a time when the ancient festival of Samhain was celebrated in the heart of Ireland's Ancient East to mark the beginning of winter.

At this moment of transition the Celts believed there was an interaction between the worlds of the living and the dead and that spirits could move between them. Fearing that all manner of beings might pull them into the otherworld before their time, the Celts would disguise themselves in costumes to confuse and scare off the roaming ghosts, fairies, hobgoblins and demons.

The modern practice of dressing up at Halloween is firmly rooted in these old pre-Christian Celtic customs, as is the tradition of lighting bonfires, which began on hilltops in Ireland with clans and communities gathering to light huge ceremonial Samhain fires.

It’s no surprise then that Ireland has become the place to be at Halloween with stunning festivals and events happening up and down the island. The Púca Festival, a twenty-first-century Samhain celebration, is held in County Meath. Púca events normally include an impressive re-enactment of the symbolic lighting of the Samhain fire, live music and performance, amazing light installations and more. This year, however, the celebrations will be virtual, with a broadcast of the lighting of the Samhain fires due to take place on 31 October.

The City of Derry in Northern Ireland is often voted among the top places in the world to spend Halloween. The whole city stops what it’s doing and gets all dressed up to pull off what can only be described as a Halloween carnival for the ages. Derry will keep the spirit of Halloween alive in 2020 with a spectacular array of featured events https://derryhalloween.com/highlights

So when you light up your Jack-o-lanterns (which also originated in Ireland as turnips) and head out ‘trick or treating’, (yes, you guessed it, started in Ireland when children and the poor would go door to door to offer prayers for the dead in return for food) you will know now that Halloween is part of our DNA and hopefully you will be able to join us to celebrate in Ireland in the not too distant future.

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our world and the next came down, and the spirits of all who had died since the last Oíche Shamhna (Night of Samhain) moved on to the next life.

Samhain was the last great gathering before winter when clans came from all over Ireland to celebrate, trade and connect. It was a time for fires, feasting, remembering what had passed, a time of reckoning, rebirth and preparing for the New Year ahead. The harvest was in, the animals were in shelter and there was an abundance of nuts and berries. But alongside that feeling of plenty, was an awareness that winter was coming, that food would be scarce and that sacrifices would need to be made.

One of the main spiritual centres of the ancient Celts was located on top of the Hill of Tlachtga, now called the Hill of Ward, near Athboy, Co. Meath. The druids felt that this world and the otherworld were closest at Tlachtga and it was here, according to legend and archaeological evidence, that the festival of Samhain, or Halloween, was started. The old year’s fires were extinguished, and, after sunset, the ceremonial New Year Samhain fire was lit here. Torches were lit from this sacred fire and carried to seven other hills around the county including Tara and Loughcrew, and then on to light up the whole countryside.

Excerpts published by leading archaeology website Ancient Origins state:

"In an era long passed, all of the fires of Ireland were extinguished at sundown on October 31st and a single blazing bonfire was lit at the epicentre of the annual feast of the dead -Samhain had begun at the Hill of Ward (Tlachtga - near Athboy). The Druidical priests gathered the people together and set places with food offerings for those unseen who had crossed into the land of the dead. For between the nights of October 31st and November 1st, the barriers between the worlds - which closed the doors of perception throughout the year - would fall away and the dimensions would interact freely with one another. At this time, when the harvest faded and the darker time of winter began, the known and the unknown would meet and dance in the flickering light of the celebratory flames...”

Recent archaeological surveys led by Dr. Steve Davis of UCD School of Archaeology, have found evidence to support this claim with signs of ritualistic fire activity and gatherings stretching back to 1100BC, 500 years before the Celts.

With the coming of Christianity the festival was incorporated into the Christian calendar as a time of remembrance for the holy souls, so the Samhain festival of the ancestors retained its relevance. The customs of Samhain that didn't fit into Christianity survived as Halloween. Irish immigrants carried the Halloween tradition to North America in the 19th century.

