Farmer's Market, Carrick On Shannon, Leitrim master

Ship's caption, Jack O'Lantern Halloween Festival at Ulster American Folk Park, Omagh, Co. Tyrone master

Halloween & its Creepy Irish Origins

31.10.25

Modern Halloween was, arguably, exported to all over the world from America. However, not many realise that it was first brought to America’s shores hundreds of years ago by Irish immigrants. This walk is a great opportunity to examine and even experience some of the macabre Irish folklore, stretching back thousands of years, that fed into most, if not all, of the Halloween traditions.

Duration

2 hours 15 minutes

Prices

€27 Adult

€22 Seniors/Students

€15 Children aged 12-18 years with accompanying adult

FREE Children under 12 with accompanying adult

Meeting Point

Pat Liddy’s Walking Tours Starting Point

Tree of Gold sculpture

Central Plaza

Dame Street (corner with Fownes Street)

Dublin 2

Map To Meeting Location

*Please arrive 10 minutes before your tour starts

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Another great tour guide in Liam yesterday for our walking tour. He was lovely. Really informed, witty and a well-organized tour. I would recommend him to your clients.

Client, Celebrated Experiences

Best Tour Guide Ever
“Absolutely one of the best tours we’ve ever taken! Kate McCartney was FABULOUS! She knows everything about Dublin and made this tour phenomenal! I can’t say enough great things about her. Make sure you ask for Kate if you take this tour.”
Wendy W, Savannah, GA
18 October 2024

“We just finished our Dublin City Tour with Jacob.
Thank you Jacob for a perfect tour and that you enriched our stay in Dublin with a lot of insights and details about IRE history.
To all: very professional team and Organisation.”
Ralph P
22 June 2024

Authentic Dublin
“We have been on many walking tours, this is the best way to get to know what to see. Go at the beginning of your trip! Very authentic tour. Pat even joined us for the meet and greet at the meet up spot. Learned a lot about Dublin. We saw all the highlights from the outside so that we could plan which places we’d explore on the inside. Highly recommend this group.”
Izabela, London
12 October 2024

“Wonderful tour today!!! The guide, Ger was SUPER!!! Such fun!!!”
Tracey McD
20 October 2024

Take A Closer Look

Want a chilling experience? Well, it’s not that chilling as we want you to enjoy it and not be terrified. But we do enter the supernatural and you will hear of pacts with the devil and the truth (?) behind many of the Halloween customs that we all enjoy today. Halloween was a Christian superimposition on the ancient Irish pagan feast of Samhain, which was held at the end of October every year. The Celtic people had great reverence for their ancestors but also feared them, and on this day the portal between this world and the next opened, and good and (mostly) evil spirits roamed the land and people came up with various tactics to protect themselves from wandering malevolent creatures. These customs have come down to us today in more acceptable forms, of course, as Halloween customs. Many famous Irish writers created their own spectral figures based on our traditions, and have given us creepy tales such as The Portrait of Dorian Grey, Melmoth the Wanderer, Carmilla and, not forgetting, Dracula. We’ll dip into all of this and try to avoid getting splashed in blood!

Places We See & Pass By

Dublin Castle
Old City Walls
Castle Forty Steps
Marsh’s Library & St Patrick’s Cathedral
Christ Church Cathedral

Why Tour With Us?

Learn about the old Celtic Festival of Samhain which has given us Halloween.
Find out the Halloween influences of Irish Gothic writers such as Bram Stoker, Sheridan Le Fanu and others.
Receive discounts at a number of Dublin’s most iconic museums and cafes/restaurants.
We only take small groups.

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Meet Our Guides

Our knowledgeable guides offer deep insights into the culture, history, and hidden gems of Dublin. With expertise drawn from diverse backgrounds, they are provided with annual opportunities to upskill, ensuring they can confidently lead any of our diverse tours. Their enthusiasm and infectious delivery will help you get the most from your experience. Several of our guides are bilingual, and some are even multilingual, further enhancing your tour with a broader range of insights and perspectives.

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We frequently offer special tours to commemorate key events or figures in Dublin’s history. Join our mailing list to get early access & a €5 discount.