Limerick Quimper Tree Festival 2026

Forest walks, art workshops, a river ecology talk, opera, poetry and a French documentary screening feature across more than a dozen free events in Limerick.

Now in its latest edition, the festival continues the twinning relationship between Limerick and Quimper, France, with this year’s programme featuring local experts, artists and community groups alongside a French-language documentary screening presented by Alliance Française, with the support of France TV.

Saturday 3rd October

Forest Bathing with Mary O’Dea - 10:00am. A guided, sensory walk through nature.

Butterflies and Moths with Kevin Hannan - 9:30am, St John’s Church car park, Cratloe. A family-friendly look at local butterflies and moths.

Botanical Casting with Audrey Parent - 2:00pm–4:00pm, Alliance Française de Limerick, 7 Pery Square. A hands-on craft workshop using natural materials

Friday 9th October

Stories beneath the Leaves: Portraits in Mixed Media with Giulia Coli - 6pm, Local Art & Craft Limerick, 19 Nicholas Street. A mixed-media portrait workshop inspired by figures who have contributed to our understanding of trees.

Saturday 10th October

River Shannon Walk and Talk with Sean Hartigan - 11am-1pm, The Hunt Museum. A guided walk exploring the ecology of the River Shannon.

Thomondgate Residents Association’s Mature Trees - 2pm-3pm, St. Munchin’s Temperance Hall. A community conversation on the area’s mature trees planted only two years ago.

Tree Tales: An Evening of Opera, Poetry & Nature literature - 5pm-8pm, 101 O’Connell Street. Opera with Shirley Keane and Lorraine Galvin, poetry with Grace Wells and Vivienne McKechnie, and a Nature Book Circle facilitated by Vivienne McKechnie.

Sunday 11th October

Forest Bathing with Mary O’Dea - 10:30am. A guided, sensory walk through nature.

Saturday 17th October

Forest Bathing with Mary O’Dea - 10am. A guided, sensory walk through nature.

Sunday 18th Octobe r

Forest Bathing with Mary O’Dea - 10:30am. A guided, sensory walk through nature.

Fungi and Lichen Walk with Tom Harrington - 11am–1pm, Griston Bog Nature Reserve, Ballylanders. A guided walk spotting fungi and lichen with the Limerick Branch of the Irish Wildlife Trust.

Thursday 22nd October

La Magie des Arbres: A Documentary Screening - 7:30pm, The 101 Bar. Presented by Alliance Française, in partnership with the Limerick Quimper Tree Festival, with the support of France TV. In French, with French subtitles only.

Saturday 24th October

Plein Air Painting in Limerick City - 10am to 2pm

Current Affairs: Voices of the River Shannon, present and future - 7pm to 9pm - A talk about the River Shannon. Keynote speaker Dr Pat O’Connor. Screening of a short movie on The Estuary. Panel discussion with river users.

The Limerick Quimper Tree Festival is a month-long celebration of trees, nature and community across Limerick, held in the spirit of the twinning relationship between Limerick and Quimper, France.

The 2026 festival is supported by Creative Ireland and funded by Creative Ireland and Limerick City and County Council through the Limerick Creative Communities Programme 2026, with sponsorship from Serosep and Garric Collaborative Solutions.