The original Irish Halloween, a time for feasting, for gathering, for storytelling, as darkness turns to light and shape-shifting spirits roam the night. Púca festival is a three-day festival that will reopen traditions carved by travellers over 2000 years ago.

Festival

This time was also known as Féile na Marbh (the Feast of the Dead). As the veil between worlds thinned, all manner of spirits walked abroad at Samhain, including those of loved ones passed on.

Among those coming forth from the chasm of space and time between summer and winter are the harbingers of Light (Boann), Dark (the Morrigan), Mischief (Fear Dearg), and Change (Púca).

The tradition of wearing of costumes and masks at Samhain developed to deceive these same unfriendly spirits lest they recognised you and called you to the Otherworld before your time. Nervous living folk would attempt to appease the wandering spirit with gifts of fruit and nuts, which may be the origin of the ubiquitous treat or treating.

The interpretation of mythological characters of Celtic folklore such as Púca, Boann, the Morrigan and the Fear Dearg (Red men) lend way for creativity and engagement with Samhain.

Boann

Boann has the head of a white cow -seemingly woven from the willow growing along her banks. Around her neck is a band of hazelnuts. Emanating from her is a gentle, glowing light.

Boann was once a goddess and she holds herself accordingly. Boann symbolises what she became, the river Boyne. She cradled the Salmon of Knowledge until it was time to gift it to a hero named Fionn Mac Chumhaill.

The Morrigan The Morrigan is the goddess of war - she alone can sway the tide of battle. She is the one that can pick a favourite, ride out and fight side by side upon her black steed to defeat her chosen one’s foe. It is also she who declares death. In her form of a crow or raven she will rest upon a wall, roof or garden stone to proclaim its residents’ demise. Those who cross the Morrigan on her wicked hunt are taken into the other world.

Fear Dearg – Maker of Mischief The Fear Dearg busies himself with practical jokes. He and his fellow mischief makers are loutish, boorish, ill-mannered and churlish. Samhain is the night when he puts on a show! He loves fire - because it’s as unpredictable as him, and music that gets more manic as it goes on. When the torches are lit, and the music begins to play – you know the Fear Dearg is on his way!

Púca

Púca, is a shapeshifter, a trickster, a mischievous spirit and at the heart of the festival. Púca is covered in long hair that sways as she does. She can be found to have multiple heads and limbs as well as horns and claws. She can be tall, she can be little. She's a shape changer after all! You never know what shape the PÚCA might take - so when a collection of over-sized, dark haired creatures with golden eyes begin to march towards you assume she could be one of them

Ireland – where Halloween’s Story Began

Evidence gathered from archaeology digs, legends, myths and fables (Samhain), spirits, Celtic history have all been examined so that one story about the authentic origins of Halloween in Ireland can be told.

The Puca Festival Hub of Athboy is an important focal point of Halloween tradition. Old manuscripts tell us that a hill outside the town, Tlachtga or The Hill of Ward, was a site of great Samhain gathering.

Lying 12 miles, as the crow flies, from Tara, it was at Tlachtga that the druids lit a fire from which all the fires in Ireland were rekindled. The king, watching anxiously from Tara was reassured when the sat the new lit fires blazing on the western horizon. All would be well for another year – the forces of Winter and death were conquered

Recent archaeological excavations at Tlachtga suggest this ancient hill was indeed used for feasting and ceremonies, and to this day the Boyne Valley has remains as one of the epicentres of Halloween.

The Hill of Ward is one of several sites in Ireland especially linked to Samhain. Each Samhain a host of otherworldly beings was said to emerge from Oweynagat ("cave of the cats"), at Rathcroghan in County Roscommon and many of Samhain’s stories originate in Munster, the south west province of Ireland.

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Origin Story - Samhain Festival:

Samhain marks the turning point in the calendar which marks the end of the season of light – harvest – and the beginning of the dark half of the year. This moment of transition is believed to allow a brief interaction between the otherworld and this world.

First day of winter, traditionally kept on 1st November to align with the Feast of All Saints day in the Christian calendar.

