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15th Sep 2023

5 Halloween activities to check out in Ireland over spooky season

Katy Thornton

It’s almost that time of year to let your freak truly fly.

We’re halfway through September, which means Halloween is only six weeks away, and it’s time to get your ducks in a row, or your pumpkin stacked, and make a list of spooky activities you want to do during this frankly elite time of year.

As the originators of the holiday (Halloween comes from the Irish festival Samhain for anyone who doesn’t know) we tend to lean into the festivities, so there will be no shortage of activities to get up to – in fact, we’ve compiled five ways of embracing Halloween during spooky season.

The Nightmare Realm

Location: Dublin 

Nothing will get you in the Halloween spirit quite like a visit to the Nightmare Realm.

The ultimate Halloween event is running at City Market on Mary’s Lane this year, promising five brand-new and terrifically terrifying mazes that are sure to spook even the bravest of visitors. As you explore Dublin’s biggest indoor scream park, you can expect to meet some creepy clowns, ghastly ghouls and loads more terror-inducing monsters and characters.

The immersive experience will present in the form of an expanded Victorian-themed Halloween Town, a festival village where Halloween is celebrated every day. You can expect street theatre, stage dancers, circus performers, interactive shops, a food court with werewolf burgers, black ice cream and more.

Púca Festival

Location: Meath

Running from Friday 27th until Tuesday 31st October, Púca Festival celebrates Ireland’s ancient Halloween traditions of music, folklore and food through a series of spooky events taking place across the Boyne Valley.

When light turns to dark and the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead thins, the creatures of Samhain, Ireland’s ancient Halloween tradition, come to life, and trust us, you don’t want to miss them.

Naturally given its name, the shape-shifting Púca will be roaming the darkness, changing the fortunes of all who cross her path as she transforms the night into a colourful playground of hallowed celebration.

Interested? Tickets are already on sale HERE.

Farmaphobia

Location: Meath

Fair warning, this one isn’t for faint-hearted. It’s that time of year when Causey Farm in Co. Meath gets a spooky makeover for Farmaphobia, Ireland’s biggest halloween event.

This year’s terrifying experience includes five new haunts, each with their own creepy theme and terrifying characters. Test your bravery on a visit to Clown Town, fight for your life on Purge Night and escape from the living dead in the Zombie Morgue. Just remember that some sections of Farmaphobia take place outdoors, so be sure to dress for cold and rainy weather.

Tickets officially go on sale from September 15th – be sure to nab yours HERE.

 

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Pumpkin Patches

One of the more exciting things about spooky season is the emergence of pumpkin patches, and this year there are tons of them to check out all over Ireland.

For those still holding onto summer for dear life, while it’s understandable given the very limited sunny days we got this year, these kinds of pumpkin patches sell out at lightning speed every year, and if you don’t nab tickets when you see them on sale, you seriously risk missing out.

With the weather the way it has been lately, may as well embrace autumn and spooky season; we’re sure one of these pumpkin patches is within driving distance of you.

Check out our full article HERE.

Visit one of Ireland’s Gaols

Multiple locations

Looking for a slightly educational scare this Halloween? If haunted houses aren’t really your thing, then why not stop by one of these gaols, all rich with history and real life stories. And I don’t want to alarm you, but there’s no way they aren’t haunted too.

Just remember to be respectful when visiting these gaols and prisons. You can check out our list HERE.

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