Oldest festival in Laois gets welcome windfall

BOLLYWOOD dancing is promised in the Slieve Blooms, after the oldest festival in Laois received a €5,000 windfall this week.

Rosenallis Festival of the Mountain and Vintage Rally was awarded maximum funding, under the 2026 Small Scale Local Festivals and Summer Schools Funding Scheme.

The grant will allow the family-friendly festival to expand and host extra activities ranging from Bollywood dancing to a hip hop workshop, when the big day dawns on Sunday, 18 August.

The grant from the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport was announced on 23 July.

A delighted Daniel McDonald, secretary and PRO of the festival committee, said: “It was our first time to apply and it was a very competitive process so we are thrilled, as the funding means we can introduce a new direction to the festival.

“We can now fund Bollywood dancing, a hip hop workshop and have a professional artist create a piece from willow of an item that represents the Slieve Blooms. We can now really expand the festival. It's a massive boost for us.” 

The 2026 festival was launched at a lively gathering in The Village Tap, Rosenallis on 18 July, complete with the obligatory Tug of War and guest appearances by Laois senior hurling captain David Dooley and his teammate Fiachra C. Fennell.

The famous family-friendly festival scaled a record-breaking peak of success last year, when more than 2,000 people thronged the newly-extended festival field, the largest number since it all began in 1962.

All the favourite annual events are promised again this year, from the infamous Tug of War to the dog show, children's GAA matches and hotly contested competitions ranging from Glamorous Granny to King of the Mountain, as well as archery, vintage vehicles, a drumming circle, amusements, dancing and a huge array of stalls and food outlets.

There will also be a fantastic feast of music, with performers ranging from Abbeyfolk to the legendary Timahoe Male Choir.