Wednesday Addams’ Guide to Halloween in Ireland 2025: Festivals, Haunted Castles & Where to Stay
Wednesday Addams’ Guide to Halloween in Ireland 2025
Ireland invented Halloween. I perfected it. The rest of you are just playing dress-up.
Wednesday Addams’ Guide to Halloween in Ireland 2025
Hello. I’m Wednesday Addams. Not “Jenna.” People insist on calling me that, as if I’m merely the actress who plays me. Jenna Ortega did her job – she studied my mannerisms, my stare, my disdain for humanity – and people applauded. Then they confused us. It’s insulting. To her.
Parts of my so-called “life” were filmed here in Ireland. They used Lough Tay in County Wicklow as Nevermore Academy. A fitting choice – bleak, windswept, and devoid of cheer. Cameras also crept through Ashford Studios in Wicklow, Charleville Castle in Offaly, and Dean’s Grange Cemetery in Dublin. Apparently, Ireland has an unlimited supply of suitable graves and castles. Trinity College Dublin was even disguised as an airport. How degrading.
Why am I an authority on Halloween? Because for me, it isn’t a holiday. It’s a lifestyle. Other people light candles on 31 October. My family lights them year-round, usually beside a coffin. When the veil between the living and the dead grows thin, most panic. I find it entertaining – finally, some company that doesn’t bore me.
So consider this guide a public service. Ireland invented Halloween. I perfected it. Together, we’ll explore the festivals, haunted prisons, and pumpkin patches of 2025. You may find it fun. I’ll try not to judge you for that.
Dublin – Delightfully Morbid and Shamelessly Overcrowded
Bram Stoker Festival: 31 October to 3 November 2025. Dublin devotes an entire weekend to the man who gave us Dracula. Theatre, art, and shadowy parades. A city celebrating bloodsuckers. At least they’re honest about it. bramstokerfestival.com
The Nightmare Realm: 4 October to 2 November 2025. Haunted mazes, grotesque costumes, strangers shrieking in terror. In other words, a social gathering. thenightmarerealm.ie
Kerry – Folklore-Obsessed and Excessively Dramatic
Samhain Chiarraí: A Kerry Halloween: 17 October to 9 November 2025. Folklore, storytelling, fire and parades stretching across weeks. Humans distracting themselves from mortality with noise. discoverkerry.com
Halloween Scavenger Hunt at Tralee Bay Wetlands: 18 to 31 October 2025. Families hunting for clues in the dark. Survival of the dimmest. discoverkerry.com
Clare – Pathetically Theatrical Yet Strangely Charming
Bunratty Castle & Folk Park “Monsters, Misfits & Mayhem”: 25 to 27 October 2025. The folk park fills with costumes, shrieks, and staged horror. At least the castle approves. bunrattycastle.ie
The Flying Alpaca Halloween Experience, Kilkee: 31 October and 1 November 2025. Alpacas in costumes. Finally, livestock are given the dignity of concealment. flyingalpaca.com
Cork – Chaotic, Grotesque, and Marginally Entertaining
Dragon of Shandon Parade, Cork City: 31 October 2025. A skeletal dragon slithers through town. Terrifying, if you’ve never owned a mirror. dragonofshandon.com
Spike Island “After Dark: Possessed”: Selected nights in October. A haunted prison with illusions and whispers. Steel doors slam shut. You’ll never hear applause like that again. spikeislandcork.ie
Leahy’s Open Farm “BOO!”: 25 to 31 October 2025. Haunted hayrides, witches’ forests, pumpkins galore. Designed for excitable children and emotionally stunted adults. leahysopenfarm.ie
Waterford – Excessively Theatrical but Acceptably Sinister
Samhain in Waterford: 25 to 27 October 2025. Spraoi’s Dearg-Dua procession stalks the streets, a vampire spirit draining life from men. Finally, an activity I’d endorse. spraoi.com/samhain-in-waterford
Waterford Treasures Dark History Tours: Halloween week, nightly. Plague, punishment, and public misery. History at its most useful. waterfordtreasures.com
Wexford – Overly Whimsical but Moderately Tolerable
Johnstown Castle Halloween Trail & Museum of Mysteries: 25 October to 2 November 2025. Daylight trails and contrived mysteries indoors. Humanity’s endless need for drama. johnstowncastle.ie
Pop-Up Movie Club at Johnstown Castle: 31 October 2025. The Nightmare Before Christmas. A film that can’t commit. Admirable indecision. thepopupmovieclub.ie
Secret Valley Wildlife Park Halloween & Pumpkin Picking: Mid-term 2025. Witches, mazes, and photo opportunities. Terror dressed in Instagram filters. visitwexford.ie
Donegal – Predictably Cheerful Yet Accidentally Sinister
Oakfield Park “Pumpkin Express”: 25 to 27 October 2025. Haunted trains, pumpkins, and smiling children. Terrifying, but not for the reasons intended. oakfieldpark.com/halloween
Tipperary – Loud, Flashy, and Difficult to Avoid
Thurles Halloween Arts Festival: 25 to 31 October 2025. A week of fireworks, theatre, and noise. Pyrotechnics disguised as culture. thurleshalloweenfestival.com
Wicklow – Predictably Picturesque, Relentlessly Cheerful
Beyond the Trees Avondale Halloween Trail: 25 October to 1 November 2025. A treetop walk decorated with pumpkins. Nature doesn’t need accessories. But humans insist. beyondthetreesavondale.com
Closing Words
Ireland created Halloween. They gave the world Samhain, púca, and banshees. I gave the world something more useful – expertise. While others play dress-up once a year, I’ve spent my entire existence living the holiday.
This October, Ireland will be brimming with festivals, castles, haunted prisons, and overly enthusiastic mortals. Enjoy them, if you must. I’ll be in the shadows, watching the veil thin – and silently judging your costumes.
If you insist on travelling for such things, Trident Holiday Homes has places to stay across Ireland. Holiday homes near castles, coastlines, and probably a graveyard or two. Book one if you must. Or don’t. The silence doesn’t bother me.
Signed with reluctance,
Wednesday Addams
Consider this guide my one good deed for society. Don’t expect another.
Disclaimer: This article is written in the sarcastic spirit of Wednesday Addams. Trident Holiday Homes presents it as a playful creative piece – we don’t actually despise pumpkins, parades, or alpacas in disguise. Though Wednesday might…
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