Learn to juggle, hula hoop, acrobatics and more at Mayo’s only summer circus camp! All levels welcome. Children should wear comfortable clothes and shoes, and bring a cold drink.
Payments taken in cash or by card at first session.
Places very limited so booking essential.
Keel (by the playground), Achill Island
Ages 6 – 12, 12€ per day per child
Join Circus250 for a fun-filled afternoon celebrating Water Heritage Day on Sunday 23 August in Keel, Achill Island.
From helping to care for one of Ireland’s most beautiful beaches to enjoying a hilarious family circus show, this special event is all about celebrating our coastline, exploring our relationship with the environment and discovering how small actions can make a big difference.
Clown-Led Beach Clean
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Meet by Keel Playground, F28, EA47
Who says a beach clean can’t be fun?
Join our climate clown as we work together to help keep beautiful Keel Beach clean. Expect plenty of laughter, a few surprises and the chance to make a real difference to the local environment.
Litter pickers and rubbish bags will be provided, all you need to bring is yourself and a willingness to get involved!
Suitable for all ages.
Juanita’s Big Problem
3:00pm – 4:00pm
Keel Community Hall, F28 XA33
After the beach clean, join us for Juanita’s Big Problem – a hilarious circus performance exploring one of the biggest challenges facing our oceans: plastic pollution.
Blending clowning, physical comedy and circus, this family-friendly show invites audiences to laugh, think and discover how even small changes can have a positive impact on the world around us.
Suitable for families and audiences of all ages.
We’d love you to join us for one event or, even better, spend the whole afternoon celebrating Water Heritage Day together.
Thanks to Mayo County Council for supporting our Water Heritage Day Celebrations.
Learn to juggle, hula hoop, acrobatics and more at Mayo’s only summer circus camp! All levels welcome. Children should wear comfortable clothes and shoes, and bring a cold drink.
Payments taken in cash or by card at first session.
Places very limited so booking essential.
Ages 7-12, 60€ per week, 15€ per day. Includes ice lolly!
Grace: The Story of a Pirate Queen will be flying high at Belmullet Festival! Original music, powerful storytelling, and gravity-defying circus bring the story of Grace O’Malley to life on a remarkable voyage across history.
This summer we’ll be taking our spectacular aerial circus show about Ireland’s Pirate Queen on tour.
This performance will be indoors and the Sports Complex, Belmullet.
Doors open at 5:30pm.
The show starts at 6pm
FREE – no booking required
Don’t miss the chance to meet a version of Grace O’Malley who flies through the air, a pole dancing Spanish Armada and Queen Elizabeth I as you’ve never seen her before.
This is Grace’s tale retold with a circus twist, live storytelling and original music as she sails stormy seas and does battle at royal courts, join Granuaile on a remarkable voyage across history.
Family camp for under 7s with adults.
Learn to juggle, hula hoop, acrobatics and more at Mayo’s only summer circus camp! All levels welcome. Children should wear comfortable clothes and shoes, and bring a cold drink.
Payments taken in cash or by card at first session.
Places very limited so booking essential.
Under 7s with adults €5 per adult / child
Aaargh! Our roving band of all-female circus pirates will be out and about at Tubbercurry Old Fair Day, trying to press gang passersby in to joining their jolly galley. Applaud them if you dare!
Family camp for under 7s with adults.
Learn to juggle, hula hoop, acrobatics and more at Mayo’s only summer circus camp! All levels welcome. Children should wear comfortable clothes and shoes, and bring a cold drink.
Payments taken in cash or by card at first session.
Places very limited so booking essential.
Under 7s with adults €5 per adult / child
Learn to juggle, hula hoop, acrobatics and more at Mayo’s only summer circus camp! All levels welcome. Children should wear comfortable clothes and shoes, and bring a cold drink.
Payments taken in cash or by card at first session.
Places very limited so booking essential.
Ages 7-12, 60€ per week, 15€ per day. Includes ice lolly!
We’ll be popping up at the Teddy Bears’ Picnic at Tubbercurry Old Fair Day! Look out for roaming walkabout act Juanita the Cleaner causing chaos while she cleans, and a performance of Out of the Blue. Find the picnic in Tubbercurry Forest Walk.
Family camp for under 7s with adults.
Learn to juggle, hula hoop, acrobatics and more at Mayo’s only summer circus camp! All levels welcome. Children should wear comfortable clothes and shoes, and bring a cold drink.
Payments taken in cash or by card at first session.
Places very limited so booking essential.
Under 7s with adults €5 per adult / child
Learn to juggle, hula hoop, acrobatics and more at Mayo’s only summer circus camp! All levels welcome. Children should wear comfortable clothes and shoes, and bring a cold drink.
Payments taken in cash or by card at first session.
Places very limited so booking essential.
Keel (by the playground), Achill Island
Ages 6 – 12, 12€ per day per child
Out of the Blue is coming to Birr, Co. Offaly for their Birr Vintage Week and Arts Festival. Look out for bubbles and laughter at 2:30pm, with performer Fra Marto also leading a laughter workshop later in the day.