The vigil of the feast is Halloween, the night when charms and incantations are at their most powerful, when people looked into the future and when feasting and merriment were ordained.

Traditionally this was a day of abstinence when no flesh meat was to be consumed.

Halloween originates in the ancient Irish and Celtic tradition of Samhain which is the old Irish for ‘summer’s end’. Samhain marks the end of the old Celtic Year and the beginning of the New Year. The Celts believed that this was a time of transition, when the veil between our world and the next came down, and the spirits of all who had died since the last Oíche Shamhna (Night of Samhain) moved on to the next life.

Samhain was the last great gathering before winter when clans came from all over Ireland to celebrate, trade and connect. It was a time for fires, feasting, remembering what had passed, a time of reckoning, rebirth and preparing for the New Year ahead.

One of the main spiritual centres of the ancient Celts was located on top of the Hill of Tlachtga, now called the Hill of Ward, near Athboy, Co. Meath. The druids felt that this world and the otherworld were closest at Tlachtga and it was here, according to legend and archaeological evidence, that the festival of Samhain, or Halloween, was started. The old year’s fires were extinguished, and, after sunset, the ceremonial New Year Samhain fire was lit here. Torches were lit from this sacred fire and carried to seven other hills around the county including Tara and Loughcrew, and then on to light up the whole countryside.

Excerpts published by leading archaeology website Ancient Origins state:

"In an era long passed, all of the fires of Ireland were extinguished at sundown on October 31st and a single blazing bonfire was lit at the epicentre of the annual feast of the dead -Samhain had begun at the Hill of Ward (Tlachtga - near Athboy). The Druidical priests gathered the people together and set places with food offerings for those unseen who had crossed into the land of the dead. For between the nights of October 31st and November 1st, the barriers between the worlds - which closed the doors of perception throughout the year - would fall away and the dimensions would interact freely with one another. At this time, when the harvest faded and the darker time of winter began, the known and the unknown would meet and dance in the flickering light of the celebratory flames...”

Recent archaeological surveys led by Dr. Steve Davis of UCD School of Archaeology, have found evidence to support this claim with signs of ritualistic fire activity and gatherings stretching back to 1100BC, 500 years before the Celts.

Mythology

This time was also known as Féile na Marbh (the Feast of the Dead). As the veil between worlds thinned, all manner of spirits walked abroad at Samhain, including those of loved ones passed on.

Among those coming forth from the chasm of space and time between summer and winter are the harbingers of Light (Boann), Dark (the Morrigan), Mischief (Fear Dearg), and Change (Púca).

The tradition of wearing of costumes and masks at Samhain developed to deceive these same unfriendly spirits lest they recognised you and called you to the Otherworld before your time. Nervous living folk would attempt to appease the wandering spirit with gifts of fruit and nuts, which may be the origin of the ubiquitous treat or treating.

Among the many spectres that haunt the land at Halloween are those who represent the four aspects of Samhain – light, dark, mischief and change.

The heroic figure of Fionn Mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool) and the gentle spirit of the goddess Boann represent the light.

Boann tended a well within which lived the Salmon of Knowledge. When the well flooded it washed Boann away and she became the River Boyne. She cradled the Salmon of Knowledge until it was time to give it to a hero called Fionn Mac Cumhaill.

Fionn ate the Salmon of Knowledge and gained all the wisdom of the world. He was then called upon to kill the evil goblin Aillen, who appeared every Samhain to burn down the great halls of Tara, the seat of the High King. Fionn succeeded and as a reward he was made leader of the High King’s elite warriors.

At Halloween look out for the shadows of Fionn’s two loyal hounds that herald the arrival of his spirit, or a gently glowing figure with the head of a white cow and a body made of reeds that is the presence of the goddess Boann.

The dark aspect of Samhain is Morrigan, goddess of war. She takes the form of a raven and leads an army of misshapen creatures on the hunt for human lives. If you hear flapping nearby, beware!

Mischief and mayhem are let loose by the ill-mannered Fear Dearg, the Red Men. Sharp toothed, squat and dressed in red coat and cap they love to play practical jokes on humans, the more gruesome the better.

