The schools are off, the pumpkins are carved and the fancy dress costumes have been prepared – it's the October mid-term break, and all around the country seasonal celebrations are in the offing. Cian Traynoroffers a guide to this week's Halloween events
SAMHAIN ABHAINN
Ballina Halloween Festival concludes on Saturday with ghost tours of Belleek Woods (6pm and 7pm), a scavenger hunt (8pm, €10 for a team of four) and a murder mystery dinner at Crockets on the Quay (8pm, €45 per person). northmayo.ie/festivals.html
FEARSOME FIREWORKS
For Halloween, Belfast’s Halloween Metro Monster Mash is hosting an afternoon of street theatre, live music, fire shows and face painting, culminating in Northern Ireland’s largest fireworks display at 6pm. 048-90270466, www.belfastcity.gov.uk/events
KIDS IN CLARE
Úlla Beag school in Ballybroghan in east Clare is hosting a week of mid-term camps for children between the ages of 3 and 6 in the mornings (€20), and seven- to 12-year-olds in the afternoon (€24). The programme features yoga, craft-making and Halloween-themed outdoor activities. 085-7283333, ullabeag.ie
TINY TERRORS
Potion tasting and the Tunnel of Terror are part of a two-hour Spooks Spells show at Kells’ Causey Farm between Wednesday and Saturday at 4pm. There is a special weekend show for “tiny terrors” at 2pm, including storytelling, broomstick riding and a Ghostbusters’ disco. Admission is €5 for adults, €10 for children. 046-9434135, causey.ie
MIDTERM MADNESS
From Tuesday to Saturday, Upsie Daisies in Roscommon Leisure Zone are holding a mid-term camp for children between the ages of four and 12. Activities include sports such as dodgeball and tag rugby, a Halloween treasure hunt, bowling, a fancy-dress disco as well as arts and crafts. 0906-634372
ABOOO HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL
Saturday sees a large-scale re-enactment of Michael Jackson's Thrillervideo at Galway's Spanish Arch at 4pm, followed by a series of street performances that will lead to St Nicholas's Church for a grand finale at 8.40pm. Irish Rail will be offering a special rate of €10 on selected trains from Dublin. thelatinquarter.ie/galway-abooo.html
HALLOWEEN HOOTENANNY
Galway indie night Strange Brew relocates to Dublin for a Halloween Hootenanny at Dublin’s Workman’s Club on Sunday, featuring live music from Le Galaxie, The Cast of Cheers, Lost Chord and Daithi O’Drónaí. Tickets are €10 and there will be prizes for fancy dress. theworkmansclub.com
SEASONAL SCIENCE
On Thursday and Friday, Cork’s Lifetime Lab will host Halloween-themed workshops teaching children between the ages of five and 12 how to make their own skeletons and slime. Admission is €30. 021-4941500, lifetimelab.ie
HELLFIRE CLUB
Hidden Dublin Walks are giving guided tours of the ruins of Hellfire Club every night this week, offering a detailed account of the site’s occult past. Excursions leave from St Audoens Church, Cook Street, at 7pm from Tuesday to Friday and 6pm on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are €22 per person. hiddendublinwalks.com
HORROR IN THE SLAMMER
Wicklow Gaol’s Halloween Horror Week includes a scary movie night tonight (8pm, €8 per person), dramatic re-enactments of the Gaol’s most notorious crimes on Tuesday (four tours between 7pm and 8.30pm, €10 per person) and an audience with medium Angie Freeland on Wednesday (7pm, €30 per person). 040-461599, wicklowshistoricgaol.com
MONSTERS IN THE DARK
Artist Sinéad McGeeney leads a mid-term monster workshop where kids will learn how to create glow-in-the-dark costumes. Two-hour classes for children aged seven and above run from Monday to Saturday at The Ark, Eustace Street, Temple Bar. Admission is €10. 01-6707788, ark.ie
FOLK PARK FRIGHTS
Enjoy a torch-lit tour of Omagh’s Ulster American Folk Park as costumed characters lead groups around the outdoor museum while sharing spooky stories and serving barnbrack, pumpkin and shoofly pie. Tours are available at 4.15pm, 7.00pm and 9.30pm from Thursday to Saturday. Admission is £8.00 (€9.10). 048-82243292, nmni.com
FUNTASIA FRIGHTFEST
Drogheda’s Funtasia Waterpark has turned into an interactive horror show for Halloween, offering role-playing adventure games such as Get Groovy with the Ghosts (€7 per person, 1pm to 5pm daily) and the Tunnel of Terror (€10, 7pm to 11pm nightly). 041-9898000, funtasia.ie
IRELAND’S LARGEST STREET PARTY
The Banks of the Foyle Halloween Carnival is a four-day party on the streets of Derry beginning on Thursday, with ghost tours of haunted hotspots, “pirate cruises” on the River Foyle and six fancy dress balls around the city. derrycity.gov.uk/halloween
