From gothic festivals and haunted farms to pumpkin patches and eerie gift shops, Halloween in Ireland has evolved into a vibrant economic season for local businesses, writes Barry Walsh.
Across the country, retailers, event organisers, and artisan makers are embracing the spooky spirit with immersive experiences, themed products, and family-friendly attractions.
Whether it’s Dublin’s Bram Stoker Festival, Kilkenny’s Witches & Wizards Pumpkin Festival, or Galway’s handmade wax melts, these enterprises are turning fright into fortune – boosting tourism, retail, and community engagement in the process.
The Bram Stoker Festival
The Bram Stoker Festival 2025 is a major gothic and literary festival held in Dublin from Friday, 31 October to Monday, 3 November 2025. Celebrating the legacy of one of Ireland’s most famous authors, Bram Stoker, the festival transforms Dublin into a supernatural Victorian playground with events inspired by Stoker’s life, work, and the Gothic genre. It offers a rich variety of activities for all ages, including spooky walking tours, theatrical performances, exhibitions, and family-friendly spectacles. The festival celebrates Stoker’s iconic creation, Dracula, while showcasing the city’s historic venues such as Trinity College, Marsh’s Library, and Dublin Castle.
The festival is produced by Dublin City Council and features a mixture of free and ticketed events across multiple locations. Visitors can expect immersive experiences ranging from eerie storytelling and dark art exhibitions to choral performances and grand banquets in atmospheric settings. The Bram Stoker Festival is designed to thrill gothic lovers as well as families looking for engaging Halloween weekend fun, making it one of Dublin’s most anticipated cultural events each year. The full programme and ticketing details for 2025 are available on the official website, with early booking recommended due to high demand.
Cauldron Gifts
Based in Co. Cavan Cauldron Gifts is a gift shop renowned for its wide range of alternative and uniquely themed products, with a special emphasis on Halloween. Their collection for Halloween features beautifully crafted items such as pumpkin-shaped wax melts called “Pumpkin King,” infused with warm scents of pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove. They also offer a variety of MDF wood hanging signs with festive sayings like “Trick or Treat Yourself” and “Happy Halloween,” ideal for seasonal home décor. The shop stocks other Halloween essentials such as candles, incense sticks, cauldrons, figurines, and wax melters, all designed to capture the magical and spooky spirit of the season.
Aside from seasonal offerings, Cauldron Gifts is inspired by fantasy literature and pop culture, bringing customers an array of quirky gifts including dragon and skull figurines, tarot cards, and licensed Lord of the Rings merchandise. Their products appeal to those who enjoy mystical, gothic, and fantastical themes, making Cauldron Gifts a fantastic destination for distinctive Halloween decorations and gifts.
Causey Farm
Causey Farm is a mixed farm located in County Meath, offering a variety of seasonal experiences with a strong emphasis on hospitality and immersive activities. All activities are pre-booked to ensure a private and specialised experience. Visitors can enjoy historical insights about the Murtagh kings who once ruled the area, imbibing a sense of local heritage while exploring the 300-acre farm.
Causey Farm offers a range of tailored experiences including hen parties, educational tours, and corporate team-building events that focus on the “Causey Atmosphere,” which has become highly prized among visitors.
For Halloween 2025, Causey Farm hosts “Pooka Spooka,” a special seasonal event designed for family fun and spooky delights in October. The farm has received glowing reviews for its well-organised activities, warm hospitality, and excellent event management. Visitors have praised the friendly staff, including Catherine and others, for creating memorable and enjoyable moments. Located between Kells and Athboy, just 40 miles from Dublin, Causey Farm offers a festive yet educational experience in the heart of County Meath.
Celebrate It
Based in Kilkenny Celebrate It is a party supply company that offers a comprehensive range of Halloween products. Their extensive collection includes costumes, face paint, prosthetics, accessories, and decorations designed to make any Halloween event stand out. Whether seeking scary or funny costumes for adults and children alike, Celebrate It caters to all tastes and age groups. Their online store offers a wide variety of original and stylish outfits along with festive accessories that help create a spooky atmosphere for parties or trick-or-treating nights. They emphasise high-quality costumes that bring the Halloween spirit to life, suitable for those wanting to impress or frighten guests and neighbours.
They actively update their stock for the Halloween season, ensuring fresh supplies of wigs, masks, and accessories. Customers looking for inspiration or specific Halloween themes can rely on Celebrate It as a one-stop shop for costumes and party essentials. Their focus on customer satisfaction and a wide product range has made them a popular choice among Irish consumers.
