Ballybunion Bean Festival: Visionary Festival lights the way for the future

Press Release 26th Aug 2026

The Ballybunion Bean Festival was a huge success this weekend, with guests enjoying the beautiful sunshine in the woodlands and gardens at The Barna Way just outside Ballybunion. The dynamic and inspiring programme celebrated food and culture. It included comedy, live music, art, great conversations and yoga as well delicious local, organic and
vegan food.

Panels explored the potential of beans for the planet, for creative communities and for the body. All speakers emphasised the interconnectedness of the issues in the context of the polycrises we are facing in terms climate change, biodiversity loss and forced migration.

Lily Toomey, chef and member of the Bean Team, stressed “the importance of beans as a protein source especially in the context of the climate crisis. We need more sustainable food systems that support communities and are good for our health. Beans fix nitrogen in the soil and help local ecosystems to thrive. Beans also provide an opportunity for a new model of food production – from home and community gardens to small and big farmers alike.
Growing beans can happen at any scale”.

Lisa Fingleton artist says “This really is a radical festival. Radical comes from the work radix, meaning to the get to the root of things. The festival is about literally supporting the soil and growing organic beans and food without the use of toxic chemicals. It’s about supporting local growers and connecting them with world class chefs to produce delicious and nutritious food. It is also about bringing back the culture in agriculture and connecting with artists and
musicians in creative and nourishing space, surrounded by nature”.

Rena Blake co- founder of The Barna Way stresses that “it is great that the festival was funded this year by the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine. We need to find new ways to support agri-food initiatives that are based on farms”. Elaine Bradley from Irish Seedsavers emphasised the importance of saving seeds end ensuring that farmers and growers are supported to save seeds for the generations to come. She warned that much of
the global seed stock is now controlled by a small number of agro-chemical companies. Theresa Elumelu from Tralee International Resource Centre spoke about the global importance of beans around the world and also the experiences of asylum seekers and refugees coming to Ireland. Thomas O Connor (Manna Organics / Talamh Beo) and Ruth
Hegarty shared their work on school lunches, protecting soil and saving seed.

Sunday morning started off very gently with Soil Salutations yoga session with Steph Sheahan. Then comedian Breda Larkin jumped onto the stage for a hilarious show called Diary of a Bean Queen. Then everyone will head back to town on bikes or the Bean bus for The Bean Fair and nature walk at The Old Attic on Main Street Ballybunion.

The beans and other food was grown locally and will be cooked by The Gourmet Offensive and Lily Toomey. Artists include Kerry Visual Artist in Residence Lisa Fingleton, Jennie Moran (luncheonette), Stephanie Sheahan (Rituals of Plate), Sailhymn (singer /songwriter), Niamh O Brien (harpist) and Breda Larkin (Comedian).

The festival ran from August 22–23, 2026 at The Barna Way and in Ballybunion town.

Watch last year’s bean festival HERE