Look out for Elva Mór roaming around Ballinrobe Festival! This 16th-century lady has many a tale to tell of Irish fashion, rebellion and times gone by – and she does it all from atop a pair of stilts.
Look out for bubbles galore and lots of laughter with Out of the Blue at the Performance Plaza in Merrion Park
Times: 14:35 & 16:45
Stop by the Performance Plaza in Merrion Square for swashbuckling circus – our Pirate Queen Cabaret will be setting sail with two performances at 12:15 & 15:15.
Fra Martó is bringing her bubbles to Ripon Theatre Festival for several outdoor performances – all free events. Catch her at:
11.00am 11.45am Market Place
12.30pm -1.10pm Kirkgate
2.15pm – 3.00pm Market Place
Circus250 will be swinging by Castleblayney’s Muckno Mania Festival on 10th July. Look out for an acrobatic lollipop display from Bruna Jesch and appearances from Juanita the Cleaner.
Come to Smithfield Square for a day of al fresco fun; look out for…
Daring Dames Cabaret: 12:00 & 15:30
Shows at the Street Theatre + Storytelling tent
Desert Bloom: 14:25
Show at the Street Theatre + Storytelling tent
Amazing Flea Circus in a Suitcase
Out of the Blu
Juanita the Cleaner has been collecting her rubbish for one whole year. But what can she do with this mountain of plastic? She needs your help. In 45 minutes of hilarious climate-saving clowning, Europe’s leading female clown Angelica Santander tackles plastic pollution with dance, circus and several bin loads of humour.
Performances at 12pm & 2pm
This summer we’ll be taking our spectacular aerial circus show about Ireland’s Pirate Queen on tour. The first stop is Mulranny Arts Centre. Join us there for three days of outdoor performance in a brand new space.
Don’t miss the chance to meet a version of Grace O’Malley who flies through the air, a pole dancing Spanish Armada and Queen Elizabeth I as you’ve never seen her before.
This is Grace’s tale retold with a circus twist, live storytelling and original music as she sails stormy seas and does battle at royal courts, join Granuaile on a remarkable voyage across history.
PERFORMANCES
Fri 26th June – 7pm
Sat 27 June, 3pm & 7pm
Sun 28 June, 3pm
If you’re going along to University of Northampton’s STEAM event keep your eyes peeled for Science on Stilts.
Our real life scientists are ready to perform live experiments with you and answer your questions… all while balancing 8 feet in the air!
Circus Science By The Sea On Tour stops off at the Oweninny Wind Farm Visitor Centre with free events open to all. Catch Juanita’s Big Problem at 11am and Science on Stilts from 12-2pm!
Our 2026 tour will bring bite-sized pop-up festivals to rural locations across the West of Ireland. Making science fun and accessible through circus workshops, shows and talks. On our visit to Mulranny we’ve got shows, workshops, and a talk from a community expert.
Our 2026 tour will bring bite-sized pop-up festivals to rural locations across the West of Ireland. Making science fun and accessible through circus workshops, shows and talks. At Scoil Náisiúnta Cheathrú Thaidhg, catch performances of Juanita’s Big Problem and Fishy ‘n’ Dishy, plus a beach clean at Rinroe Beach.
Our 2026 tour will bring bite-sized pop-up festivals to rural locations across the West of Ireland. Making science fun and accessible through circus workshops, shows and talks. Look out for us at the Visitor Centre in Wild Nephin National Park for a day of fun!
A duo of bee-themed events to celebrate Cruinniú na nÓg in beautiful Dugort.
All events are free and everyone is welcome. No booking required.
A day of free creativity for children and young people featuring circus workshops and hoop performances from our Circus250 crew.
Fun and frolics await at the National Famine Museum as leading female clown Fra Marto puts on a show all about doing the laundry, with a misbehaving washing machine and plenty of laughter and bubbles.
Plus don’t miss Science on Stilts AKA Ireland’s tallest scientists. Just look up and you’ll be greeted by our friendly scientists ready to do experiments with you and answer your scientific questions.
Ireland’s tallest scientists will be doing interactive experiments and answering your big science questions at this years science carnival in Cork.
Wondering how to find them? Just look up, they’ll be the ones tottering up high in lab coats!
Our 2026 tour will bring bite-sized pop-up festivals to rural locations across the West of Ireland. Making science fun and accessible through circus workshops, shows and talks. Our Eachléim stop will include a bubble performance and a ‘Bioplastics Unwrapped’ talk with experts from University College Dublin.
Our 2026 tour will bring bite-sized pop-up festivals to rural locations across the West of Ireland. Making science fun and accessible through circus workshops, shows and talks. In Grange we’ll have performances of Fishy ‘n’ Dishy and Juanita’s Big Problem, plus a beach clean.
Our 2026 tour will bring bite-sized pop-up festivals to rural locations across the West of Ireland. Making science fun and accessible through circus workshops, shows and talks. At Lettermullen National School we’re putting on two circus performances, a beach clean and a workshop.
