From the origins of Jack O’Lanterns to the first trick or treaters, Halloween is tied to Ireland’s folklore and the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. This heralded the coming of winter, a time when light turned to darkness and the veil between this world and the next was thinnest, allowing ghosts, fairies and demons to pass through and menace the living.
AT WTM London, Tourism Ireland (stand N8-210) will be introducing eight Halloween hubs around the country – where visitors can have a frightfully good time at spooky trails, haunted experiences and hair-raising events.
Chief among these is Derry Halloween in the city of Derry-Londonderry, which is preparing for its 40th anniversary in 2026. The celebration, which began in 1986 as a pub-based fancy dress event, has grown into Europe’s largest Halloween festival, welcoming more than 12,000 domestic and international visitors. Staged across four days of mischievous revelry, Derry Halloween blends ancient folklore with modern thrills and large-scale community involvement.
Judith Cassidy, Tourism Ireland’s acting head of Great Britain, said: “There’s no better place to experience Halloween than where it all began – in Ireland. Derry Halloween is Europe’s largest Halloween festival, which takes place at the end of October each year, and sees the whole city come alive with spooky celebrations, events and performances.
“Another flagship event is the Puca Festival, which takes place in County Meath, telling the story of Halloween’s origins, with a view to encouraging more international visitors to visit Ireland during October and November. It’s a spectacular, fun and otherworldly three-day festival strongly rooted in tradition.”
The full list of Ireland's Halloween hotspots includes: 1. Derry-Londonderry, 2. Meath and Louth, 3. Dublin, 4. Galway city, 5. Kerry, 6. Kilkenny, 7. Limerick, 8. Longford and Westmeath.
Ireland will also use WTM to reinforce its appeal as an easy short break, exemplified since the introduction of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System. With Ireland one of the handful of European countries not participating in EES, it now presents as a visa-free travel destination for British citizens wanting to avoid queues and additional admin.
Cassidy added: “The phased introduction of the EES is likely to add a layer of complexity to travel plans. As one of the few destinations exempt from the scheme owing to the Common Travel Area, there’s a great opportunity for GB visitors to explore our amazing island with easy, visa-free travel and just a short flight away.”