The spirits of change are the púca, shape-shifters who can change the fortunes of anyone they meet. Whatever their shape, whether cat or stranger, you can recognise them by their black hair and golden eyes.

One of the best ways to protect yourself from marauding spirits is through disguise and this is a part of Samhain that lives on in the custom of dressing up at Halloween. To appease the spirits, people also went from house to house in costume to sing songs or recite verses in exchange for food for the souls of the dead.

This tradition is embodied in the performances of the Armagh Rhymers, one of the most celebrated traditional music and theatre ensembles on the island of Ireland. The Rhymers are masked with wicker disguises and perform music, storytelling and drama.

Traditional Food for an Irish Halloween

In times past and just as much today, an Irish Halloween is a harvest festival celebrated with a feast for the family.

With the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain falling on the last day of October and start of November, the harvest was in, food was plentiful and a huge feast of seasonal fare played a major part of the celebrations.

Turnips, apples and apple cider, mulled wines, gourds, nuts, beef, pork, poultry, ale – the Samhain recipes concocted from the harvest brought the community together as work halted, feasting started and the Celts ate the fruits of their labour, told stories and tried to predict their fortunes in the future.

Harvest Traditions:

Cattle – They should be brought in or housed in the byres.

Potatoes – They should all be dug up by Halloween.

Oats – They should be stacked by Halloween.

Fruit – Blackberries and apples should never be picked during this time because it is believed that the Púca spat on these fruits the night after Samhain. In the Glens of Antrim the belief is that the devil shook his club and blanket at these fruits.

Leaving Food Out – In north Leinster and parts of Ulster the old tradition of leaving a symbolic meal for the fairies on Halloween is still observed. A plate of champ with a spoon would be set at the foot of the nearest fairy thorn (hawthorn or whitethorn) or at the gate entrance to a field on the night of Halloween and on All Souls’ Night (2nd November). Some consider this a ritual to commemorate the dead whilst others see it as an offering to the fairies or to Púca who might visit their houses. People would also generally sweep and clean their houses so that if the fairies did come in they wouldn’t create any damage, and light a fire so that their deceased ancestors can enjoy a night of merriment and feasting in cosy surrounds.

Oaten Cakes – One old tradition is to make thick oaten cakes with a hole in the centre which a string could be threaded through. Any child who came in to collect apples and nuts (nowadays “trick or treating”) would be given an oaten cake to be tied around their neck.

Traditional Food:

Barm Brack:

Various items can be hidden in this fruit cake to foretell the fortune of those who finds it in their serve:

A ring signifies the finder would soon be married.

A thimble signifies the female finder would be a spinster whilst a button signifies the male finder would forever be a bachelor.

A silver coin signifies the finder would become wealthy.

A rag signifies the finder would stumble into poverty.

A religious medal signifies the finder would live the rest of their life as a priest or a nun.

Colcannon:

A dish of mashed potatoes, chopped kale or green cabbage and onions.

Traditionally cooked in a skillet pot with a large round bottom, three small legs and two ear-like handles at the sides.

Eaten by dipping each spoonful into a well of butter.

Champ:

An Armagh name for another mashed potato dish but with the incorporation of sweet milk and chopped chives or onions.

Eaten in the same way as colcannon, by dipping each spoonful into a well of butter.

Boxty Pancakes:

Grated raw potatoes are squeezed in a cloth to remove excess water and mixed with flour, baking powder, salt, beaten egg and sweet milk (or buttermilk) to make a pancake batter. They are fried in a pan until golden on both sides.

Boxty pancakes are served hot, buttered and sprinkled with caster sugar.

Alternatively, a similar batter could also be used to turn them into scones called farls which are baked on a griddle.

 Fadge (Apple Potato Cake):

Popular in the north-east of Ireland.

