Ardmore Pattern Festival

The Admore Pattern Festival takes place annually in July. The Pattern Feastday of St. Declan is on the Sunday, which is the ideal climax to the weekend’s activities. The tradition of the ’Pattern’ of St. Declan, patron saint of Ardmore, goes back hundreds of years. Thousands of people from near and far made the annual trip to the small seaside village in West Waterford on the 24th July each year to venerate at the Holy Well and reputed grave of St. Declan. This annual pilgrimage involved doing the ‘rounds’ at the Holy Well, as well as other forms of revelry and celebration. The tradition of doing the ‘rounds’ and praying at the Holy Well is about reviving the old traditions, while having a modern, fun-filled festival for families and other visitors from the surrounding region to Ardmore.