Our 2026 tour will bring bite-sized pop-up festivals to rural locations across the West of Ireland. Making science fun and accessible through circus workshops, shows and talks. In Lettergesh we’ve got a beach clean at Lettergesh Bay Beach, our Desert Bloom dance and puppet show, a workshop, and an expert community talk.
An evening of food, fun and film to close the festival.
Gather your crewmates and test your pirate prowess with a pirate quiz packed with curious questions, tall tales and a splash of nautical nonsense. From the high seas to hidden histories, only the sharpest crews will claim victory.
Then settle in for The Cry of Granuaile – the Mayo premiere of Donal Foreman’s award-winning, genre-defying film exploring the Pirate Queen’s legacy. With powerful performances and a dreamy orchestral score, it’s a movie that blurs the lines between history and myth.
You’ll dine on delicious pizza while enjoying the quiz and the film.
Admission: €20 per person (includes pizza, quiz & movie, drinks available to purchase separately). Booking essential.
Part of the Grace O’Malley Festival. View the full programme >>
For the first time ever on Achill Island, Circus250 is delighted to welcome Ireland’s extraordinary storytelling songstress Camille O’Sullivan as part of the Grace O’Malley Festival.
In this show titled “Loveletter”, Camille celebrates beloved artists including Shane MacGowan, Sinéad O’Connor, David Bowie, Radiohead, Brel and Nick Cave, alongside long-time collaborator Feargal Murray.
Doors and bar open at 8pm
Show starts at 8:30pm
Tickets €22 are limited and booking is essential.
“When she sings it’s as though her breath is soaked in paraffin – one spark, and the whole room would ignite” ***** Daily Telegraph
“A cross between Sally Bowles, Patti Smith and P J Harvey… a major star “ ***** The Scotsman
“A masterclass in living a lyric – mesmerizing” ***** – Mail on Sunday
“Ravishing, a superb performer and great singer… the star is her singing voice, a deep sultry instrument that might have been created to express desolate love” **** The Guardian
“A courageous and singular performer, Camille is one of the most gifted interpreters of narrative songs yet to appear” ***** Irish Times
A night of fearless circus, music and storytelling inspired by Ireland’s Pirate Queen, Grace O’Malley.
Join an all-female cast for a contemporary cabaret take on Grace O’Malley’s extraordinary life. You’ll meet Grace the acrobat, her son Tibbott the contortionist, the Spanish Armada pole dancer and Queen Elizabeth I as you’ve never seen her before.
These characters are woven together with live storytelling, original harp music and plenty of laughs.
This is not a history lesson.
It’s a celebration of bravery, womanhood and pure pirate energy.
Tickets: €20 adults / €18 Concessions
The Pirate Queen Cabaret showcases extraordinary moments from Circus250’s spectacular new show, Grace: The Story of a Pirate Queen, and marks the opening night of the very first Grace O’Malley Festival.
A fascinating talk from Anne Chambers (Grace’s renowned biographer) about what sets Grace apart from every other female leader in history… the sea. Prepare to hear incredible true stories of the Pirate Queen’s remarkable sea voyages from Ireland’s biggest Grace O’Malley expert.
Plus, festival Artist in Residence Sean Corcoran discusses research around what Grace looked like, in preparation for his giant sand portrait.
Admission: Tickets 10€ (both talks included)
Part of the Grace O’Malley Festival. View the full programme >>
A family storytelling session with Sorcha Hegarty of Candlelit Tales. Hear stirring stories about the powerful women of the West.
Admission: Age 5+. Free. Booking essential, spaces limited.
Please book one ticket per attendee (includes children and adults accompanying them)
Part of the Grace O’Malley Festival. View the full programme >>
Join us for the first ever Grace O’Malley Festival, a bold new celebration inspired by the fearless Grace O’Malley (Gráinne Mhaol).
Rooted on Achill Island, the festival brings together jaw-dropping circus, live music, storytelling, performance, art and heritage-inspired events to champion daring women of the past and present.
Festival highlights include Circus250’s aerial spectacular retelling Grace’s life story, a concert with Ireland’s leading songstress Camille O’Sullivan, the Pirate Queen Cabaret to make your timbers shiver, and a giant sand portrait of Grace on Achill’s beach.
Full programme now LIVE!
With thanks to Arts Council Ireland for their support.
Roll up! The world’s tiniest acrobats are coming to Nobber Agricultural Show. Get ready to witness their teeny tiny acts of bravery and dazzling acrobatics (we’ll bring the magnifying glass)!
A travelling pop-up show with lots of laughs and flea acrobatics!
They’re back in Galway to celebrate Love Your Beach! Fishy n’ Dishy are a juggling and plate spinning super duo, who entertain the crowds while discussing marine pollution and how we can help.
We’re proud to be bringing Desert Bloom to Dublin’s Neurodivergent Friendly Festival. This is an interactive storytelling and puppetry show for very young children.
