Before the season to be jolly comes the season to be scared, which is why we've rounded up a witch's brew of Halloween holiday ideas. Be afraid, but not too afraid because the value's great, writes SANDRA O'CONNELL
Castle Creepfest
Few places are going to be creepier than Clontarf Castle this Halloween, given that it is also hosting the 20th International Bram Stoker Festival. Mua ha ha . . .
Fun for all the family includes the International Vampire Cloak Race, The Ghost Bus Tour – which includes a stop at Clontarf Cemetery – and Dracula movies on a loop.
By way of relief you’ll be assured ghostly tales of smugglers and secret passages, not to mention knights in armour. Did that just move?
There is a home-made horror movie competition, spooky story writing contests and a gothic horror photography show.
From October 29th to 31st, a family of four can stay two nights at Clontarf Castle for €420 including BB and one dinner.
- clontarfcastle.ie
Smashing pumpkins
October is not just Halloween season, it’s pumpkin season, which is why growers across Ireland are busy waxing their produce in readiness for the Virginia Pumpkin Festival in Co Cavan, taking place over the October bank holiday weekend.
The event is now in its fourth year and organisers are expecting up to 20,000 to participate which means the scariest part will be trying to find a hotel room, so book early.
Other than that the grotesque is well represented in terms of monstrous fruits, with the big prize going to the heaviest pumpkin in the competition. How gross is that?
But there is fun galore too with a fancy dress party, a street carnival and an outdoor rock musical, The Pumpkin Bites Back. Meteor award winner Imelda May will be on stage in a ticketed performance on the Saturday night.
- virginia.ie
Collywobbles in west
The wildly scary west is awake between October 24th and November 1st and has ghastly pirates standing by to welcome families this Halloween to the five-star Doonbeg Lodge in Clare, one of the most atmospheric hotels in the country.
From there a “Skeleton Bus” will transport you to Doonbeg’s House of Horrors for some rather less than horrible sounding bonfires and marshmallows.
There’s a special kids Halloween dinner, so all the youngsters can get together and scare each other silly, followed by a Halloween movie.
Next day there’s a pumpkin treasure hunt followed by a trip to the storyteller’s hut for a haunting tale or two. Look out too for the special delivery from room service – a coffin of scary foods.
A two-night stay for a family of four in a courtyard suite costs €950.
- doonbeggolfclub.com
Clubbed to death
Even the K-Club has come over all fiendish with a super-creepy bat walk taking place on Friday, October 29th.
Led by Bat Conservation Ireland the kids will get the chance to get up close and personal with the little critters, as the presenter will be bringing some along with her.
The walk is free of charge for residents and, if you live nearby, non-residents can attend for €3.
It might be worth staying over though because on the following evening guests are invited to solve the mystery of Madam Jacqueline Marguerite who, legend has it, was murdered 200 years ago on the estate, possibly for not allowing the men behind her to play through.
These days, or rather nights, she is to be found still roaming the halls, and if you tell the kids that they’ll be too scared to go, that’s sad because there’ll also be face painting, costume competitions and family rounders on the front lawn. Just think how terrifying it will be for the kids to see Mum running.
The Murder Mystery Evening costs €245 per person sharing.
- kclub.ie
Demons and druids
Did you know that Halloween was invented in Meath? Neither did I until this year but, now that I do, it’s where I intend to go, specifically, to the Hill of Ward.
Just 12km away from its better known protuberance, the Hill of Tara, the Hill of Ward near Athboy is where the ancient Celtic Festival of Samhain was born, more than 2,000 years ago, to mark the end of the old Celtic year.
As the fires of the previous year were extinguished, it was here that the druids lit the ceremonial fire after sunset.
Torches were lit from it and carried to seven other hills around the county including Tara and Loughcrew, and on to light up the whole countryside.
Nowadays, as part of the Spirit of Meath Festival, which has ghoulish goings on across the county from October 22nd to 31st, a spine-tingling torchlit procession leaves the Fair Green in Athboy at 7pm on Halloween in an atmospheric re- enactment.
- meath.ie
Fear on the farm
Still in Meath, the Murtagh family has long since established their family homestead, Causey Farm, as terror central at this time of year.
