HALLOWEEN IS A time to celebrate the many Irish traditions, tales and places that have shaped and inspired the modern holiday.

Across Ireland, villages and towns celebrate this ancient connection to the season in their own way, with their own folklore, food and music.

This year, there are seven Home of Halloween hubs across Ireland where events, performances and festivals will take place in honour of Ireland’s myths, legends and ghosts. Processions of fire and shadow will walk the streets, and fire will illuminate the night.

Read on to find out more about Halloween events that are happening near you this Samhain. 

Galway City

The City of the Tribes is a prime destination to shroud yourself in the spirit of Halloween. Known for its vibrant and creative atmosphere, the streets of Galway City will fill with 80,000 people for this year’s Macnas Halloween Parade.

The parade has become a staple of Halloween in the west of Ireland, with fire, floats and performers that will take your breath away. Events are taking place in the city throughout the month, including celebrations of music, food and history. You can find out more by visiting DiscoverIreland.ie

Longford & Westmeath 

Located in the very heart of Ireland, the Halloween tradition is strong in Longford & Westmeath. Longford Town’s Fire and Shadow Procession is a celebration of Morrígan, the Celtic goddess of war and fate. A range of events will also take place throughout the town as part of the Dead of Night Festival. 

In Westmeath, delve deeper into Ireland’s ancient past by celebrating Samhain at the meeting point of Ireland’s five provinces, the Hill of Uisneach, where Samhain in the Heartlands — an incredible two-day event of storytelling, ritual, music and fire — is taking place.

Limerick

Limerick’s Halloween celebrations this year are set to be the most spectacular yet, with the Limerick Harvest Festival and Pumpkin Patch taking over the city’s iconic Milk Market to provide a vibrant, family-friendly festival for all.

Events will take place across the city, including Lumen Street Theatre’s Fire and Shadows Parade; a procession of incredibly crafted, illuminated spectres, led by the bones of Patrick Sarsfield riding the skeleton of his horse.

Fingal

The Fingal Festival of Fire is at the centre of Halloween in Dublin this year, with dancing and fireworks at three key locations: Bremore Castle in Balbriggan, Swords Castle in Swords, and Millennium Park in Blanchardstown. 

Elsewhere, a nighttime trip to Newbridge House will see you encounter Pumpkins After Dark, an illuminated row of pumpkins about a kilometre long. To see what else is going on in Fingal this Halloween, visit DiscoverIreland.ie

Kilkenny

Samhain was originally a time of harvest, and what better way to celebrate that tradition than by walking through the grounds of Kilkenny Castle and enjoying Savour Kilkenny, a food festival that boasts over 100 stalls. 

The Toil and Trouble Festival, however, takes us back 700 years in time to an era where women in the Home of Halloween were tried and burned for being witches. This dark and harrowing time in Ireland’s past is remembered in this festival, which explores the tragic fate of Petronella de Meath, the first person in Ireland to be executed for witchcraft.

Meath & Louth

The Púca Halloween Festival has become an unmissable event for anyone nearby, and this year’s performances include tribute acts to such popular Irish artists as Phil Lynnot and Luke Kelly. From fire performances to circus acts, the Púca Halloween Festival truly takes you to an otherworldly place, with events including the Púca Procession and the light of the Samhain Fire.

Throughout the two counties, there are pumpkin patches to visit, historic trails to walk and, of course, After Dark at Emerald Park. To learn more about what’s going on in Meath & Louth this Halloween, visit DiscoverIreland.ie

Kerry

It is no mystery why Kerry is such a popular destination, with its natural beauty and wild coastlines. At Halloween time, its towns are even more alive. Samhain Chiarraí – A Kerry Halloween will take place in Tralee, Killarney and Listowel, with processions and street spectacles throughout the town for the last week of October. 

Elsewhere in Killorglin, An Féile Eile takes place. A festival wherein folklore, fire, and festivities illuminate the dark, and visitors will get a deeper understanding of Ireland’s ancient connection with Halloween.

Come revel in the mischief, and experience Halloween the way it was meant to be. Start planning at DiscoverIreland.ie