Desert Bloom is the story of the lifecycle of a beautiful red flower that lives in the Atacama Desert in Chile, South America. This special plant blooms only once every ten years. What does it need to blossom? Using dance, storytelling and puppetry of the insects from the region, Angelica Santander brings this tale alive.
Performance times TBC
Juanita the Cleaner has a big problem: a mountain of plastic she’s been collecting for a whole year. What can she do with it all? In this hilarious, interactive show, Europe’s leading female clown Angelica Santander uses dance, circus and binloads of humour to tackle plastic pollution head-on. With plenty of help from the audience, Juanita’s Big Problem turns a global crisis into an important, hopeful, high-energy quest for solutions – with the audience coming up with all the best answers.
Ireland’s tallest scientists will be popping up in Sligo’s parade to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
Keep your eyes to the sky to spot them in their lab coats as they topple above the crowds, entertaining with scientific experiments and inviting you to get involved too.
Everything is chaotic in Dr Jay’s laboratory as he tries to tame exploding plastic bottles and bring floating balls back to earth.
Hosted by RTÉ childrens’ broadcaster Jay Ryan, expect chaos and a good dose of science all served with the showman’s touch!
Dr Jay brings experiments to life with explosions, engineering marvels, and plenty of bangs, whooshes, and oohs.
Performances
15th March at 12:30pm & 3:30pm
16th March at 11:30am & 2:30pm
All the way from Turin! Wash away your troubles with the wonderfully subversive and interactive circus show by leading Italian female clown Fra Marto all about doing the laundry. Immerse yourself in laughter and bubbles. Never has trying to keep the house clean been so much fun.
St. Patrick’s Festival Kilkenny is a vibrant and authentic display of Irish culture, heritage, and community spirit. Held annually in the heart of medieval Kilkenny, the festival features a lively parade, street performances, live music, and family-friendly events. With a mix of tradition and modern entertainment, St. Patrick’s Festival Kilkenny offers an unforgettable experience, making it one of Ireland’s must-visit destinations for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Ireland!
Out of the Blue is a 45 min show approx. Tickets are required.
Performances
Saturday 14th March – 12pm & 2pm
Sunday 15th March – 11am & 2pm
Am I Irish Yet? is bestselling author Kate Kerrigan’s hilarious and heartfelt story of growing up in London as a second-generation Irish immigrant. Packed with relatable tales of Plastic Paddies, tricky Irish names, and the agony of having an English accent with an Irish heart, it’s the perfect show for anyone who’s ever straddled two identities and wondered where they truly belong.
PERFORMANCES:
Corby Irish Centre, Corby – 24th February, 8pm
The Emerald Social Club, Wolverhampton – 25th February, 8pm
Greyfriars Club, Nottingham – 26th February, 8pm
Derby Irish Association, Derby – 27th February, 8pm
Doncaster Catholic Club, Doncaster – 28th February, 8pm
Irish World Heritage Centre, Manchester – 1st March, 2:30pm
The Claddagh Ring, North London – 5-8th March, Various performance times.
Gloucester Irish Club – 10th March, 8pm
Wimbledon London Irish Centre – 11th March, 8pm
Fiery Bird Music Venue, Woking – 12th March, 7:30pm
St. Patrick’s Irish Club, Leamington Spa, 13th March, 7:30pm
PERFORMANCES
Thursday 8th January – 8pm
Friday 9th January – 8pm
Saturday 10th January – 2pm and 8pm
Sunday 11th January – 2pm and 8pm
Am I Irish Yet? is one-woman show chronicling the life of Kate Kerrigan, a New York Times bestselling author who began her career as an editor for Just Seventeen magazine (where she was credited for discovering the band Take That). After spending her childhood in London in the 80s as the ‘Bombing Irish’ to some and a ‘Plastic Paddy’ to others, she moved to her parent’s native Ireland in the 90s where she became a full-time author.
35 years on, with an Irish husband and children and a career as an Irish author, Kate brings the wisdom and wit of her award-winning writing to audiences in person for the first time, to whom she asks, ‘Am I Irish Yet?’.
A fun-filled day of Circus and Science to celebrate Science Week at Dundalk Library.
Ever wanted to know how you balance a chair on your chin, if you can juggle liquid, or how circus performers eat fire? StrongWomen Aoife and Maria reveal the scientific secrets behind their astounding tricks. In a fun, lively and fast-paced family circus performance, find out how jugglers, acrobats and hula hoop artists use science to create their amazing acts.
Plus join Ireland’s only certified bubbleologist for a workshop about the magic – and the science – of bubbles!
Part of Circus Science by the Sea Festival
Musician and science writer Rebecca Mileham uses stories and songs to celebrate the forgotten women who made the periodic table of chemical elements. A morning of chemistry, coffee and croissants. All included.
Ages 12+
Space is limited, please reserve a seat!
Suggested €10 donation on the door.
ISL Interpreted Performance
Part of Circus Science by the Sea 2025
From hunted to honoured. Over the last half century, Achill Island’s relationship with the basking shark has shifted from an active hunting industry to tourist attraction.
