Samhain began here. The festivals built around it now run for most of the last fortnight of October.
Ireland’s claim on Halloween is not marketing. Samhain, the Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest and the start of winter, was observed here more than two thousand years ago, and Irish emigrants carried its customs to North America in the 19th century. The modern festivals built around it are now among the largest events in the autumn calendar.
Derry Halloween, 28 to 31 October
Europe’s largest Halloween festival marks its 40th anniversary this year. It takes place inside Derry’s 400-year-old city walls, with the Awakening the Walled City Trail running in the days before and the carnival parade and fireworks on the night of 31 October. The organisers have promised a bigger programme for the anniversary. Accommodation in the city sells out well in advance, and Derry is reachable from Dublin by bus in about four hours.
Púca Festival, 29 October to 1 November
Púca is staged in Trim and Athboy in County Meath, close to the Hill of Ward, which tradition identifies as the site of the original Samhain fires. The four-day programme combines music, folklore, food and fire, with a national launch event and ticketed and free elements. It is the festival that most directly claims the Samhain origin story, and it is within an hour of Dublin.
Bram Stoker Festival, 23 to 26 October
Dublin’s festival in honour of the Dracula author is in its 12th year and runs across the October bank holiday weekend. The programme has historically mixed literary events, late-night performances and family activities across the city, with several free outdoor elements.
Elsewhere
Spleodar Halloween Arts Festival runs in Tipperary from 27 to 31 October. Oireachtas na Samhna, the national Irish-language cultural festival, is from 28 October to 1 November. Westival in Westport runs from 28 October to 1 November with music and arts, and has confirmed its first acts.
Practical notes
The October bank holiday is Monday 26 October, so the Bram Stoker Festival falls on a long weekend while Derry and Púca land on the following midweek and the Halloween weekend itself. The clocks go back on Sunday 25 October, which means darker evenings for the later festivals and an extra hour for the earlier ones. Book accommodation for Derry now if you have not already.
