Head to Galway for Gailimh Ah-Boo, a month-long extravaganza honouring Samhain’s Celtic roots. Join crowds of nearly 80,000 spectators for the annual Macnas Halloween Parade. With this year’s theme ‘An Treun – The Summoning of the Lost’, you can expect colossal floats and performances inspired by the works of Irish-born Dracula author Bram Stoker.  

Delve into the dark corners of Galway’s past on an Experience Galway Dark Tourism Tour. The 90-minute tours are led by local experts in the county’s crimes, punishments and folklore, and they share sordid secrets with their own narrative flair. 

If you’re more interested in the feasting aspect of the Celtic tradition, fill your plate at Blas na Samhna. Join one of the eight supper club events held across November and sample dishes from some of the best restaurants and hotels across Galway.  

With so many ancient ruins and burial tombs located in the Boyne Valley, it comes as no surprise that Meath and Louth pull out all the stops for Halloween. 

There are four major festivals scheduled for the 2025 season, and things kick off in Meath on October 3 with the Spirits of Meath Halloween Festival. Treat the kids to a day of fortune telling, mirror mazes and other mischief at Causey Farm’s Pooka Spooka, or test their pumpkin carving skills at Funtasia’s Pumpkin Patch Festival. The adults can get their heart rates up with jump scares and chainsaw-wielding monsters at Farmophobia.  

For a different kind of thrill, check out After Dark at Emerald Park. Explore Ireland’s biggest theme park once the sun goes down and take on imposing rides like the Cú Chulainn Coaster, The Endeavour and The Rotator. If you’re with the little ones, take them through the wonderful Tír na nÓg and learn all about one of Ireland’s most treasured tales.  

Meath’s biggest Halloween festival is the Púca Hallowen Festival, which celebrates all things Samhain over a jam-packed four days in Trim and Athboy. This year’s programme is stacked with musical performances, comedy acts, fire shows and storytelling sessions – catch huge gigs by Blindboy, The 2 Johnnies and Block Rockin Beats & Groove Armada, among others. 

On the bright side, the Lú Festival of Light explores Ireland’s fascinating mythology with vibrant light installations projected across some of Drogheda’s most historic landmarks. Follow the stories of ancient gods, heroes and mystical creatures as they dance across the Old Abbey, St Peter’s Church and St Laurence’s Gate. 

Celebrate the harvest with a feast at the Samhain Festival of Food and Culture. Alongside tasting events, food markets, cooking demonstrations and kids’ workshops, there’s the Samhain Long Table Supper – a Halloween-inspired feast using the best of seasonal and locally-sourced ingredients.  

Throughout October and early November, Longford and Westmeath come alive for Samhain: Fire, Folklore and Feasting, a celebration with four key events across both locations.  

Honour the Celtic goddess of war and fate, Morrígan, at the Fire and Shadows Procession in Longford town. The procession is part of the folklore, fright and fun of the Dead of Night Halloween Festival exploring Samhain’s dark side. Longford will also host the Harvest Food Festival, where you can taste the season’s best produce and flavours while meeting local food producers. 

Over in Westmeath, make your way to Uisneach – Samhain in the Heartlands. Set at the Hill of Uisneach – the meeting point of Ireland’s five provinces and once the country’s spiritual epicentre – the two-day event marks the Celtic New Year with storytelling, ancient rituals, music and fire ceremonies. 

The craic is mighty in Kerry, especially during the Halloween season. Across the entire county, people come together to celebrate Samhain Chiarraí: A Kerry Halloween for four straight weeks of street spectacles, traditional storytelling, music and food.  

Explore the unknown at An Féile Eile. Through art, music and storytelling, learn to appreciate the unseen, unheard and unexplored with a sense of wonder, connection and transformation. 

Kenmare becomes a hub of entertainment and adventure for the Kenmare Halloween Howl. Get the kids involved in haunted forest walks, fancy dress competitions and mask-making workshops, all with the beautiful backdrop of the Ring of Kerry. 

