Join us for a weekend of beans in Ballybunion. Full programme coming soon.
Early bird tickets available until 30th June.
Following on from the success of last years Festival, and with the support of the Department of Agriculture, Food & The Marine, the Bean Team are planting deeper roots throughout 2026, growing the Bean Movement to include growers from Ballybunion, Ballyduff, around Kerry and north Tipperary.
The line up will be announced soon, and will include Jennie Moran of High Luncheonette, speakers from Talamh Beo, Irish Seedsavers, top Irish chefs Ali Honor & James de Burca, comedian and farmer Breda Larkin, singer Sailhymn and harpist Niamh O’Brien to name just a few. Dr Lily Toomey and and artist Lisa Fingleton will also be on the line up…
The Festival will take place within the beautiful woodlands, gardens and organic meadows of The Barna Way, just outside Ballybunion and day two will include more community talks, walks and lots of beans centered in The Olde Attic, Main Street, Ballybunion.
The future is beans!
Beans are an amazing source of protein, perfect for a plant based or a climatarian diet. 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.
The Bean Festival is a model for what is possible – by bringing together local artists, collaborators, chefs, and businesses, it demonstrates how community action can be intentional, meaningful, and fun!!
The Ballybunion Bean Festival would like to invite you to our first event in the Bean Series as we grow together towards the Ballybunion Bean Festival 2026.
FROM POD TO PLATE, beans from the Ground Up
Friday 5th June, 7.30pm to 9.30pm, The Olde Attic, Main St, Ballybunion.
The evening will begin with Billy Jo O’Connor of Leagh Farm, Ballyduff (https://leaghfarm.ie) who will lead us in Bean Survival Training! Learn everything you ever wanted to know about growing beans.
Billy Jo is an organic horticulture farmer and climate literacy educator. She is passionate about our planet, food and empowering the next generation to make better choices.
James is a plant based chef for over 20 years, a food educator and the founder of deBurca’s Tempeh.
The evening will close with music from singer-songwriter Sailhymn, from Ballybunion, who recently completed a residency in The Barna Way documenting their soulful reconnection with the generous, bold spirit of living heritage. Their reflective music weaves together themes of nature, community, and everyday wonder.
Alongside these amazing guests, there will be beany snacks for everyone to enjoy.
What If We Were Brilliant? books will be available for sale on the evening for €20 or purchase admission + book for €30.
Celebrating the power of Brigid’s Weekend and Community
Brilliant Ballybunion was delighted to welcome Uachtarán na hÉireann, President Catherine Connolly and Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan and 500 guests toBallybunion on Friday 30th January. Both attended ‘What if We Were Brilliant?’, a celebration event to mark the culmination of this dynamic, community-led, creative climate action initiative. Over the last two years the Brilliant Ballybunion group has been focusing on growing food, being creative and protecting nature.
This free event featured talks, films and artworks by artist Lisa Fingleton and community collaborators, as well as the launch of a reflective learning brief and an inspiring new book : What If We Were Brilliant?.
The programme will also included a live performance of newly commissioned music by local singer-songwriter Sailhymn.
According to President Connolly:
“Brilliant Ballybunion is a deeply inspiring project which shows how communities can lead the way in growing food, being creative and protecting nature all at the same time. It is a wonderful example of how communities are leading the transformational change which is needed to build sustainable communities and a sustainable environment. As President of Ireland, may I commend and thank all those involved for their work to date, and encourage both Brilliant Ballybunion and other communities like them to continue to inspire all of us with what is possible to achieve when local people come together to tackle the interacting crises which challenge us all.”
What If We Were Brilliant? will be available for sale at The Beach Hive in Ballybunion and Woulfe’s Bookshop, Listowel.
Brilliant Ballybunion is delighted to welcome Uachtarán na hÉireann, President Catherine Connolly and Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan to Ballybunion next Friday 30th January. Both will attend ‘What if We Were Brilliant?’, a celebration event to mark the culmination of this dynamic, community-led, creative climate action initiative. Over the last two years the Brilliant Ballybunion group has been focusing on growing food, being creative and protecting nature.
This free event will feature talks, films and artworks by artist Lisa Fingleton and community collaborators, as well as the launch of a reflective learning brief and an inspiring new book : What If We Were Brilliant?. The programme will also include a live performance of newly commissioned music by local singer-songwriter Sailhymn.
Speaking about the event, project manager Grainne Toomey says; “We are so proud of our community and all the commitment that everyone has shown for the last two years. This is wonderful recognition the community and the work of Brilliant Ballybunion, and the newly formed Ballybunion Nature Group”.
Lisa Fingleton, the project artist says; “It has been brilliant to see the power of the imagination and creativity. We are delighted to have created a beautiful new book titled ‘What if We Were Brilliant?’, which documents our journey over the last two years. It is so full of hope and potential”.
Speaking about the project, Tania Banotti, Director of Creative Ireland says; “What is truly brilliant about this project is the joy and positivity it exudes, not just within the community of Ballybunion but throughout the other spaces and communities it connects with”.
We are delighted to be selected as one of the ‘50 To Watch’ by the Irish Times for 2026. Brilliant Ballybunion was named as one of 4 groups to watch this year in the Sustainability category in this article by Joanne Hunt.
Special thanks to Creative Ireland and the amazing team of people who have come together to protect nature, grow food and be creative.
Here is the article:
“Nature, food, creativity – that’s Brilliant Ballybunion’s recipe for community climate action. The enormity of climate change and biodiversity loss can leave the individual feeling disempowered, but by coming together and acting locally, we can transform how we feel and create change, the group believes. Brilliant Ballybunion began with a call out to the north Kerry community for those passionate about nature, food or creativity to collaborate.
Nature-lovers, farmers, bird watchers, photographers, sketchers, writers and ecologists came forward and so began a journey of creative climate action.
Outputs so far include the Ballybunion Nature Group, a 60-strong collective that has carried out a survey of the Ringed Plover, a tiny ground-nesting bird in decline in the area. The group protects nests and talks to walkers about the importance of keeping dogs on lead. Journaling and sketching helps collaborators to record and process what they are seeing, and inspire action.
“If we don’t know the names of the birds, the trees or the animals, how will we know when they are gone,” says artist and grower Lisa Fingleton. “If our eyes are not open to nature, we just don’t see the loss.”