The Costume Shop
The Costume Shop is Ireland’s largest online store for fancy dress costumes and party needs. They offer an extensive selection of costumes for men, women, and children, covering popular themes such as superheroes, retro eras, animals, and cultural icons. Unlike many costume shops, The Costume Shop sells rather than rents, providing customers the benefit of owning their costumes for reuse or lending. They stock everything in-house, ensuring fast delivery across Ireland, the UK, and Europe, often with next-day dispatch if ordered before the cutoff time. Their offerings include costumes, wigs, accessories, and props, making them a one-stop shop for Halloween and fancy dress parties.
The website is known for its wide variety and quality, helping customers achieve an impressive “WOW” factor at their events. They serve both casual costume buyers and dedicated fancy dress enthusiasts alike, catering to a broad audience with numerous styles and price points that align with different budgets..
The Country Life Museum
Country Life in Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, offers a vibrant Halloween programme from 29th to 31st of October 2025 featuring free, drop-in crafting sessions for families and children. These sessions run daily from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm and allow participants to create their own Halloween-inspired arts and crafts to take home. Attendees will also discover Halloween customs and traditions with guidance from artists Isolde Dingerkus, Carmel Balfe, and Lindsay McConnell. No booking is required, and places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Alongside these crafts, the museum hosts ‘Scary Objects’ and ‘Scarecrow Jack’ Halloween trails available from 25 October to 2 November, which are educational and engaging family activities that explore the origins and customs of Halloween rooted in Celtic traditions.
Eerie Essentials
Eerie Essentials is an online Halloween specialist store known for its wide range of spooky and sinister products designed to create the perfect eerie atmosphere. Their collection includes haunting decorations, creepy props, thematic lighting, and unique accessories to complement any Halloween event or haunted house setup. The store prides itself on offering high-quality items that cater specifically to Halloween enthusiasts looking for authentic and chilling décor. Although primarily an online retailer, Eerie Essentials stands out by offering products that enhance the spooky vibe for personal celebrations or professional events, making it a go-to destination for those who want to elevate their Halloween experience.
The website features numerous collections focusing on various spooky themes, including gothic, macabre, and classic Halloween motifs. Eerie Essentials offers competitive prices and seasonal deals, encouraging early shopping to prepare for the Halloween season. Their product range spans from eerie figurines and skulls to skull-themed tableware, witch accessories, and faux spider webs, satisfying both casual decorators and serious horror aficionados alike. They emphasize customer satisfaction through reliable shipping and quality assurance, catering primarily to an Irish and international market eager for Halloween’s chilling delights.
Galway Halloween Festival
The Galway Aboo Halloween Festival 2025 is held from Saturday, 25 October to Monday, 27 October. Located in Galway’s historic Latin Quarter and Eyre Square, the festival features a variety of free street performances, live music, costume contests, markets, and interactive family-friendly activities that bring the city’s medieval streets to life with Halloween spirit. The highlight of the festival is the spectacular Macnas Halloween Parade on Sunday evening (26 October), renowned for its giant puppets, immersive storytelling, and bespoke costumes, drawing crowds of thousands of spectators. The festival offers engaging entertainment suitable for all ages, making it a key event in Galway’s cultural calendar.
In addition to the Aboo Festival, Galway hosts other family-friendly Halloween events such as the Galway Pumpkin Patch in Ardrahan, offering pumpkin picking, face painting, and seasonal crafts. Other notable activities include the Howling Halloween at Brigit’s Garden, themed costume competitions, pony rides, and haunted walking tours exploring Galway’s dark history. The festival and surrounding events provide a lively, spooky atmosphere perfect for locals and visitors seeking both fun and fright during the Halloween season in Galway.
TheGardenShop.ie
The Garden Shop in Portarlington Co Laois, offers Halloween craft workshops for kids aged 6 to 12, focused on creating spooky decorations from recycled materials. These workshops provide a creative and educational experience about recycling and Halloween crafts. Workshops are available on Saturday, 29th October, with two sessions to choose from, priced at €12 for a one-hour class. The Garden Shop also hosts other Halloween-themed events across October, such as cookery courses, ghost stories, and family fun activities, all bookable online. They provide various shipping options for products with a strong focus on eco-friendly practices.
Additionally, the Hunt Museum offers Halloween decoration workshops where participants design and craft their own spooky decorations like haunted houses and spiderwebs, which they can take home.
Craft and hobby retailers like Art n Hobby stock a broad selection of Halloween-themed craft supplies, decorations, and kits available for online purchase and in various physical locations across Ireland including Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny, and more.
These workshops and retail options help families and craft enthusiasts celebrate Halloween creatively while promoting sustainability and local business support.