This cake batter is made of freshly boiled potatoes, a pinch of salt, melted butter and flour. The mixture is divided into 2 equal portions and rolled into rounds. Layers of sliced apples are then laid on the base round before the top round is placed on top. The fadge is traditionally cooked in a pot-oven on a bed of red-hot turf. When the cake is almost ready, it is sliced around the side, the pastry lid turned back and the apples generously sprinkled with brown sugar and a knob of butter. The fadge is then returned to the oven until the sugar and butter has melted to form a sauce.

A ring was baked into the cake and the superstition is that whoever found it in their slice would be married before year end.

Games & Superstitions:

Apples:

Ducking for apples in a barrel or in a basin of water.

Peeling an apple and letting the peel fall to the ground with the superstition that it would show the initial letter of your future partner’s name.

A girl is to eat an apple in front of a mirror at the approach of midnight whilst combing her hair. She would see her future husband looking over her right shoulder when the clock strikes twelve.

Colcannon:

Those who find a ring hidden in the mixture would soon be married.

Those who find a thimble hidden in the mixture would be a spinster.

The first and last spoonfuls of colcannon are placed into a girl’s stocking and hung from a nail in the door. The superstition is that her future husband would be the first man to enter through the door.

Cabbage:

A blindfolded girl would walk out at night to pull a head of cabbage. The size and shape of the root would indicate the size and shape of her future spouse.

Salt Herring:

A salt herring eaten before bed would guarantee that one’s future spouse would appear in a dream that night offering a cup of water to quench the thirst of the dreamer.

Sources:

www.foodtimeline.org/halloween.html

www.thejournal.ie/history-of-halloween-ireland-3047050-Oct2016/

www.thejournal.ie/readme/food-and-folklore-ireland-halloween-4314547-Oct2018/

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through from the otherworld to tease and torment the Irish people at Halloween.

Their stories originate in ancient Ireland and the Celtic festival of Samhain, the forerunner of all modern Halloween celebrations, when the door between the realms of life and death opened.

Among the many spectres that haunt the land at Halloween are those who represent the four aspects of Samhain – light, dark, mischief and change.

The heroic figure of Fionn Mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool) and the gentle spirit of the goddess Boann represent the light.

Boann tended a well within which lived the Salmon of Knowledge. When the well flooded it washed Boann away and she became the River Boyne. She cradled the Salmon of Knowledge until it was time to give it to a hero called Fionn Mac Cumhaill.

Fionn ate the Salmon of Knowledge and gained all the wisdom of the world. He was then called upon to kill the evil goblin Aillen, who appeared every Samhain to burn down the great halls of Tara, the seat of the High King. Fionn succeeded and as a reward he was made leader of the High King’s elite warriors.

At Halloween look out for the shadows of Fionn’s two loyal hounds that herald the arrival of his spirit, or a gently glowing figure with the head of a white cow and a body made of reeds that is the presence of the goddess Boann.

The dark aspect of Samhain is Morrigan, goddess of war. She takes the form of a raven and leads an army of misshapen creatures on the hunt for human lives. If you hear flapping nearby, beware!

Mischief and mayhem are let loose by the ill-mannered Fear Dearg, the Red Men. Sharp toothed, squat and dressed in red coat and cap they love to play practical jokes on humans, the more gruesome the better.

The spirits of change are the púca, shape-shifters who can change the fortunes of anyone they meet. Whatever their shape, whether cat or stranger, you can recognise them by their black hair and golden eyes.

One of the best ways to protect yourself from marauding spirits is through disguise and this is a part of Samhain that lives on in the custom of dressing up at Halloween. To appease the spirits, people also went from house to house in costume to sing songs or recite verses in exchange for food for the souls of the dead.

This tradition is embodied in the performances of the Armagh Rhymers, one of the most celebrated traditional music and theatre ensembles on the island of Ireland. The Rhymers are masked with wicker disguises and perform music, storytelling and drama.

Samhain is still celebrated today in Ireland’s Ancient East in the Púca Festival. Centred around the Hill of Ward, where Halloween’s story all began, the festival recreates the symbolic lighting of the Samhain fires together with feasting, music and dance.

