Cloughjordan is gearing up for a day of apple fun

Attendees at last year's Applefest in Cloughjordan. This annual festival is a very successful and very enjoyable day out. | oe

placeholder image — Attendees at last year's Applefest in Cloughjordan. This annual festival is a very successful and very enjoyable day out. | oe

‘The much-loved Apple Bake Contest will return, inviting people to share their best apple-based creations’

FRESH from a very enjoyable and very successful stint at this year's Electric Picnic, Cloughjordan Ecovillage is gearing up for another wonderful day of apple fun.

The village is hosting its annual Féile na nÚll / Applefest on Saturday 19 September from 11AM to 6PM. Held in and around the Wecreate Community Enterprise Centre in the ecovillage (E53 VP86), this year is the 10th anniversary of the festival, celebrating a decade of apples, community, and sustainable living.

The core of this free event will be the community's apple pressing. Led by local apple juice business The Night Orchard, this will see visitors bringing their own apples and containers to turn surplus fruit into delicious, freshly pressed juice. There will also be a smaller bike-powered apple press where attendees will really get to earn their juice by peddling for it!

The festival will feature an indoor café and lots of market stalls from the Cloughjordan bi-weekly market and beyond, offering local produce, hot food, seasonal treats, handmade crafts and information from local and national sustainability initiatives. The much-loved Apple Bake Contest will return, inviting people to share their best apple-based creations, from pies and cakes to chutneys and preserves.

Throughout the day everyone will once again be entertained by Cloughjordan Circus Club. There will also be children’s activities, games, creative workshops, talks, art, and guided tours of Cloughjordan Ecovillage, offering visitors a chance to explore the community and learn more about sustainable living, biodiversity, local food and community resilience.

Tours will include the orchard and apple trees of Cloughjordan ecovillage, home to over 70 heritage varieties sourced from the Irish Seed Savers. The first tour begins at 11 am from the Ecovillage’s entrance.

Special guests during the day will include Dr Rupa Marya - author, doctor, activist and musician - and Joanna Sweeney - author of the forthcoming book Wildcrafting Pathways: Transformative Wisdom for a Regenerative Lifestyle.The Jordanian Community in Ireland will also have a stall, helping to strengthen the ongoing links between Jordan and Cloughjordan.

Applefest is supported by the Department of Agriculture Food and Marine and the Irish Environmental Network.

The evening of Applefest sees a speakEATsy event. This is an evening time event, run by Cloughjordan community Farm, with live music, conversation, poetry, DJs and performance, accompanied by a sumptuous seasonal farm-led meal with cook Laura Shine. To book go to https://cloughjordancommunityfarm.ie/speakeatsy-19th-sept-2026/