Are you a Halloween enthusiast? Or are you just a thrill seeker wanting to make the most of the frights and fun on offer this time of year? As the birthplace of Halloween itself, Ireland plays host to a spread of events to help you celebrate the spooky season, from festivals and horror mazes to historic tours.
Throw yourself into the festivities and get your blood pumping with these exciting events happening for adults across the country for Halloween.
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1Púca FestivalSpread across four days and nights, the Púca Festival transforms Trim and Athboy into a hive of Halloween activity celebrating Samhain and the Celtic new year. This year’s attractions include live performances from Bell X1, Gavin James and Kingfishr, a mischievous night with the Samhain Circus, and a comedic drag performance by Panti Bliss. Walking tours, meditation sessions and more will bring Irish mythology to life and round off what will be a packed festival.
Best for: Adults, with some family events. Mixture of free and ticketed events.
Various venues, Athboy and Trim, Co Meath. October 31 – November 3.
Enjoy a performance by the Samhain Circus.
2 Samhain ProcessionsIreland’s reputation as the home of Halloween lies in Samhain, the ancient Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest and ushering in winter. This year, you can embrace the darkness with a bit of light at Samhain Fire and Shadows Processions taking place across the country over the October Bank Holiday weekend.
Ireland’s oldest city will see the first event on October 25 – the Samhain Shadows and Fire Procession in Waterford is inspired by An Dearg Dua, a mythical vampire from Waterford’s Iron Age. The next will wind through Limerick on October 26 as part of the wider Samhain: Limerick’s Hallowe’en Festival and invoke the spirits of the Shannon. Close out the weekend with the final procession at the Dead of Night Halloween Festival in Longford on October 28, with a fiery finale in Connolly Barracks.
Best for: Adults and families. Free.
Waterford, Limerick and Longford. October 25 – October 28.
Embrace the spirit of Samhain at the Fire and Shadow Processions.
3 The Dragon of Shandon Samhain ParadeOn Halloween night, Cork City comes alive with creatures from the underworld for the Dragon of Shandon Samhain Parade. You can join the thousands of people who walk with the dragon (a massive construction made entirely of tape and guided by puppeteers) as she travels between worlds in a celebration of the living and the dead. This parade honours the creative partnership between the artists of Cork as much as it does Samhain and culminates on Coal Quay with a variety of lively performances.
Best for: Adults and families. Free event.
Shandon, Cork. October 31.
Join in with the Dragon of Shandon Samhain Parade in Cork.
4 Bram Stoker FestivalThis October Bank Holiday, Dublin City is celebrating its gothic roots with its annual Bram Stoker Festival. Learn about the life and legacy of Irish writer Bram Stoker, the wonderfully twisted mind behind the novel Dracula, and float between interactive fire shows and tours of Dublin’s eery prisons. And for the horror film aficionados out there, the Irish Film Institute is collaborating with Slaughterhouse Film Club to create the perfect horror movie marathon to make you jump out of your seat.
Best for: Adults and families. Mixture of free and paid events.
Various venues, Dublin city. October 25 – 28.
Discover Dublin’s gothic side at the Bram Stoker Festival.
5 The Nightmare Realm Urban HorrorDubbed Ireland’s biggest indoor ‘scream park’, the Nightmare Realm is back for 2024 in Mary’s Lane in Dublin. Test your limits and explore The House of Little Red and The Meat Market, or speed through them as fast as you can and reward yourself with a stop at the food court and the ‘Last Gas Station on the Left.’ There’s plenty to see, and more than enough terror to tide you over until the realm returns next year.
Best for: Adults and teens. Tickets from €24.
City Market, Mary’s Lane, Dublin. October 4 – November 1.
6 FarmaphobiaFarmaphobia is not for the fainthearted. Built around a two-hour, pitch-dark trek through Bobo’s Lost Carnival, the Zombie Morgue and Cornered, this experience at Causey Farm in County Meath is designed to terrify. Sessions are ticketed and advance booking is required. Bring your wellies, a coat and your best screaming voice.
Best for: Adults and teens with supervision. Tickets from €29.
Causey Farm, Fordstown, Co Meath. October 4 – November 2.
Face your fears at Farmaphobia.
7 Wicklow Gaol ToursFor one night only, walk through the ‘Gates of Hell’ on a nighttime tour of the historic dungeon at Wicklow Gaol. The immersive experience, bolstered by elements of virtual reality, will guide you through the gaol’s grisly history of corruption, rebellion and darkness. You’ll hear stories of the gaol’s most infamous prisoners – and you might see why it’s dubbed one of the most haunted places in Ireland.
If you’re scared of the dark, they also offer daytime tours on a daily basis.
Best for: Adults and teens. Tickets from €12.50.
Wicklow Gaol, Kilmantin Hill, Co Wicklow. October 27.
Explore the secrets of Wicklow Gaol on a tour.
8 Dark History Tour of Waterford TreasuresDelve into the dark history of Ireland’s oldest city on a special Halloween edition of the Waterford Treasures Dark History Tour. Museum curators will guide you from the Viking Triangle to Ballybricken Square on a 90-minute tour explaining the bloody past of the city – and the ghost stories that still haunt Waterford’s streets.
Best for: Adults and teens 16 and up. Tickets from €15.
Waterford Treasures: Medieval Museum, Co Waterford. October 25-30.
Dive into the dark history of Waterford.
9 After Dark at the Irish Wake MuseumFeeling morbid? Ponder life and death on an After Dark Tour of the Irish Wake Museum. Learn about the traditions and superstitions surrounding death dating back to early Christian times while examining the creepy artefacts of the unique Waterford museum.
Best for: Adults and teens 14 and up. Tickets from €11.
Waterford Treasures: Irish Wake Museum, Co Waterford. October 30 – November 3.
Get morbid at the Irish Wake Museum.
10 Scare FactoryGet the fright of your life at one of Limerick’s most popular Halloween attractions, the Scare Factory. You’ll get a spooky sense of Limerick history in the Victorian redbrick where the ‘factory’ is housed, and where evil clowns, mutant creatures and zombies await.
Best for: Adults and teens with supervision. Tickets from €20.
53 O’Connell Street, Limerick. October 17-31.
11 Gravedigger GhostbusThis two-hour-long tour of Dublin’s scariest sites on the Gravedigger Ghostbus carves a route through 600 years of spooky history, colourfully illustrated by the Gravedigger actors. Passing Dublin Castle, Christ Church Cathedral, Cork Hill and other Dublin landmarks with fascinating secrets and tales, the ghost bus will bring you to your final destination at the iconic Gravediggers Pub.
Best for: Adults and teens with supervision. Tickets from €29.
Experience terror on-the-go with the Gravedigger Ghostbus.
12 Spike Island After DarkWhile you can tour Cork Harbour’s Spike Island during the day, the ‘After Dark’ Night Tours showcase the former prison’s darkest history. Learn about the horror of solitary confinement, the hidden mass graves that litter the island and more gruesome details about what was once the largest prison in the world.
Ireland is renowned for its breathtaking landscapes, rich history, and welcoming people. From rolling green hills to rugged...
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