In the days leading up to Halloween it runs a two-hour event at 4pm with fun from riding a broomstick to learning a spell at witch school.
There’s a “Dark Path Through the Valley of the Undead” to run through and a “Tunnel of Terror”, and this element is suitable for families with kids aged five to 12. Admission is €13 per person.
For older thrill seekers, check out the evening shows, billed as “One Event – Countless Disturbing Experiences”.
These include, to give you just a taste, a funeral cortege, a haunted house, a (different) house of horrors and, to use up their entire stock of assonance, a “Canyon of Carnage”.
These tours start every 15 minutes from 6.30pm to 9.30pm and tickets, if you’re brave enough, cost €15.
- causey.ie and farmaphobia.com
Mayo mayhem
If all that’s a little too hard on the adrenal glands, how about a gentler variation at the Park Hotel in Kiltimagh.
It is offering a family Halloween break for €119 per person sharing, with kids staying free as long as they bunk with Mum and Dad.
For that you’ll get BB plus tickets to Kiltimagh Pet Farm’s Halloween Spootacular (suitable for tots), which includes a witches’ cottage, haunted barn and torchlit walk, taking place each evening from October 29th to 31st from 5pm to 8pm.
The Halloween offer is available to book through Irish Country Hotels, of which the Park Hotel Kiltimagh is a member.
- irishcountryhotels.com/specialoffers
Paranormal Parknasilla
How about a five-night stay at the ultra-posh Parknasilla Resort in Sneem, Co Kerry? At €999 for a family of four, staying in one of its luxury lodges, the price is a lot less scary than you might think.
The hotel will be well tricked out for Halloween and your little monsters will be greeted by bags of treats on arrival, plus all sorts of themed activities, from movies to pumpkin carving.
Meanwhile, Mum and Dad can enjoy the spa, the golf, the swimming and the 500 acres of grounds which are, of course, only scary if you have to maintain them.
- parknasillahotel.ie
Pumpkin package
Irish Country Hotels is also has a deal going at the Garryvoe Hotel in Castlemartyr, in east Cork.
The package here includes three nights BB for a family of two adults sharing with two children aged under 12, and one night’s dinner.
For that you get its little pumpkins kiddies party with traditional Halloween games and a family day ticket to either Trabolgan Holiday Village or Fota Wildlife Park – including packed lunch. You’ll also pick up free admission to the Jungle World indoor play area in Midleton and a special discount for Perks Family Entertainment Centre in Youghal.
The deal here runs from Monday to Thursday, October 26th to 28th inclusive, and costs €265 per adult sharing.
- irishcountryhotels.com/specialoffers
Murder most foul
There’s murder, mayhem and no small amount of merriment on offer at Mount Wolseley Hotel’s Murder Mystery Weekend this Halloween.
Such are the dastardly deeds in store that, unlike most hotel breaks, management here is assuring guests they’re going to need to keep their wits about them at all times.
So, bring out the budding detective in you with two nights’ B&B plus a fancy dress four-course meal on Saturday, October 30th, for €179 per person sharing, including a drinks reception welcome.
- mountwolseley.ie
Train of terror
Heading southeast, Dooley’s Hotel in Waterford has terrific offers over the Halloween midterm break, including one nights’ BB for two adults and two children, available from Monday to Thursday, October 25th to 28th, for just €79. Dooley’s is a modest, well-located family-run hotel right on the quays with really friendly staff. There’s no leisure centre.
Stay on Saturday, October 30th, for €109, and the hotel will book your ticket for the Spooky Express train, run by Waterford Suir Valley Railway.
There are six departures on the timetable, from 5.30pm to, if you dare, 8.50pm and it was a huge success last year. Just be warned, the half-hour trip really is scary, so make sure little ones are up to it, or you’ll all spend your night in Dooley’s wide awake.
Train tickets cost extra and are €12 for adults and €10 for kids.
The Waterford’s Imagine Arts Festival will be running too, with all sorts of activities for kids taking place from October 22nd to 31st, including a special Spookfest involving mask making and a fancy dress parade.
- dooleys-hotel.ie