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Turnips, apples and apple cider, mulled wines, gourds, nuts, beef, pork, poultry, ale – the Samhain recipes concocted from the harvest brought the community together as work halted, feasting started and the Celts ate the fruits of their labour, told stories and tried to predict their fortunes in the future.

Traditionally Irish foods at Halloween contain no meat, as when Samhain eventually merged with the Christian All Hallows Eve, the day before All Saints Day, to create Halloween, it was a day of preparation and fasting. With the food becoming anything vegetarian, Halloween was celebrated with the likes of potato dishes including champ, boxty, fadge – a type of apple cake – as well as fruit, nuts, barmbrack bread and a good colcannon dinner.

Colcannon, simple and uniquely Irish, has become popular all around the world. Made with potatoes mashed and mixed with chopped kale or green cabbage and onions, it is a lovely warming autumnal dish to have on Halloween night before you head out for an evening of fun and mischief.

Irish homes would traditionally be filled with the smell of baking bread over the open fire, and another delicious treat known as barmbrack becomes special in the weeks leading up to Halloween. This dried fruit-studded bread comes from the Irish ‘bairín breac’, which literally means speckled loaf.

While barmbrack is eaten all year round, it is only at Halloween that charms are added to the mix, each having a fortune-telling significance for the year ahead – and as this recipe for barmbrack shows, the fruits can be soaked in whiskey, tea, or both, which gives an added richness to the flavour.

Everyone in the family gets a slice of the bread, but you have to be careful when chewing and about what you find. A ring signifies the discovery of true love and marrying, a thimble means you will never marry, a rag predicts poverty while a finding a coin foretells that you will be rich.

Apples have always been associated with Halloween, though in Ireland they should never be picked during this time because it was believed the púca (fairy shapeshifters) spat on them the night after Samhain.

In modern Ireland this traditional foodstuff may take the form of apple monsters, creepy apple bites and apple pies with ghost-white cream to fit with an endless array of children’s treats that can involve anything from black widow spider biscuits, cranberry flavoured vampire juice and extra-devilled eggs.

In old Ireland, after a supper of colcannon the young people used the apple just as well, allowing its peel to fall on the ground in the belief that it would show the initial letter of a sweetheart’s name, or ducking for apples in a barrel or basin of water – as still happens today.

Another favourite Halloween pastime for courting couples was to sit around the fire telling stories and roasting nuts. In Ireland, the old ways are the best.

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The three most common items found in a barmbrack are a ring (meaning an impending wedding), a coin (symbolising wealth) and a piece of cloth (predicting a period of poverty or bad luck).

In some parts of Ireland, bracks are packed with even more unusual objects. You may find: a stick/matchstick (an unhappy relationship or major argument), a thimble (a period of independence/singlehood) and a button (bachelorhood).

Years ago, religious medals could also be found in bracks, predicting a life in the Holy Orders.

For those of you unfamiliar with barmbrack, this recipe is a winner.

Ingredients & Recipe

For the fruit mix:

• 350g (1½ cups) sultanas

• 50ml (¼ cup) Bushmills whiskey

• Warm tea (enough to cover the sultanas)

• 1 lemon, juice and zested skin

For the dough:

• 450g (2 cups) strong bread flour

• A pinch of salt

• 15g (1tbsp) dried yeast

• 280ml (9.5fl oz) milk, at room temperature

• 50g (3½tbsp) butter, softened

• 50g (3½tbsp) sugar

• 1 egg, beaten

For the topping:

• 1tbsp butter

• 1tsp ground cinnamon

• ½tsp ground mixed spice

Tasty barmbrack © Shutterstock

Method:

1. Soak the sultanas in the whiskey, warm tea and lemon juice for 30-45 minutes, then drain off the liquid.

2. To make the dough: put all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and bring together with a wooden spoon.

3. Knead on a floured surface with your hands for 5 minutes.

4. Put the dough in a bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave for about 1 hour, until the mixture has risen and fills the bowl.

