Daingean's HedgeRow festival returns this weekend

For two days, September 4 and 5, the environs of Mount Briscoe in Daingean will get steeped in nature, wellness, arts and culture. Curated by Margaret Edgill, the boutique festival celebrates and shines a light on the role of Irish hedgegrows in nature, community and the land. The festival will host talks, workshops, and engaging interactions with artists, writers, ecologists, farmers, craftspeople, musicians and nature enthusiasts.

The theme this year is 'Artists in Hedges', and Margaret weaves together a line up of artists like author and hedgelayer Richard Negus, conservationist and birder Mark Nowers, artist and master basketmaker Lynn Kirkham, poets Philip Brady and Sean Smith among others. The festival is supported by the Offaly County Council via Creative Ireland, and is hosted in collaboration with Daingean Development Association.

The festival opens on Friday evening (6–9pm), with Wild at Mount Briscoe: A Walk, Talk & Supper — an immersive evening exploring the wildlife, farming and creative life of the Mount Briscoe landscape.

Led by Richard Negus and Mark Nowers, with Farming for Nature Ambassador Margaret Edgill, Lynn Kirkham, and Philip Brady and Sean Smith, the evening combines stories, wildlife, art and poetry with a special dusk moth ramble. The evening finishes with a supper prepared using organic produce from Mount Briscoe Farm.

Saturday offers ways to discover the hedgerow, from a morning bird walk and moth-trap identification to yoga, nature journalling, poetry, traditional hedge laying masterclass, basket weaving workshop, wild food foraging by Mary Bulfin and field walks.

There will also be opportunities to pause and reconnect through sound bath and meditation with Fuaim Na Croí, while Words from the Hedge with Richard Negus brings stories and reflections inspired by the landscape.

The festival closes with The Delmaine String Quartet presenting The Company of Trees: A Celebration in Words and Music, bringing together the themes at the heart of HedgeRow Fest: landscape, creativity, community and our connection with the natural world.

HedgeRow Fest 2026 takes place at Mount Briscoe, Daingean, Co. Offaly, R35 N729, on Friday 4 and Saturday 5 September. For more details visit www.mountbriscoe.ie, or write to mountbriscoe@gmail.com.