Using film, audio visual effects and newly compiled archive footage – set to an original score played live by Mayo’s leading traditional musicians – Achill Island, Basking Shark Fisherman traces the history of our relationship with these magnificent creatures of the Atlantic Ocean.
Join us for an evening full of understanding and compassion about who we are, what we did, and how we can change.
Don’t miss the live panel discussion after the show with The Achill Sound musicians and storytellers.
Tickets €10.00 – €15:00
(Ages 12+)
Please book in advance
Part of Circus Science by the Sea 2025
For your entertainment, we present the Circus Science Family Cabaret – a dazzling mix of circus wonder and scientific curiosity!
From a climate clown, to mind-bending contortion, egg-citing egg-speriments, a certified bubbleologist and a juggling doctor – every act comes with a scientific twist.
Expect laughter, surprises and spectacular skill in a cabaret that proves when circus meets science, anything is possible.
Tickets €8.00 – €10:00
Please book in advance
ISL Interpreted Performance
Part of Circus Science by the Sea 2025
Join us for the premiere showing of The Drop Science Bubble Show. Curious scientist Finn shares a fascinating journey, as ordinary drops of water are transformed into something extraordinary.
The Drop Science Bubble Show combines fun and learning, revealing the science behind bubbles through stunning sculptures and mesmerizing formations. From a bubble cube to a tornado in a bubble, this visually captivating show sparks wonder while teaching audiences of all ages how bubbles behave, bringing science to life.
Inspired by the works of Tom Noddy & Thomas Altman.
Tickets €8.00 – €10:00
Please book in advance
Part of Circus Science by the Sea 2025
A cabaret that’s buzzing with brilliance, Sweet as Honey serves up circus wonder with a sharp scientific sting.
Marvel at mind-bending contortion, a juggling doctor, boggling egg-speriments, and a certified bubbleologist. And watch out for our political science clown – ready to deliver both satire and stings. Expect laughter, surprises and spectacular skill in a cabaret that proves when circus meets science, the results are un-bee-lievable.
Tickets €10:00
Please book your space
Part of Circus Science by the Sea 2025
THIS EVENT IS NOW FULLY BOOKED.
An interactive storytelling and puppetry show for very young children.
Desert Bloom is the story of the lifecycle of a beautiful red flower that lives in the Atacama Desert in Chile, South America. This special plant blooms only once every ten years. What does it need to blossom? Using dance, storytelling and puppetry of the insects from the region, Angelica Santander brings this tale alive.
Circus Science by the Sea – Europe’s only circus science festival will return for 2025! Join us 14th – 16th November in Achill and Westport County Mayo for three fantastic days of circus, with a scientific twist.
VIEW THE FULL PROGRAMME HERE
This is a festival for everyone: fun-seeking families, environmentalists, artistes and physicists! This year’s line-up includes clowning, eggs-periments, acrobats, fire, bee-themed fun, music, gigantic bubbles and a special visit from the Rose of Tralee! We’ll cover themes of ecosystems, plant-life, endangered species, electrics, the physics of circus and the links between chemistry and music.
Circus Science by the Sea was produced by Circus250 with support from Research Ireland. Because we believe when science meets circus, anything’s possible.
PERFORMANCES AT 10AM & 12PM
Ever wondered how to juggle custard? Or breathe fire? In celebration of Science Week StrongWomen Science reveals the secrets behind jaw-dropping tricks. With real-life female scientists, Aoife and Maria.
If you go down to ATU Science Festival on 9th November you’ll catch three Circus250 acts all at once.
Desert Bloom is the interactive storytelling and puppetry show about the lifecycle of a very rare desert plant that blooms once every ten years. Perfect for little ones and their families.
In Juanita’s Big Problem, our climate clown asks for your help. What can she do with a year’s worth of plastic rubbish? Join her for 45 minutes of dance, circus and several bin loads of humour.
And don’t miss Ireland’s tallest scientists. Science on Stilts will be roaming the festival answering your scientific questions and sharing their interactive experiments.
Fishy juggles shells and Dishy spins plates. Meet the pair and have a go at doing it yourself, while finding out all about the plight of our oceans and what we discover in them – from buoys to jellyfish, to fishing nets and discarded plastic toys.
Keep your eyes peeled for Ireland’s tallest scientists. Just look up and you’ll be greeted by our friendly scientists ready to do experiments with you and answer your scientific questions.
Get ready for some serious fruit juggling and plate spinning at Ardee Festival – Fruity n’ Dishy will be dishing up circus skills workshops and entertaining the crowds.
Our juggling and plate spinning duo will be part of the lineup at Conamara Sea Week – in Galway. Come and learn some circus skills whilst discovering more about marine pollution and how we can help.
Performances
Friday September 26th at 8pm
Saturday September 27th at 2pm
Saturday September 27th at 5pm
Sunday September 28th at 2pm
Sunday September 28th at 5pm
The smash hit Am I Irish Yet? is back at the Claddagh Ring in London. This is the funny, sad, laugh out loud, totally relatable, comedy show for every Irish person who grew up in the UK calling somewhere else home. At last someone is telling the story of the 2nd generation Irish!
