logo-mini

Are you sure you want to leave the feed?

Leave

Oops... something went wrong!

My Ireland

Looking for inspiration? Planning a trip? Or just want to scroll yourself happy? We'll show you an Ireland that's tailor-made for you.

  • #Landscapes
  • #CultureandHeritage
  • #OutdoorActivities
  • #Landmarks
MyICallOut_FindTheThings_EN_Desk_Above-Left MyICallOut_FindTheThings_EN_Desk_Above-Left

Oops... no internet connection

While offline, you can still add items to My board. New travel reccomendations will only show up once you’re back online.

    See what Ireland has in store for you

    Oops... no internet connection

    While offline, you can still add items to My board. New travel reccomendations will only show up once you’re back online.

    My board

    Tell me more

    Items without a physical location are not shown in map view.

    Looks like your board is empty

    Look out for the little heart icon around Ireland.com. Simply tap the heart to add items to your board!

    Emptyboard Emptyboard

    Board settings

    Collection cover image

    Visible to people you share your board with

    No image

    my-ireland-butterfly-killarney-national-park-county-kerry my-ireland-butterfly-killarney-national-park-county-kerry
    my-ireland-orange-flowers-achill-county-mayo my-ireland-orange-flowers-achill-county-mayo
    my-ireland-owl-doneraile-court-and-wildlife-park-county-cork my-ireland-owl-doneraile-court-and-wildlife-park-county-cork
    my-ireland-red-bridge-japanese-gardens-county-kildare my-ireland-red-bridge-japanese-gardens-county-kildare
    my-ireland-board-fastnet-lighthouse-county-cork-1 my-ireland-board-fastnet-lighthouse-county-cork-1
    my-ireland-cottage-blasket-islands-county-kerry my-ireland-cottage-blasket-islands-county-kerry
    my-ireland-horses-wild-atlantic-way-3 my-ireland-horses-wild-atlantic-way-3
    my-ireland-yellow-flowers-lake-portumna-county-galway my-ireland-yellow-flowers-lake-portumna-county-galway
    star-wars-last-jedi-malin-head-county-donegal star-wars-last-jedi-malin-head-county-donegal
    halloween-landing-poulnabrone-clare-bg halloween-landing-poulnabrone-clare-bg

    Ireland: home of Halloween

    How the origins of Halloween are rooted in Ireland's ancient Celtic traditions

    • #Halloween
    • #CultureandHeritage
    • #Halloween
    • #CultureandHeritage

    Come to the island of Ireland for an autumn getaway and you’ll soon discover that this is the birthplace of Halloween. Ask any local and they’ll tell you... Halloween all started with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest season and the coming of winter. As firelight cast flickering shadows over the countryside, imaginations took flight. The boundaries between worlds blurred and spirits walked among the living, ready to carry them off to the Underworld.

    At Samhain, the world around us is dying, notes Dr Kelly Fitzgerald, Head of UCD’s School of Irish, Celtic Studies and Folklore, and this spurs us to reflect on those who have passed before us. “Halloween is the time of year that we face our fears because we’re going into the darkness.”

    halloween-landing-derry-halloween-derry-londonderry halloween-landing-derry-halloween-derry-londonderry

    Derry Halloween, Derry~Londonderry

     The wily Celts fought back against that darkness with masks to hide their faces from the undead, bonfires to banish the gloom and lanterns carved from turnips to ward off malevolent forces.

    But Halloween was also a celebration when plentiful harvests were marked by feasting and games. People donned costumes and went from house to house entertaining their neighbours. They bobbed for apples and left out offerings of food to welcome the spirits of their ancestors.

    Many traditions display a strong desire to see what the future might hold. Clodagh Doyle, Keeper at the Irish Folklore Division in the National Museum of Ireland, points out how many Halloween games aim to foretell the future. “This is a superstitious time of year. There’s a belief that you can get signs from the Otherworld about what your future may hold.”

    halloween-landing-newgrange-meath halloween-landing-newgrange-meath

    Autumn sunset at Brú na Bóinne, County Meath

    Two thousand years later, many of these customs live on, carried to new lands by Irish emigrants and adopted by their descendants to honour their culture and (let’s be honest) have some fun.

    This Halloween, as you carve your pumpkin, get dressed up for Trick or Treating or search your slice of barmbrack for prophetic symbols, remember those ancient Celts who boldly faced the darkness head on. Better yet, book an autumn break and come and celebrate the enduring legacy of Samhain with us in Ireland: home of Halloween.

    halloween-landing-grianan-of-aileach-donegal halloween-landing-grianan-of-aileach-donegal

    An Grianán of Aileach rises above the autumn mists, County Donegal © Gareth Wray Photography

     

    Ireland's Halloween hotspots

    1
    Púca Festival, County Meath

    Celebrate Halloween on the site where the very first Samhain bonfire was lit.

    2
    Derry Halloween, Derry~Londonderry

    A scary, joyous and fantastically fun carnival in this historic walled city.

    A festival with a real bite celebrating the legacy of Dracula creator, Bram Stoker.

    4

    Expect eerie goings-on in one of Northern Ireland's most haunted locations.

    5

    A spectacular Halloween parade through Galway by this renowned theatre company.

    6
    Fire and Shadows processions

    Samhain night processions through Longford, Waterford and Limerick are an exciting fusion of Celtic mythology and Halloween fun.

    Amazing autumn reads