HalloweenHQ
Another one of Ireland’s leading destinations for Halloween costumes, makeup, decorations, and accessories is HalloweenHQ. Their extensive range features everything needed to create the perfect spooky look, from terrifying costumes for adults and children to glamorous makeup kits and atmospheric decorations. Popular costume themes include classic horror characters, gothic designs, witches, zombies, and iconic fictional figures like Wednesday Addams. HalloweenHQ also offers a broad selection of costume accessories such as wigs, masks, props like knives and handcuffs, and festive party loot bags.
The store highlights seasonal must-haves like pumpkin-themed big head masks, skeleton costumes, clown outfits, and witch hats while running frequent sales on popular items. Their product range includes both elaborate costumes and simpler accessories for easy last-minute transformations. HalloweenHQ operates an online shop with nationwide delivery, supported by a physical popup store in Dublin during the Halloween season.
The Hunt Museum
This Halloween, the Hunt Museum in Limerick transforms into a vibrant centre of creativity and spooky fun with Magic & Mortality: Halloween at the Hunt Museum, running from 25 October to 2 November. Inspired by the museum’s current exhibition, From Dickie to Richard – Richard Harris: Role of a Lifetime, which celebrates the Limerick legend and original Professor Albus Dumbledore, the festivities bring a touch of Hogwarts magic with a special screening party of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Adding to the atmosphere, a guided Memento Mori Tour of the Hunt Collection will explore fascinating themes of life, legacy, and mortality.
Throughout the week, young visitors aged 4 to 12 can take part in a range of free, bookable creative workshops, from designing Halloween decorations and crafting pumpkin papier-mâché to exploring mixed-media art inspired by haunted houses, black cats, and flying bats. Budding artists can also join a Halloween charcoal drawing workshop, learning to bring eerie scenes to life through sketching and shading. To add an extra touch of Magic & Moratlity, the programme will also include two thought-provoking lectures that delve into Witches in Art and The returning dead in Irish folklore.
Families are invited to enjoy Halloween-themed treasure hunts throughout the museum, offering a fun and interactive way to celebrate the season. The Hunt Museum, home to an extraordinary collection of artefacts and artworks ranging from Neolithic to modern times, these Halloween events blend art, history, and seasonal celebration. The programme encourages creativity, imagination, and education in a family-friendly environment, making it a perfect autumn outing. Admission to the workshops is free but booking is essential.
Hurloween
Croke Park in Dublin hosts the popular “Hurloween” tours each Halloween season, offering a unique blend of sport and spooky fun aimed at families and children aged 5 to 12. Running from 29 to 31 October 2025, these tours explore the history of Gaelic Games with a festive twist, including visits to the Croke Park dressing rooms, walks pitchside, and storytelling about legendary hurler Setanta, also known as Cú Chulainn. The tours feature the “Warriors and Hurlers Workshop,” where kids learn about Irish mythology and the skill of hurling, accompanied by interactive games at the GAA Museum. Each child receives a special book recounting Setanta’s adventures and other Irish legends, making it a perfect Halloween treat that educates as well as entertains.
The Hurloween tours are designed to be fun and family-friendly without being scary, ideal for younger children and adults to enjoy together. This event enriches the Halloween season by connecting Ireland’s rich sporting heritage with ancient storytelling in a festive atmosphere. Visitors also have access to the GAA Museum and Interactive Games Zone, rounding out the experience with plenty of engaging activities. Croke Park’s Hurloween offerings provide a memorable and educational Halloween outing in the heart of Dublin, blending culture, sport, and seasonal celebration seamlessly.
K2Alpacas Pumpkin Patch in Wicklow
K2Alpacas Pumpkin Patch in Wicklow offers a family experience combining the fun of a pumpkin patch with the unique opportunity to meet and interact with alpacas. Experience the sounds and visions of the enchanted fairy trail where ghosts and witches abound, enjoy Halloween-themed games, and take those memorable Halloween photo opportunities with Halloween backdrops and free photo booths, along with refreshments available on-site and finish by selecting your own pumpkin from the pumpkin patch.
The event is run in association with the Down Syndrome Centre, and is a major fundraiser for the Charity.
Kilkenny Witches & Wizards Pumpkin Festival
The Witches and Wizards Pumpkin Festival 2025 is a family-friendly Halloween event held at Castlecomer Discovery Park, Kilkenny. The festival runs on Saturday 18th, Sunday 19th, and from Saturday 25th to Thursday 30th October, daily from 10:00am to 4:30pm. Tickets cost €19.50 per child, which includes all activities plus a medium pumpkin to take home, while adults pay €9.50 for activities only (no pumpkin), and children under 12 months participate free without a pumpkin.