In her taboo breaking one-woman show, New York Times bestselling writer Kate Kerrigan charts what it takes to finally fit in small town Ireland. Here’s a funny, bitter-sweet journey from 80s London to her parent’s native Ireland in the 90s – a life spent searching for who she is.
Produced and directed by BAFTA winner Kevin Toolis.
We’re making waves this September with High Tide Day – a day of events themed around ocean action and marine myths. Here’s what’s happening:
Daytime…
ACHILL’S BIGGEST BEACH CLEAN
We’re proud to be part of a team of local organisations who have teamed up to make Achill’s local beaches sparkle.
Where & When
10:30am: Cloghan Pier, Curraun with Féile na Garrai
(with Fishy n’ Dishy)
11.30am Golden Strand, Dugort with Achill Tourism
12pm: Keel Beach with Achill Surf Club
2pm: Silver Strand, Dugort – A Circus250 High Tide Event.
(with Fishy n’ Dishy)
Time TBC: Dooega Beach with Féile Dú Éige
Look out for Fishy n’ Dishy, our plate-spinning, juggling duo, entertaining crowds and chatting about marine pollution – you can even try out a few circus skills yourself.
Evening
MYTHS OF THE ARMADA
Mulranny Arts Centre, F28 F8N8, 8pm
As night falls, join us for an unforgettable evening of music, circus and history.
🎭 The line up includes:
- Harp music by Ursula Burns (from Grace: The Story of a Pirate Queen).
- A fascinating talk debunking the myths of the Spanish Armada and legendary pirate queen Gráinne Uaile, with Professor Ciaran Brady, Trinity College Dublin.
- Circus250 performers bring Gráinne Uaile’s story to life with music, pole, and contortion acts from our new show, Grace: The Story of a Pirate Queen.
With storytelling from bestselling Irish author, Kate Kerrigan.
Space is limited, please reserve a seat! Suggested €10 donation on the door.
With thanks to our supporters and partners: Fáilte Ireland, Local Authority Waters Programme and Clean Coasts
A night of Celtic culture with global influences.
Ursula Burns (AKA The Dangerous Harpist) will perform a selection of live tracks from her critically acclaimed album, The Secret Melodies of Trees, alongside recent compositions and a new song inspired by Achill Island.
Belfast Maritime Festival goers get ready for a funny and interactive lesson about the principles behind engineering – and how eggs are perfect example! Dr. Jay asks why eggs are so amazingly strong? How does a bridge stay up? What is Torsional Stress? What can the human body teach us about engineering?
PERFORMANCES
Saturday 6th September at 1:30pm & 3:30pm
Sunday 7th September at 1:30pm & 3:30pm
Bestselling writer Kate Kerrigan’s smash hit show returns to Ireland this September.
A hilarious journey from 80’s London to her parent’s native Ireland in the 90’s – this is Kate Kerrigan’s journey of a life as a second generation Irish immigrant. – A life spent asking “Am I Irish Yet?”
Fun and frolics await at Athenry Walled Towns Day as leading female clown Fra Marto puts on a show all about doing the laundry, with a misbehaving washing machine and plenty of laughter and bubbles.
Guests at Tubbercurry Old Fair Day are in for a tiny treat… marvellous miniscule acrobats will perform acts of great bravery in Jay Ryan’s Amazing Flea Circus in a Suitcase.
A rebellious 8-foot 16th century lady will be among the crowds at this year’s Belmullet Festival.
Dressed in a spectacular recreation of a uniquely Irish style of clothing banned by Henry VIII in the 1500s, Elva Mór the stilt walker will entertain the festival goers with tales of Irish fashion, rebellion, and the domestic linen and wool trades during a politically turbulent era.
Performances:
11th August – From 11am – 4pm
17th August – From 6pm onwards
Get ready for some serious fruit juggling and plate spinning at the Tubbercurry Old Fair Day – Fruity n’ Dishy will be dishing up circus skills workshops and entertaining the crowds.
Keep your eyes peeled for Ireland’s tallest scientists. Just look up and you’ll be greeted by our friendly scientists ready to do experiments with you and answer your scientific questions.
The smash hit show Am I Irish Yet? is coming to Kildavnet Festival this Summer.
This is the funny, sad, laugh out loud, totally relatable, comedy show for every person who grew up calling somewhere else home. At last someone is telling the story of the 2nd generation Irish!
Starring New York Times bestselling writer Kate Kerrigan and produced and directed by BAFTA winner Kevin Toolis.
Learn to juggle, hula hoop, be an acrobat and more. Discover your inner circus star!
