Louth comedians bring iconic Father Ted characters to TedFest 2026

Louth comedians Pat McDonnell  and Joe Rooney are set to bring their signature Craggy Island humor to TedFest 2026 on Inis Mór this March.

McDonnell, known for his role as Eoin McLove, and Rooney, famous for playing Fr. Damo, will reprise their beloved characters for festival events.

Organisers of TedFest, the annual festival celebrating the iconic television series Father Ted, have announced the full programme for the 2026 event. TedFest will take place on the island of Inis Mór from Thursday, 5 March to Sunday, 8 March 2026.

While the fictional Craggy Island cannot be found on any maps, the Aran island of Inis Mór will once again transform into a vibrant hub of Father Ted-inspired festivities where wimples, ecumenical robing, red tank tops and spider baby ware are de rigour. Events include:

• The Craggy Cup, refereed by Fr Damo (Joe Rooney)
• Blind Date with Eoin McLove (Pat McDonnell)
• The Lovely Girls Contest
• Ted’s Got Talent
• Buckaroo Speed Dating
• The Badminton Lovely Horse Trials
• Human Buckaroo
• The Dark Caves Rave
• The Reverse Wheel of Death
• The Tea-Lay Derby
• The Priests Dance Off
• The World Buckaroo Championships

The final batch of tickets have now been released.

Founded in 2007 by Peter Phillips and Fergal McGrath after a chance meeting in a Sri Lankan civil war and inspired by their shared love of Father Ted, TedFest was created as an immersive antithesis to conventional TV fan events. 

Read Next: Louth Gardaí investigate shop robbery

Held annually on Inis Mór—chosen simply because the founders knew a local publican—the festival allows participants to ‘live the Craggy Island Dream’ for one unforgettable weekend each year. 

Limited to a few hundred attendees, it has been described as ‘the closest thing to a pagan saturnalia; ‘a celebration of moth-eaten innocence and surreal anarchy’ and an ‘annual portal opening to a lateral universe.’

For more info see: tedfest.org