My Life with Kate Duggan: I started a wellness festival on my family's estate

Kate Duggan reflects on family, loss and the passion behind bringing Elevate Fit Fest to her father’s restored Tipperary estate

Kate Duggan, founder of Elevate Fit Fest promoting the event which takes place on Saturday, September 5 and Sunday, September 6, 2026

I can still pinpoint the exact moment I told dad about my idea to start a wellness festival on the family’s estate in Tipperary.

He was seeing a lot of consultants at the time which meant he was on a strict diet. Every meal consisted of organic and mainly raw food. We were sitting in a cafe in Limerick and our order was proving very complicated. Food was going to be one of the main offerings at Elevate Fit Fest, as well as different elements of movement from yoga to pilates. Dad loved the idea of being able to share Shanbally House with the public, given all the love he had poured into the place since purchasing it in 2013.

Sadly, the building had fallen into disrepair following years of neglect. What he bought in 2013 was essentially a shell that took 10 years to bring back from the brink. Shanbally House was very close to his heart. He had worked there in his teenage years so it always held some kind of mystique or magic for him. The project wasn’t backed by any outside funding or investors. Instead, it came down to 10 years of graft and dedication. What might have been completed in 12 months ended up taking 12 years but dad finally restored the place back to its former glory. He worked hand in hand with a Georgian interior designer to ensure the paint colours and curtains matched that original period. Each piece of furniture was sourced from an auction. It was as much a passion project for my father as it was a business.

Ever since that time, we have been growing medicinal herbs as well as oats on a commercial scale for Flavins. We also grow organic vegetables for organic supply.

Dad was particularly excited about the wellness festival, but became very sick during the planning phase. I know everybody looks at death in different ways. Part of me feels like — even though he was too sick to come and see it — he held on to make sure everything went okay. Being in business himself, he realised how logistically challenging this would be. I think he was glad to learn that everything went according to plan. He passed away just three weeks after the first event.

We are now coming up to the third anniversary of his death. Seeing how beautiful Shanbally House looks now can be bittersweet. I would have loved for dad to see the ways in which everything has developed and grown and how all the flowers and plants have flourished.

There hasn’t been an event of this kind in Munster, never mind Tipperary, so I’m really proud.

One of the more unique offerings we have is a floating sound bath on the lake where you are fully immersed and literally floating away on an inflatable bed while taking in the experience.

Ever since I was young, I have had an interest in health and fitness. Whether it’s running up a mountain, cycling, or trying out different gyms or classes, keeping active has always been my passion.

There are so many different forms of movement and fitness on offer at the festival. That could be boxing, yoga, or even dancing. As well as maintaining health, this can also be a great way to meet people and feel good about yourself.

My hope with Elevate Fit Fest is that people can come away feeling a bit healthier and happier.

My mum plays a huge part in Shanbally. You might say she is the brains behind the food element of the business while I’m on the operation side of things. We get on really well together and I’m lucky to be able to spend so much time with her.

Don’t get me wrong, we absolutely do have our moments sometimes, but the experience has been more positive than negative.

Organising a festival is not always easy. Even when it looks like everything is so well aligned there is usually chaos behind the scenes. That chaos could take the form of anything from a power cut to a vendor pulling out. The important thing is to keep a cool head because things always work out.

The health and wellness industry is a really cool space to work in. I’m not doing brain surgery, but it’s nice to know that you can have an impact in some small way.

You get to meet a lot of nice people whose common objective is to make people better. That in itself is pretty magnificent.

• This year’s Elevate Fit Fest takes place on Saturday, September 5, and Sunday, September 6, 2026. The festival will comprise of activities from boxing to yoga, sound baths and cookery demos among other highlights. elevatefitfest.ie