Feel like a kid again at the National Circus Festival of Ireland in Tralee and sit back as fire performers and acrobats take to the stage. With nearly 100 handpicked performers, it’s the best place to celebrate all-things circus.  

Kerry hasn’t forgotten about the foodies out there. From November 6 to 10, Listowel turns into a haven for flavour-seekers for the annual Listowel Food Fair. Peak in on cooking demonstrations and seminars and taste the best treats, savoury and sweet, from local artisan producers. 

Samhain wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the storytellers that kept it alive – celebrate their talents at the Sneem International Storytelling and Folklore Festival. Entering its twelfth year, the festival welcomes master storytellers, folklore experts, musicians and performers to share their talents and the tales of Ireland. 

Stretching across North County Dublin, the Fingal Festival of Fire will ignite your Halloween spirit in four key locations: Bremore Castle in Balbriggan, Swords Castle, Malahide Castle and Gardens and Millenium Park in Blanchardstown. Regardless of where you pitch yourself, you can expect great musical performances, incredible firework displays and even a scary disco. 

Add a touch of glamour to Halloween at the Dining Club’s Samhain Feast in Whitestown House. Don your finest threads and tuck into a seven-course tasting menu inspired by ancestral firelit Samhain feasts. Each course tells its own story by blending ancient traditions with modern dining.  

Head to the historic grounds of Newbridge House for Pumpkins After Dark – a unique, one-kilometre-long illuminated pumpkin pathway filled with intricately carved sculptures and dazzling displays. Wander through the custom-built tunnel and watch pumpkin carving demonstrations, pick up sweet treats and take plenty of photos with the family. 

Get crafty at the month-long Soul of Samhain festival at the Seamus Ennis Arts Centre. The festival taps into the traditions of Samhain and Irish craft, with workshops on archeology and mythology, mask-making and even Irish whiskey. There'll be events for both adults and kids, alongside a Harvest Food Fair and film screenings.

Limerick plans to put its own spin on Halloween at Samhain 2025. Set in the medieval quarter of Limerick city, the festival has plenty of activities for everyone to enjoy. Get the kids’ imaginations fired up at Stories for Children, brave the elements at the Curraghgour Boat Club’s Samhain Swim and craft your own Halloween lantern. After, treat yourself to something sweet in the festival’s Death Café. 

For the third year in a row, Limerick’s Fire and Shadows Procession will return to the city for the October Bank Holiday weekend. This year’s theme will showcase the Spirits of the Forest who are thought to accompany the ghostly figure of Bishop’s Lady – a character in Limerick’s folklore – through dazzling fire performances, colourful costumes and illuminated supernatural beings. 

Bring the kids to King John’s Castle on the banks of the River Shannon and discover Con Mór, an interactive installation about the ancient Galway giant himself by the master storytellers at Macnas. 

Blending traditional harvest celebrations with county-specific legends, Kilkenny’s Halloween season is set to run for five weeks, filled with food, folklore and intrigue.  

Kilkenny Castle are opening the doors to their 13th-century estate for Savour Kilkenny. Alongside the 100-stall food market, live cooking demonstrations and incredible street food, visitors will have the chance to celebrate the end of harvest season with an impressive feast designed by some of the county’s finest chefs to honour the land’s final bounty.  

When you think of witch trials, your mind probably jumps to Salem in the United States, but some took place a lot closer to your doorstep than you might assume. Kilkenny Toil and Trouble dives into the haunting lore of Petronella, the first woman burned at the stake in Ireland for practicing witchcraft. Take part in family-friendly activities that will lead you through the power struggles and personal stories that shaped the now-infamous trial. 

If you fancy taking a break from the spooky antics, check out Kilkenomics – the world’s first economics and comedy festival. Learn all about finance, geo-politics and human behaviour from leading economists, journalists and analysts at panel discussions held by hilarious comedians.  

Or enjoy a film screening at the Subtitle Film Festival. As the country’s only festival dedicated to subtitled cinema, it allows people of all languages to come together and share their love of film in the medieval backdrop of beautiful Kilkenny.