Halloween
Find ghoulishly great days out at our Halloween events taking place across the country.
Gather your little monsters to solve creepy clues at our mid-term quests.
Join storytellers for family-friendly fun or enjoy spooky woodland walks through the shadowy grounds of our historic places.
You could also be in with a chance to win a 'Family Heritage Card' with our spooky Halloween colouring competition below.
Samhain: The Roots of Halloween
Every Halloween, people around the world dress up and take part in festivities, yet few are aware of its roots in the ancient festival of Samhain. In Irish folklore, the veil between our world and the supernatural draws thin at this time. It is a liminal phase, a turning of the year.
Spooky Halloween Colouring Competition
Pick up your spooky image of Trim Castle at our participating sites or simply print here.
How to enter?
Take a photograph of your entry and email to heritagemarketing@opw.ie.
Closing date for entries 02/11/2025.
Winners will be announced 07/11/2025 and will receive a Family Heritage Card giving them unlimited access to some the country’s most iconic landmarks.
Halloween at Aughnanure Castle
Aughnanure Castle
Our annual Halloween event is happening over the October bank holiday weekend on Sunday, October 26th and Monday, October 27th. This will be our biggest Halloween to date with a range of events to suit all ages!
Eddie Lenihan Irish Spooky Tales
Portumna Castle
Eddie Lenihan Irish Spooky Tales
Join Ireland’s greatest storyteller at Portumna Castle for stories of ghosts, fairies, pookas and all things scary.
Guess the weight of the Pumpkin
Portumna Castle
Guess the Weight of the Pumpkin – Estimate the correct weight of the pumpkin to be in with a chance to win a Halloween Goodie bag.
All correct entries will be put in a draw with one winner selected. Failing to have correct answers, the nearest to to the correct weight will be selected in a similar process.
Spooky Halloween Tales at Parke’s Castle
Parke’s Castle
Join us for afternoon of ghost stories, face painting ,fancy dress and family fun.
Grusome Masks, Spiders & Pumpkins
Corlea Iron Age Roadway and Visitor Centre
A spine-tingling Samhain art workshop with guides. Time to get creepy and gruesomely creative!
Design the perfect fright mask to scare the wits out of you family and friends
You can also make some really spooky but cute pom pom siders and pumpkins to decorate your home with.
Feile na Samhna ; Púca Bog of Bewitchment Experience
Corlea Iron Age Roadway and Visitor Centre
The mischievous Púca escapes from the Otherworld, intent on causing havoc and mayhem, spoiling Halloween (Samhain) for everybody.
From the otherworld, The Morrigan is determined to catch the Púca with the help of, other creatures from the Otherworld who lie in wait for the mischievous spirit.
Will you help the Morrigan to catch the Púca or will you help him escape?
Halloween Photo Competition
Portumna Castle
Submit a scary photo dressed in a Halloween costume on site in Portumna Castle & Gardens. Be in with a chance to win a Halloween Goodie Bag. The winner will be chosen based on creativity, effort, and humour. Costumes can be scary, funny, or clever but originality counts! One entry per participant.
Photos must be taken specifically at the Halloween display (Main Entrance Archway).
No Photoshop, digital editing, or AI-generated images are allowed.
Group photos are allowed, but the group will count as one entry.
A prize of a Portumna Castle Goodie Bag will be awarded to the winner.
Entry to competition on ticketed admission.
Samhain with Scéalta Beo & Lexington Lovesmyth
Corlea Visitor Centre
Join Scéalta Beo & Lexington Lovesmyth in remembering our ancestors who built the Corlea road.
Could it be a votive offering to the Gods to restore the balance of nature at the beginning of the dark half of the year?
Deathly Mini Digs
Corlea Visitor Centre
There are some very scary items buried in the peat, are you brave enough to dig for them?