5. Knead dough again on a floured surface, adding soaked fruit until evenly spread throughout.

6. Place in a 20-23cm buttered cake tin and cover with a damp tea towel.

7. Leave in a warm place for about 20 minutes until the mixture rises up to the top of the tin.

8. Bake for 50 minutes in oven preheated to 200C.

9. For the topping: cream the butter and spices together until soft.

10. Remove the barmbrack from the oven. Immediately spread spiced butter on top. Leave to cool.

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the supernatural who are keen to glimpse a ghost or feel the chill of a spirit’s breath.

Loftus Hall in County Wexford in Ireland’s Ancient East, is said to be the most haunted building in Ireland, the place where the Devil himself came calling in disguise. If you want to see what happens in Loftus Hall after dark you can view a live stream from six rooms every night. And on 10 October there will be a special live streaming event of a Halloween paranormal lockdown, when an experienced team of paranormal investigators will try to make contact with the spirits.

Built by the Shaw family in 1625, historic Ballygally Castle, located on the spectacular Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland, is famous for the ghost that resides in its haunted tower. Lady Isobel Shaw was locked in the tower by her husband because she did not produce a male heir and, rather than starve, leapt to her death.

Today the castle is a luxury hotel and many guests claim to have seen her ghost and felt the presence of other spirits. Tales of witchcraft, revenge, demonic rituals and betrayal abound in the beautiful medieval city of Kilkenny, which was named one of most haunted places in Europe by a travel magazine. At least two of its buildings are said to be haunted by the same ghost, the spirit of Alice Kyteler, who was accused of being a witch but fled the city, leaving her maid to be burned at the stake in her place.

Alice’s ghost, or some believe that of her maid, is often glimpsed in Kyteler's Inn, Kilkenny’s oldest inn which was established by Alice around 1323. Her ghost also frequents St Canice's Cathedral.

On Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, the echoes of those imprisoned by the sixteenth-century pirate queen Grace O’ Malley can The stunning stately home is built upon the foundations of one of O’ Malley’s castles and offers self-guided tours.

Imposing Dublin Castle claims no ghosts but has strong links to one of the masters of the macabre, Bram Stoker, author of Dracula. Born at the height of the Great Famine, Stoker worked in Dublin Castle and is said to have been inspired to write Dracula by the tales of the undead that his mother told him and references to Ireland’s starving people as the walking dead.

Every Halloween Dublin stages the Bram Stoker Festival, a vampire-themed horrorfest in his honour which this year will feature a series of both live and online events.

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battlements, saw some flowers growing on the rocks below. She expressed a wish to have them and a sentry posted nearby volunteered to climb down to get the flowers, providing that Sir Trevor took his place during his absence.  The latter agreed and took the soldiers coat and a musket while the sentry went in search of a rope.

The task took longer than expected and after some time Sir Trevor fell asleep.  Meanwhile the Governor doing his rounds of the sentries came to the post where Sir Trevor was asleep.  Receiving no answer to his challenge, he drew his pistol and shot the sentry dead.  The body was carried down to the parade ground and it was only then that the Governor realised what had happened.  The bride appears to have gone indoors before the tragedy occurred, but when she learned of the fate of her husband, she rushed from the house in distraction and flung herself over the battlements.  Since that time she is reported to have made many appearances on the battlements and because she is wearing her wedding dress she has become known as the ‘The Lady in White’.

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from his nose and ears. He asked to join in the hunt and Tom, who was a hospitable man, agreed. After the hunt, they all returned to Castletown for a post hunt dinner. They enjoyed seven courses, all prepared in the Kitchen wing and carried through the sweeping colonnade to the Dining Room. After dinner, they set to playing a game of cards. During the game, Tom got a feeling that something wasn’t quite right. The stranger was winning every hand. Tom was convinced the stranger was hiding cards under the table and bent down to check. When he looked under the table, he saw that the stranger had kicked off his boots and revealed the cloven hoofs of the devil! Tom jumped up from his seat, pointed at the man and roared ‘You’re the devil! You are not welcome here. Leave immediately!’

