Why This Halloween You Should Take the Kids Somewhere Properly Spooky

Ireland didn’t borrow Halloween from anyone. We invented it. And this October, Discover Ireland wants to make sure the whole country actually feels that — with a programme of fire ceremonies, Samhain feasts, giant illuminated puppets and ancient storytelling that stretches from Kerry to Meath and just about everywhere in between.

The Ireland Home of Halloween 2026 programme has just been unveiled, and it’s genuinely one of those moments where you look at the line-up and think: we really need to stop just staying local for mid-term. Whether you’re planning a night away with the kids, a couple of days with the whole family or just a day trip to somewhere that isn’t your usual stomping ground, there is a serious amount going on.

Why Ireland? Because Halloween started here

Before the costumes and the trick-or-treating and the mountains of fun-size chocolate bars, there was Samhain — an ancient Celtic festival marking the end of harvest and the start of the darker half of the year. Communities gathered around fires, feasted together and shared stories as the seasons turned. That was over 2,000 years ago, and those traditions are woven into the Irish landscape in a way that goes far deeper than a carved pumpkin on a windowsill.

Renowned Irish storyteller and folklorist Eddie Lenihan, who will be appearing at programme events in Limerick, Galway and Dublin, puts it beautifully: “Long before pumpkins and trick-or-treating, this time of year in Ireland was about Samhain, the harvest gathered in, the fires lit and people coming together to tell stories as winter began. Those stories have never really left us. They’re still in the landscape, in the old customs and in the tales handed down from one generation to the next.”

It’s the kind of thing that stops you in your tracks a little. And honestly, with mid-term on the horizon and the usual scramble to keep everyone entertained, this feels like the perfect excuse to do something a bit different.

What’s happening and where

Events will run across seven hubs throughout October and into November, which means there’s something within striking distance no matter where in the country you are.

Kerry — Samhain Chiarraí will transform the county’s towns and landscapes into a stage for fire and folklore. Expect ritual fire ceremonies with music and storytelling, plus giant illuminated puppets, drummers, fire performers and stilt walkers taking over Killarney and Tralee as part of Idir Dhá Shaol – Between Two Worlds. The programme draws on the legend of An Cailleach Chiarraí, Kerry’s Goddess of Winter.
Limerick — Morbid & Sons – Pop-Up Funeral Shop is an interactive macabre musical experience landing in the city on 17 and 24 October. The Morbid family will perform humorous songs about unfortunate endings and a demonstration funeral, putting the “fun” back in funerals. The Samhain Banquet on 30 October takes guests on a mystery journey through the city to a secret historic venue for seasonal food, storytelling and live performance rooted in Irish mythology.
Galway — Macnas celebrates 40 years of spectacular street performance this year, and its free city-centre parade on 25 October promises giant puppetry, live music and theatrical storytelling. The wider Gaillimh Ah Boo! programme will weave together folklore, food, comedy, family experiences and after-dark events.
Longford & Westmeath — Samhain in the Heartlands brings a Fire & Shadows Procession to Longford on Halloween night, inspired by Celtic mythology and the legends of Rathcroghan and Oweynagat, alongside storytelling, harvest food experiences and heritage events.
Meath & Louth — Púca Festival, the Lú Festival of Light in Drogheda and the Samhain Festival of Food and Culture in Kells are all part of the line-up, plus Spirits of Meath for those who want folklore and festivity.
Kilkenny — Toil & Trouble draws on the extraordinary story of Alice Kyteler and Petronilla de Meath through performance, storytelling, music and spectacle.
Dublin / North County Dublin — Fingal will host an immersive Samhain dining experience after dark at Malahide Castle, with storytelling and fire experiences across North County Dublin too.

Roz Purcell

Make it a short break, not just a night out

Fáilte Ireland is actively encouraging people to think beyond a single event and build a proper Samhain short break around the programme. Emma Woods, Head of Marketing Communications for Fáilte Ireland, says the scale and variety of what’s on offer this year is genuinely exciting.

“We want people to see Halloween as more than one night in the calendar, but as a season to get out and explore. With so much happening across the Hubs throughout October and into November, there’s a real opportunity to travel somewhere new, stay for a night or two and build your own Samhain short break around the events and experiences that appeal to you.”

And she has a point. Throw a bag in the car, book somewhere to stay overnight and let the kids experience Halloween the way it was always meant to feel — dramatic, atmospheric, rooted in something real. After the twentieth identical trick-or-treat haul around your own estate, the idea of a fire ceremony in Kerry or an illuminated parade in Galway sounds very appealing indeed.

Full details of all events and inspiration for planning your Samhain short break are available at DiscoverIreland.ie.