The Black Donkey train rolls into the Night And Day festival as our first official event of the Autumn. We are delighted to be serving our delicious brews to festival goers only 11km from the brewery. If you’re in the mood for a last hurrah before the season changes, then don’t miss Night And Day.
What is the Night And Day festival?
The inaugural Night And Day music and arts festival takes place on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th September 2022. Set in the beautiful and picturesque grounds of Clonalis house in Castlerea, Co. Roscommon, a gem of a spot in Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands. Expect a magical mix of music, performance art, history, craft beers and a lot of dancing. Make sure to come by the beer tent, say hello and grab a pint of our delicious beer, sustainably sourced from our brewery just down the road in Ballinlough.
The Night And Day festival falls right on the Autumn equinox. The Autumnal equinox indicates the end of Summer and beginning of Autumn. It marks a halfway point between the shortest and longest days of the year. It is a time of balanced night and day. This was a sacred time of year for the ancient Irish, with rituals being held to cleanse out old energy and welcome in the new. Clonalis House, the setting for Night And Day is of great local and national historical significance as the ancestral home of the O’Conor Don, who is a direct descendant of the last High King of Ireland.
Who is playing?
Taking place across three suitably named tented stages Luna, Sol and Medb, there will be a broad mix of acts. Ranging from folk, indie, alternative to house and techno, there will be music for all ears. There is an emphasis on independent and emerging Irish artists as well as the highly anticipated headliners, John Grant and The Zutons. Just some of the Irish talent on the lineup includes Cathy Davey, The Mary Wallopers, Orla Gartland, Junior Brother, Sprints, HousePlants and Soda Blonde. See the full lineup below.
Not forgetting the Walled Garden area which will add a fun interactive learning environment to the festival. Look out for the Bemusement Games by Fuinseog Woodland Crafts, a series of handmade, fun and interactive games for kids and adults alike. Try your hand at natural craft making with West Country Weavers while learning about Ireland’s ancient history from the Rathcroghan visitor centre. Our Underworld series beers are fermented with yeast gathered from a cave at Rathcroghan. Oweynagat cave is the dwelling of Morrigan, the mythical Irish goddess of the underworld.
Listen to the lineup!
Get yourself in the festival mood with these playlists:
Beers we are pouring!
Where better than the heady atmosphere of a music festival to branch out and savour new flavours and experiences? We will have a great offering of Irish craft beers to showcase what we brew out the road in Ballinlough. Here is a quick rundown of some of the tasty and refreshing local beers that we will be pouring on the two days of the festival. Come try them, you will not regret it.
Sheep Stealer
The first beer to come out of the Black Donkey stables was Sheep Stealer. Sheep Stealer (5.6% ABV) is the original Irish Farmhouse Ale, inspired by the Belgian Saison style. Sheep Stealer is the perfect food accompaniment beer, and it is right at home with grilled and roast meats, and smoky charred veggies.
Western Warrior
The second beer pouring will be our small-batch, micro-brewed, all-natural lager (4.2% ABV), Western Warrior. This lager has a clean, crisp light taste with a relatively low alcohol content. Absolutely perfect for sipping any time of the year. Pairs very well with grilled pork and chicken as well as smoked meats.
TKO IPA
Our final beer being poured at Night & Day is TKO, our old school style IPA. Packing a punch at 5% ABV, this copper-coloured beer has refreshing flavours of hop resin and citrus zest. A crisp clean bitterness and a lively carbonation leave you primed for the next sip. A perfect accompaniment to smoked and spicy foods, it pairs exceptionally well with spicy salumi and charcuterie, hearty curries and spice rubbed BBQ.
Black Donkey Beer - Refreshingly Rare!
We have been brewing without boundaries since 2014 in Ballinlough, Co. Roscommon. Our beers are never filtered, never pasteurised and always independent.
If you enjoy our beers and want to get your hands on more of them, try our stockist link for where to get our beer in your county.
Alternatively you can order direct from the brewery via our webshop.
Handmade, real Irish Beer from Roscommon!
#BlackDonkeyBeer