Monday 28th July & Monday 11th August:
Make your own juggling balls and discover how to use them
4-6pm at The Strand Hotel, Dugort
All ages welcome | 7€ including all materials
29, 30 July & 5, 6, 7, 12, 14th August
Circus skills workshop
Silver Strand (by parking)
2:30pm – 3:30pm: Ages 5-8 | 5€ per session
4pm – 5:30pm: Ages 8-12 | 7€ per session
Book each separately | Beginners welcome
Small classes, please book
Please book here: Sunset Circus Camps 2025
T: 0862 432107
E: ringmaster@circus250.org
With thanks to the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport Ireland for supporting this programme.
Wash away your troubles with the wonderfully subversive and interactive circus show by leading female clown, Fra Marto, all about doing the laundry.
A day of events in Dugort to celebrate the launch of our new aerial show inspired by Ireland’s legendary pirate queen Grace O’Malley.
11.30am -1pm: Join Grace’s crew! A morning of drop-in pirate costume making workshops for children.
Strand Hotel, F28 NY97 – Free, no booking required.
2.30pm – 3:30pm: The voyage begins. Join us for Grace: The Story of a Pirate Queen. With original music, powerful storytelling, and gravity-defying circus, this brand new show brings the legend of Grace O’Malley vividly to life. From stormy seas to royal courts, join Granuaile on her remarkable voyage across history.
Silver Strand, F28 KA09 – Free Outdoor Performance, no booking required
6pm – 7:30pm: Gather round for Dauntless – the inspirational story of Grainne ni Mhaille by internationally renowned storyteller Deborah Newbold. (For ages 14+).
Strand Hotel, F28 NY97 – Tickets 10€
Please book your tickets here >>
The Day of Grace is produced by Circus250, with support from Mayo County Council
It won’t be hard to spot Science on Stilts at Funtropolis ! Just look up and you’ll be greeted by our friendly scientists ready to do experiments with you and answer your scientific questions.
Juanita the Cleaner (AKA our climate clown) will be keeping the grounds and the guests tidy and full of cheer as she brings her clowning cleaning trolley to Armagh County Show.
Performances at 10.30am, 12:00pm, and 1.30pm
Juggler extraordinaire and research scientist Robin Dale will reveal the mechanics and mysteries behind the art of juggling. With comedy and incredible circus skills, What Stuff Does unpacks the mechanics of juggling using flying ping pong bats, disobedient buckets of water and a wrestling match with a flipchart.
Do you look up to scientists? Well now you really can! Come and meet real-life scientists walking on stilts while performing simple science experiments with you! They’ll stop on their stilts to have scientific chats with anyone who has high ambitions to learn more about science.
PERFORMANCES AT 13:00 & 15:00
Ever wondered how to juggle custard? Or breathe fire? StrongWomen Science reveals the secrets behind jaw-dropping tricks. With real-life female scientists, Aoife and Maria.
Juanita’s Big Problem will be popping up at UCD festival this June. Join us and help Juanita the climate clown tackle a mountain of rubbish. With clowning and bin-loads of humour.
Budding scientists! Keep your eyes skyward at Dundalk’s Market Square celebrations – our scientists-turned-stiltwalkers will be on site ready to do interactive experiments with you and answer your questions.
Get ready to meet Ireland’s tallest scientists! Science on Stilts will be roaming the park at Cork Carnival of Science ready to do interactive experiments with you and answer your questions.
A free day of circus crafts in Castlebar to celebrate Cruinnui na N’Og
PAINT A CIRCUS POSTER WORKSHOP: Roll up! Roll up! The circus is coming to town and we’re asking budding artists to help create eye-catching posters to share the news.
Our artists will take inspiration from the Jackie Clarke Collection, Ballina, advertising some of the first circuses that came to Mayo, run by our circus designer. Aged 7 plus.
*DESIGN A CIRCUS COSTUME WORKSHOP: If you’re going to run away to the circus, you’ll need to look the part! Join us to design your very own pirate’s hat, eye patch or waistcoat from recycled materials, run by Circus250’s wardrobe mistress Morag Prunty. Aged 5 plus.
A day of circus events in Monaghan to celebrate Cruinnui na N’Og
OUT OF THE BLUE: Wash away your troubles with this subversive and interactive circus show from leading Italian clown Fra Martó, all about doing the laundry.
CIRCUS WORKSHOP: Ever wondered what it’s like to run away with the circus? Now’s your chance! Drop in and try your hand at hoop tricks, plate spinning, and more in this fun, relaxed workshop for all ages. No experience needed – just a sense of adventure and a willingness to get a little bit silly.
THE DANGEROUS HARPIST IN HER CLOUD TRUCK: She may look whimsical, but don’t be fooled – The Dangerous Harpist is armed with a harp and zero fear. Ursula Burns plays bold, brilliant music from Harpula’s Pandorium – a tiny cloud-covered truck with big vibes. Family-friendly, slightly surreal and totally unmissable.
WALKABOUT JUGGLER: Keep your eyes peeled… there’s a mysterious juggler on the loose! Dressed to dazzle and full of circus charm, our costumed walkabout performer will be roaming the throughout the day – juggling, joking, and spreading joy. Catch them if you can (and maybe even learn a trick or two)!