The devil just smiled, he sat back in his chair and said ‘I’m quite happy here. There is good food, good wine and I have no intention of leaving.’ Tom shouted to a servant girl who stood quivering in to go. In a rage, the priest raised the bible in his right hand and threw it at the devil’s head. It bounced off his head and hit the mirror behind him. The crack in the mirror remains to this day. The devil decided he would leave, and he disappeared up the chimney in a puff of smoke, cracking the hearthstone as he went and despite numerous repairs over the years, the crack keeps re appearing in the same place!

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areas of the island being the 'Punishment block', built in 1858 to house Ireland's worst offenders who were chained to the wall in windowless, furniture-less cells.  And the abandoned jail, sitting untouched since it was evacuated in the 1980's, prisoners used to complain of a 'black entity' haunting their nights.  Since its reopening to the public in 2016 hundreds of visitors have reported strange incidents, with several extraordinary unexplained images.  The 'Gaunt gunner' haunted the soldiers in the early fort, with one even shooting at the approaching spectre.

The Children's Prison - This tragic prison block held over 100 child prisoners on Spike Island, boys as young as 11 who in the eyes of the Victorian’s were as culpable as men.  Giant chains hung from the wall supporting hammocks and boys would scramble up into their bunk at night, after a day of hard labour on the island.

After Dark cells - The 'After Dark' tours on Spike Island allow visitors to see areas not open to day tours, including the chilling abandoned jail.  It has held prisoners across 4 centuries and was the site of grisly murders.  Today it is the areas where most ghostly sighting take place with 3 separate photographs showing unidentified sightings.

The Lousie Bunyan photo - This incredible image was taken by Spike Island visitor Louse Bunyan in the empty abandoned jail in 2018.  She took the image on her way out and her facial recognition triggered, despite it being an empty hall.  When she zoomed in she could see the clear outline of a man seemingly carrying something, and using lighting settings on the iphone reveals the image in more detail.

After Dark web 2 - Visitors to Spike Island After Dark can enjoy a nighttime sail across Cork harbour seeing the beautiful town of Cobh all lit up.  Cork harbour features in the After Dark tours as the scene of the 'ship of 7 murders' in 1828, when the Captain of the Mary Russel went mad, tied up his entire crew and murdered them one by one in front of one another!

The Shea Wolfe Photo - Black Entity 2016 - This image was taken by Shea Wolfe on a visit to Spike island in 2016 in an empty cell of the abandoned jail.  Not noticing anything initially when he headed to the islands cafe this shape had appeared. Prisoners in this notorious cell block often spoke of being visited by a 'black entity', a dark presence that haunted their nights.

For after dark pull up - This area of Spike Island is known as the 'dark cells', where prisoners judged to be unruly were taken by prison officers in the 1850's prison.  They were kept in freezing stone cells with no windows, existing in total darkness.  They were chained to the wall by their neck and wrists, sleeping on a pile of straw on the floor as there was no furniture.  It was considered 'Ireland's hell' by those that survived but many did not, with madness common.

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Derry Halloween is now an unmissable, bucket list event, with people from around the world – not to mention the otherworld – flocking there to enjoy a spectacular festival fusing ancient myth and cutting-edge culture.

The festival is famed for turning Derry~Londonderry into a ‘City of Bones’ and shining a spooky spotlight on the city walls and all it has to offer in terms of culture, art and imagination. Stay in touch and check out our social media channels to enjoy the different, but nonetheless special event in 2020.  www.derryhalloween.com

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In a year when the stakes have been raised in unexpected ways, the program for the 2020 celebration of all things Stoker will obviously be curtailed by Covid regulations but that doesn’t stop us focusing on Dublin’s unique link to the author, the supernatural and Irish Halloween traditions.  www.bramstokerfestival.com

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Hill of Ward, the festival lit up the darkness with fire, folklore, music, myth, light installations, and great food and drink.

This year, celebrations will be limited but look out for a celebration of the story of Halloween’s origins in Irish and Celtic traditions told through the Púca social media channels. www.pucafestival.com

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