Make a weekend of West Waterford.
The festival is the excuse — Dungarvan and West Waterford are the reward. Greenway cycling, mountain waterfalls, cliff walks and quiet beaches all start within minutes of the market square.
Dungarvan sits on a broad bay between the Comeragh Mountains and the sea. The Waterford Greenway begins right in town, Clonea Strand is minutes away, and the Copper Coast, Ardmore and Lismore are all easy spins.
The Waterford Greenway
A 46km traffic-free cycling and walking trail along the old railway line from Dungarvan to Waterford city, crossing viaducts and passing through tunnels with the Comeraghs on one side and the coast on the other. Bike hire is available in town — even the first few kilometres along the bay make a lovely pre-lunch spin.
Coast & beaches
Clonea Strand, a long sandy Blue Flag beach, is just outside town. Further east, the Copper Coast between Dungarvan and Tramore is a UNESCO Global Geopark of coves and cliffs, and the round-tower village of Ardmore has a spectacular cliff walk around St Declan's headland.
Mountains & gardens
Twenty minutes inland you're under the Comeragh Mountains — Mahon Falls is the classic short walk. The heritage town of Lismore, with its castle gardens and cathedral, anchors the Blackwater valley to the west.
With children
The Sunday market is a full family day out by itself. Beyond it: flat, safe Greenway cycling, rock-pooling and sandcastles at Clonea, and ice cream on the quay watching the boats come in.