Festival highlights include a Halloween Hunt through the woods where families can solve puzzles and pick their own pumpkin. There are funfair rides such as carousel, teacups, and chair-o-planes, regular wizard shows, and meet-and-greet opportunities with spooky witches and wizards. Magical photo opportunities and a lively Halloween atmosphere enhance the experience throughout the day. Additional extras include face painting for €5 per child, adventure activities, and onsite food and drinks. Car parking is not included in the ticket but is available with the first hour free, then €5 after that.
The Magpie Collective
Based in Waterford The Magpie Collective embraces the Halloween spirit by featuring a selection of spooky-themed art and apparel created by local Irish artists and makers. During the Halloween season, the collective showcases unique items such as witchy jewellery, gothic-inspired prints, and handcrafted decorations that align with the eerie and mystical vibes of the festival. Their collection includes limited-edition Halloween accessories, mystical-themed clothing, and ornaments.
The Nightmare Realm
The Nightmare Realm is Ireland’s premier indoor scream park and Halloween event, returning for 2025 with a brand-new venue at the Royal Liver Industrial Estate in Dublin 12. Running from 4 October to 2 November, it features five all-new haunted mazes and the much-loved Halloweentown, a Victorian-themed spooky village. Visitors can expect immersive attractions with live actors, terrifying mazes, sideshow secrets, aerial performances, monstrous icons, and nightly music by Fall FM, creating a chilling and electrifying atmosphere.
Additional highlights include a haunted food court with festive eats and drinks, the House of Tarot for future-telling experiences, acrobatic performances by The Dark Circus, fire shows by Fuego Fatale, the fearless House of Swag dance troupe, and street entertainment including chainsaw-wielding cannibals and vampire dancers. The event also offers unique photo opportunities at the Museum of Horrors and secret rooms to discover. With free onsite parking and convenient public transport access via Kylemore Luas stop, it is designed for thrill-seekers, families, and Halloween lovers seeking intense scares and unforgettable festive fun.
Puca Festival
The Púca Festival is an immersive Halloween celebration deeply rooted in Ireland’s ancient Samhain traditions, running from Thursday, 30 October to Sunday, 2 November in the heritage towns of Trim and Athboy, County Meath.
Known as the birthplace of Halloween, the festival honours the thinning veil between the living and the dead with a vibrant mix of music, myth, fire, folklore, and feasting. This year’s theme, “Connecting with Our Roots,” explores ancestral ties and cultural heritage, blending contemporary entertainment with age-old customs.
Festival highlights include The Gathering of the Spirits procession through the streets of Trim, breathtaking fire performances, immersive audio-visual projections on Trim Castle, and traditional ceremonies such as the Lighting of the Samhain Fire in Athboy. There is a rich programme of music, comedy, storytelling, workshops, and cultural tours, alongside markets featuring local artisan crafts and seasonal food. Visitors can explore mystical walks, circus acts, heritage tours, and evening celebrations that reconnect them with Ireland’s Celtic history. The festival offers shuttle buses and special coach services from Dublin and other towns, making it accessible for both locals and tourists eager to experience authentic Irish Halloween traditions in a spectacular setting.
Soap and Bubbles (Galway)
Based in Galway Soap and Bubbles is known for its high-quality handcrafted wax melts and bath bombs, offering a charming collection of Halloween and autumn-themed products. With popular items including adorable pumpkin-shaped melts that can be customised with a variety of scents. The company also features spooky oil and melt burners, such as a haunted house oil burner and wax warmer, combining elegance with Halloween vibes. They offer Halloween mugs and other seasonal items, all designed to bring a festive and cosy atmosphere to homes during the spooky season.
With a focus on affordability and quality, their bath bombs are designed not to stain baths and deliver a luxurious, fragrant experience. Soap and Bubbles is well-regarded in the local market for its seasonal collections and sustainable practices. Making it a popular choice for those seeking unique and beautifully crafted Halloween gifts and décor in Galway and beyond.
Woodlands Pumpkin Patch
Based in Fitzgeralds Woodlands House Hotel & Spa in Adare, County Limerick it offers a family-friendly autumn experience with a wide selection of pumpkins of all shapes and sizes available for purchase. The patch features Instagram-worthy photo spots, festive displays, and a variety of activities for children, including a petting zoo with friendly animals, traditional games, and a maze to explore and enjoy.
Visitors to Woodlands Pumpkin Patch can expect an inviting countryside atmosphere with plenty of autumn charm, complemented by the hotel’s amenities such as spacious grounds, a fairy trail, outdoor playground, kids’ club, and fine dining options. Tickets include parking and entry to the patch, with children receiving a Woodlands Pumpkin soft toy with their ticket purchase. The patch welcomes dogs and offers a wholesome, memorable outing for families looking to celebrate the autumn season in a beautiful rural setting close to the charming village of Adare.
Top image: Photo by Beth Teutschmann on Unsplash
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