Halloween events round-up from around the country
From clowns with chainsaws to deadly dinosaurs, Celtic sporting mythology, pumpkin farms, and music festivals, there’s wickedly good events happening across the country across October and Halloween.
Visit Europe’s best scream park, The Nightmare Realm at Dublin City Market
The Nightmare Realm, which was voted this year as Europe’s Best Scream Park, is returning to its haunt at Dublin’s City Market for the month of October. Visited last year by Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly, it’s a must for fun and fear. The new ‘Night Terrors’ theme features five terrifying new scare mazes, secret rooms, and a bigger Halloween Town with food, dancers, interactive shops and loads of Halloween selfie ops. In partnership with Fanta and Dublin City Council. See www.thenightmarerealm.ie
Take a wicked walk at Jurassic Newpark, Kilkenny
Gather your little monsters for Halloween fun at Jurassic Newpark Kilkenny where deadly dinosaurs, the worst witches, ghouls and goblins, and ghastly ghosts will come back to life over the midterm break from Saturday 28th October- Sunday 5th November. The terribly fun ‘wicked walk’ includes ghoulish face painting, a scary scavenger hunt, eerie dino talks by the Deadly Dino Ranger and spooky ghost stories by the Wicked Witch. Visitors can also unearth hidden bones and fossils on a dino dig – just be careful not to dig up any cursed relics. Jurassic Newpark is an adjacent attraction at Newpark Hotel Kilkenny, a 4-star family friendly and family-run hotel, part of the award-winning Flynn Hotel Collection with a kids club, swimming pool and lots to do for families. See jurassicnewpark.com
Discover the Magic of Samhain with Hurloween Tours at Croke Park
GAA-mad kids can learn more about Ireland’s ancient sport from the time of Setanta right up to the era of Cian Lynch at the GAA Museum at Croke Park’s much-anticipated “Hurloween” Tours. Swop ghouls for goals and embark on a journey of old Celtic traditions, mythology and sporting legends to celebrate Ireland’s earliest festival. This year’s Hurloween Tours, which run from Saturday October 28th – Wednesday November 1st, promise an extraordinary experience for families seeking seasonal fun rather than scares and are perfect for children aged between five and twelve, accompanied by an adult.
See www.crokepark.ie/Halloween
Celebrate the Samhain Festival at Killarney Pumpkin Farm.
Venture through the rambling vines of the Pumpkin Patch to find your Perfect Pumpkin or Ghoulish Gourd at the Samhain Festival at Killarney Pumpkin Farm. Soak up the atmosphere in their courtyard and feast on Harvest Eats from the eleven77 food truck. With treats, tricks and creatures galore there’s pixies, spooks, adventure and more! Runs Friday- Sunday for the month of October.
Spot Some Wild Deer Mating in Killarney
October is the breeding season for wild deer known as the “rut”. It is one of the highlights of the wildlife calendar as stags roar out to their competitors and battle like gladiators for the right to breed with females. UNESCO Killarney National Park, home to Ireland’s only remaining wild herd of native deer, is one of the best places in Europe to see this amazing spectacle. See killarney.ie for more.
Have a scarily good time at the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival
And if scarily good music is more your thing, then make your way to Cork for the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival. Celebrating its 45th year, the world-renowned 5-day festival features a jam-packed weekend of eclectic performances with the finest international jazz artists and a stellar line-up of Irish and emerging talent who are pushing the boundaries of the genre. There’s also an extended music trail through the city, and a stellar line-up of Irish and international musicians and emerging talent who are pushing the boundaries of the genre. Add to that pop-up events, late night parties, boat trips, collaborations and brass bands marching through the city streets. See www.guinnesscorkjazz.com
Have an out of this world October!
Space Week is an annual celebration that takes place globally in October. Here in Ireland, Space Week is coordinated by MTU Blackrock Castle Observatory with funding support from Science Foundation Ireland and is a nationwide festival which takes place from 4th-10th October. Over the week, schools, businesses, community groups, astronomy clubs, and members of the public are invited to come together with the space community to celebrate all things space. The programme of public events across the country will include talks, tours, hands on workshops, astronomy events, an astrophotography exhibition, space art, and even a space careers roadshow. For more see www.spaceweek.ie where as well as event details you’ll find a resources section for anyone who wishes to organise and register their own event, learn more about the Irish Space connection or try Space themed activities at home.
Article C/O The Events, Tourism & Communications Agency