The Curious Case of the Body in the Bog
Corlea Visitor Centre
Prof. ‘Bones’ O ’Jones and his assistant Dir. Ana Robic are in a race against time to discover just who is the mystery body in the bog? They are looking for some brave assistants to help them ‘piece together’ clues. Can you help?
Halloween Trail 2025: ‘The hour of Darkness is upon us……’
Charles Fort Military Fortress
As Samhain approaches the gates to the Other World are opening and long forgotten residents are stirring in the shadows. The Sinister Seven have risen. It is time to face your fears and delve into the darkest corners of Charles Fort. Bring a torch!
Ghostly Tales of Sligo for Halloween
Sligo Abbey
Spooky tales from Sligo, as told by Sligo Abbey’s Seanchaí
From Monday 27 October through to Friday 31 October, Sligo Abbey’s Seanchaí will treat visitors to ghostly tales from old Sligo.
(11:00 and 2:00 – Monday to Friday)
Halloween fancy dress treasure hunt
Sligo Abbey
Follow the spooky clues around Sligo Abbey and find a Halloween treat. Fancy dress optional.
Halloween Arts and Crafts for Schools
Sligo Abbey
Halloween arts and crafts for schools.
Making spooky decorations in the Abbey.
School bookings only (fully booked)
Great Was The Darkness
Cahir Castle
As Samhain approaches the veil between our world and the Other World are thin…
Join us at 7pm on Tuesday 28th October in Cahir Castle’s Banqueting Hall – the most atmospheric of venues – for a thrilling evening of chilling tales from Medieval Ireland, suitable for adults only – Great Was The Darkness.
These stories are brought to us by Waterford-born Dublin-based medievalist Hannah Mac Auliffe, Trinity College Dublin, PhD. Hannah, an expert in Medieval life in Ireland will bring us on a dark spine-tingling journey with her talk “Great Was The Darkness”
Ghost Hunt at Ennis Friary
Ennis Friary
This Halloween visit Ennis Friary and join the hunt for some ghostly figures making a special appearance on site from October 31st to November 2nd. If you can spot the ghostly visitors you can enter a draw to win a family heritage card which will allow you visit OPW heritage sites for free for a whole year
MYSTERY GADGETS OF THE BASEMENT
Emo Court
Our housekeeper is back for Halloween – this time she’s swapped her apron for a witch’s hat!
Step back in time and discover the weird and wonderful gadgets servants used many years ago.
A fun, family friendly experience exploring curious Victorian objects!
Kids Castle Tour and Treasure Hunt
Ross Castle
Halloween Tours:
On Monday, October 27, Ross Castle is planning to offer two very special child-centered tours at 10:30am and 2:30pm. There will be a Halloween spin on a castle that has seen plenty of ghouls, goblins and witches over the years. ( These tours are currently Booked Out)
Treasure Hunt:
From October 24 to November 2 kids of all ages will also be able to take part in our free Treasure Hunt, collecting great information and Halloween stickers along the way.
The Creepy Castle Quest
Portumna Castle and Gardens
The Creepy Castle Quest is a fun family treasure hunt where participants follow the riddles that will lead to the ultimate answer.
Crafty Spooktacular Halloween Day
Céide Fields
Céide’s Crafty Spooktacular Halloween Day
Join us for a frighftully fun filled Halloween celebration that the whole family will enjoy! Put your creative side to the test,brace yourself for some spooky scary tales and transform yourself into a scary Halloween character!
Join us if you dare!
Halloween at Glasnevin
National Botanic Gardens
These events are free and the Magical plants demonstrations take place every 30 mins from 12pm in the children’s garden and are first come first served.
Join us for a spooktacular Halloween celebration at the National Botanic Gardens!
Themed Tour October – Samhain Embers
National Botanic Garden of Ireland
Samhain Embers: The folklore and traditions of Irish plant
Rekindle the ancient folklore and traditions of Samhain on this special Halloween tour. Explore the myths and folklore of plants that were used during this otherworldly time and discover the stories associated with them.
