- Late August
- Monday and Tuesday
- Pitch from £145
- Horse trading
- Free to attend
The Ould Lammas Fair turns Ballycastle's streets into one long market at the end of August, with horse trading on Fairhill Street. The 2026 fair is over; 2027 is expected on 30 and 31 August.
Selling here
- Who to askCauseway Coast and Glens Council, Environmental Health, 028 2766 0233
- HowWaiting List Application form, emailed to [email protected]
- WhenLast year's traders renew first; waiting list worked through in May
- Cost (2026)£145 Ann Street craft pitch, £175 single, £350 double
- OfferAccept and pay within 7 days, with photos
Next dates
No new date announced yet. We add it as soon as the organiser does.
Stalls from The Diamond to Quay Road
On the two fair days the town centre is one big street market. Stalls run through The Diamond, Castle Street, Ann Street and Quay Road, selling clothes, toys, household goods, farm produce and sweets.
Look for yellowman, a hard yellow honeycomb toffee broken off the slab, and dulse, a dried red seaweed from the Antrim coast eaten as a salty snack. Both are named in the old song 'The Ould Lammas Fair'.
Four days at the end of August
The fair runs Saturday to Tuesday. The street stalls are on the Monday and Tuesday, usually the last Monday and Tuesday of August.
In 2026 the fair moved a week earlier, to 24 and 25 August, so wait for the council's dates each spring.
In 2026 the Saturday opened with fireworks over the seafront at 9.30pm, and the weekend had music and family events. Monday morning is the time to arrive for easier parking.
Horse trading on Fairhill Street
Horses are now the only animals sold at the fair. Dealers buy and sell ponies and horses the old way on Fairhill Street.
Recent programmes listed horse trading from about 10am to 6pm on both fair days, so come early to see the most deals done.
A street pitch from the council's licensing team
Pitches are licensed by the council's Environmental Health team. Traders who held a licence the year before renew first. New traders fill in the Waiting List Application form and email it back. In May the waiting list is worked through, first come, first served.
If you are offered a pitch, accept within seven days. The offer only counts once the council has your payment, a passport-sized photo, and a photo of your stall or van with its registration.
Your stall, gazebo included, must fit inside the pitch, and you bring your own power. BB guns, crossbows and goldfish cannot be sold or given as prizes. The council recommends public liability insurance.
- Ann Street, 3 m x 3 m, arts, crafts and speciality food: £145 (2026)
- Single pitch, 3.65 m x 1.82 m: £175 (2026)
- Double pitch, 7.30 m x 1.82 m: £350 (2026)
Park and ride from McQuillan GAC
On the fair days the town-centre streets close to traffic from 8am to 11pm. In 2026 the park and ride ran from McQuillan GAC on the Whitepark Road, about every 20 minutes, at £10 per car.
Ballycastle has no railway. Translink adds buses on routes 171, 172, 178, 131 and 402 on the fair days, and bus stops at Marine Corner and Market Street move during the fair.
Limited Blue Badge parking is at Market Street, the harbour car park and North Street. Accessible toilets are at the static toilet blocks. Well-behaved dogs are welcome on a lead.
A charter from 1606
In 1606 Sir Randal MacDonnell was granted a charter to hold fairs near Ballycastle, one of them at the end of August. The fair later moved to The Diamond.
It became known far beyond Antrim through the song by John Henry MacAuley, a Ballycastle shopkeeper and fiddler.
Visiting
- WhereTown centre streets (The Diamond, Castle Street, Ann Street, Quay Road, Fairhill Street) and the seafront, Ballycastle BT54 6AW
- Bus and trainNo railway; extra buses on routes 171, 172, 178, 131 and 402 on the fair days; stops at Marine Corner and Market Street change during the fair.
- ParkingPark and ride from McQuillan GAC, Whitepark Road (£10 per car in 2026, about every 20 minutes); town centre roads closed 8am-11pm on the Monday and Tuesday.
- EntryFree to attend, with most of the entertainment free (organisers).
- AccessAccessible toilets at the static toilet blocks and accessible portable toilets; limited Blue Badge parking at Market Street, the harbour car park and North Street.
- DogsWell-behaved dogs welcome on a lead.
Questions about Ould Lammas Fair, Ballycastle
When is the Ould Lammas Fair 2027?
2027 is expected on Monday 30 and Tuesday 31 August (the last Monday and Tuesday), but the council confirms each spring. The 2026 fair was held a week earlier, on 24 and 25 August.
When does the Lammas Fair horse trading start?
Recent programmes listed horse trading on Fairhill Street from about 10am to 6pm on the Monday and Tuesday. Come in the morning to see the most deals.
How do I get a stall at the Lammas Fair?
Send the council's Waiting List Application form to [email protected]. Last year's traders renew first; the waiting list is worked through in May, first come, first served. Accept an offer within seven days with payment and photos.
How much is a pitch at the Lammas Fair?
In 2026 the council charged £145 for a 3 m by 3 m arts, crafts and speciality food pitch on Ann Street, £175 for a single pitch and £350 for a double pitch.
Where do I park for the Lammas Fair?
Use the park and ride from McQuillan GAC on the Whitepark Road; in 2026 it ran about every 20 minutes and cost £10 per car. Town-centre streets close from 8am to 11pm on the fair days.
What is yellowman and dulse?
Yellowman is a hard yellow honeycomb toffee, broken from a slab and sold by the bag. Dulse is a dried red seaweed from the Antrim coast, eaten as a salty snack. Both are sold all over the fair.