable rhythm of tradition.
Location
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