Forget Trick or Treating: This Year's Halloween Hero is... Hurling?

Right, hands up if you're already dreading the Halloween sugar crash, the zombie makeup that somehow ends up on the good couch, and the neighbourly pressure to carve pumpkins that look less "Pinterest perfect" and more "crime scene gone wrong."

What if I told you there's a way to do Halloween that involves zero fake blood, gives the kids a proper Irish history lesson (without them even realising), and lets them run around Croke Park like they own the place?

Welcome to Hurloween at Croke Park – and honestly, it's brilliant.

Why Your GAA-Mad Kids Will Lose It
Picture this: Your child walking through the actual Croke Park dressing rooms. Not looking through a window at them. Actually IN them, where the legends get ready on match day. Then they're pitchside on the hallowed turf, learning how ancient Irish warriors like Setanta used hurling skills to literally fight off massive hounds.

No, really. The whole story of Cú Chulainn – the original Irish superhero who got his name by slaying a guard dog with a sliotar – is woven throughout the tour. It's mythology meets sport meets "Mam, did this REALLY happen?" (Answer: Maybe, but doesn't it make a deadly story?)

The Warriors and Hurlers Workshop is where things get properly interactive. Your kids aren't just hearing about Setanta; they're learning the actual skills, understanding why hurling is one of the fastest field sports in the world, and basically living out their All-Ireland final fantasies.

And When They Need a Break from All That Glory…
The GAA Museum has just opened a new Interactive Games Zone and Cú Chulainn's Den activity room. Translation: They can burn off energy while you have a sneaky sit-down and marvel at the fact that they're actually learning something during mid-term.

Every child leaves with a book about Setanta and Irish legends. Actual reading material they might be excited about. It's the Halloween treat that won't rot their teeth or end up stuck to the car seat.

The Practical Bits (Because We Know You're Already Googling Dates)
When: October 28th, 29th, 30th, and November 1st

Times: 11:30am and 2:30pm (November 1st is 11:30am only)

How long: 90 minutes – long enough to be worth the trip, short enough that nobody has a meltdown

Ages: 5-12 years (adults required, obviously)

Cost: Kids €12, Adults €15, Students/Seniors €14

Book in advance here because these tours fill up faster than your WhatsApp group chat when someone asks for costume ideas.

For the Tiny Ones: Teidí Tours Are Back Too
If your kids are a bit younger (3+) or just really into making things, Teidí Tours are running the same week. They get to make their own 16-inch GAA teddy – complete with Halloween-themed skins this year – then take their new fluffy friend on a tour of Croke Park. It's two hours of creativity and exploration, and you'll have photographic evidence of the cutest thing ever when that teddy poses pitchside.

(Child tickets €30, adults €10, seniors €8 and running at 12:30pm daily from Oct 28-31)

Win a Family Pass! 
Here's where it gets even better. We're giving away a family pass (2 adults and up to 4 kids) to experience Hurloween at Croke Park. That's the entire tribe sorted for a brilliant day out.

Competition closes October 23rd, 2025 – so enter through the form below now, before you forget! 

The Bottom Line
This is Halloween without the hassle. No dodgy costumes that fall apart after five minutes. No sugar-fuelled 3am wake-ups. No trying to explain why they can't dress as something wildly inappropriate.

Just Irish history, sporting legends, actual running around in Croke Park, and the kind of day out where they'll bore their teachers senseless with facts about Cú Chulainn for weeks afterwards.

Which, let's be honest, is exactly the kind of chaos we can get behind.

Book at https://crokepark.ie/whats-on before someone else snags your spot.

Terms and conditions apply. Winner will be contacted via email. Prize is non-transferable and no cash alternative is available.