Fishy n’ Dishy – the shell juggling and plate spinning duo – are delighted to be joining the lineup at Cruinnui na N’Og.
Come and meet the pair for some fun and friendly circus training, all while discovering more about the plight of our oceans.
PERFORMANCES
10am at Mosney Village, Julianstown, Co Meath, A92 ED6V
1pm at Ardee Parish Centre, Hale St, Ardee A92 X5DE Co. Louth
Heading to UCD festival? Keep your eyes high to spot Science on Stilts: real-life scientists performing interactive experiments whilst balancing on stilts and answering your scientific questions.
The smash hit show Am I Irish Yet? will be at Mountshannon Festival this May. This is the funny, sad, laugh out loud, totally relatable, comedy show for every Irish person who grew up in the UK calling somewhere else home. At last someone is telling the story of the 2nd generation Irish!
In her taboo breaking one-woman show, New York Times bestselling writer Kate Kerrigan charts what it takes to finally fit in small town Ireland. Here’s a funny, bitter-sweet journey from 80s London to her parent’s native Ireland in the 90s – a life spent searching for who she is.
StrongWomen scientists Aoife and Maria will be amongst the lineup for a new circus festival in Ireland!
If you’ve ever wondered how to juggle custard or breathe fire, you won’t want to miss this lively family circus show – where real life female scientists reveal the secrets behind their jaw-dropping tricks.
Get ready for some serious fruit juggling and plate spinning at the Bandon Show – Fruity n’ Dishy will be dishing up circus skills workshops and entertaining the crowds.
Roll up! The world’s tiniest acrobats are coming to Nobber Agricultural Show. Get ready to witness their teeny tiny acts of bravery and dazzling acrobatics (we’ll bring the magnifying glass)!
You’ll also spot Juanita the Cleaner – buzzing about the show keeping the grounds and the guests spotless… with a bit of added clowning.
Our juggling and plate spinning duo will be entertaining the guests on the shores of Grattan Beach as part of Love Your Beach. Come and learn some circus skills whilst discovering more about marine pollution and how we can help.
Come and celebrate the wonderful women of Mayo with us as part of Mayo Day 2025.
From Queens and Goddesses to writers and world renowned scientists – over the centuries Mayo has produced a notable band of proud and pioneering women. In entertaining historical talks, music, walkabout characters and storytelling for all the family, this day of Daring Dames illuminates these extraordinary lives, their triumphs and challenges, and puts their fabulous stories firmly on the Mayo map.
SCHEDULE
Free Entry – Everyone is Welcome
11:30am – The Bear Who Dared: Meet the magical talking Gráinne Bear and hear about her extraordinary adventures. Storytelling session for all the family in the historic barn.
12:30pm – Ghosts & Glory Tour: Explore Belleek Castle with a focus on the incredible Joyce Doran – but beware the mischievous ghost of Lottie Lampshade!
2:00pm – Rebel with a Cause: Hear the extraordinary story of Dr Kathleen Lynn, trailblazing physician and revolutionary, in a talk by historian Dr Yvonne McDermott.
3:30pm – Ghosts & Glory Tour Encore: Missed it earlier? Catch the Joyce Doran & Lottie Lampshade tour.
5:00pm – A Mayo Girl in London: Ballina’s award-winning novelist and playwright Kate Kerrigan shares her personal story in a relatable and funny talk: ‘Home is where the heart is.”
ALL DAY MAGIC – Don’t miss our16th Century Stilt walker in residence and live folk music in the Courtyard.
With thanks to our event partners Mayo County Council
Fishy juggles shells and Dishy spins plates. Meet the pair and have a go at doing it yourself, while finding out all about the plight of our oceans and what we discover in them – from buoys to jellyfish, to fishing nets and discarded plastic toys.
Juanita the Cleaner has been collecting her rubbish for one whole year. But what can she do with this mountain of plastic? She needs your help. In 45 minutes of hilarious climate-saving clowning, Europe’s leading female clown Angelica Santander tackles plastic pollution with dance, circus and several bin loads of humour.
Performances at 10:30am & 12pm
Discover the enchanting tale of a rare desert flower – that blooms once every ten years. Angelica Santander brings this story to life through dance, storytelling and puppetry.
This relaxed show is for very young children and will be followed by an interactive session where children are invited to play with the puppets.
Circus250 is proud to be joining the lineup at Dublin’s festival celebrating the neurodiverse community.
Ever wanted to know how you balance a chair on your chin, if you can juggle liquid, or how circus performers eat fire? StrongWomen Aoife and Maria reveal the scientific secrets behind their astounding tricks. In a fun, lively and fast-paced family circus performance, find out how jugglers, acrobats and hula hoop artists use science to create their amazing acts.
Circus250 is proud to be joining the lineup at Dublin’s festival celebrating the neurodiverse community.
Fruity is a juggler, Dishy a plate spinner. And fruity loves to juggle real fruit while Dishy spins his plates. With foody fun aplenty, they show how to juggle apples, oranges and pears, and spin plates. And everyone can have a go at doing it themselves.