New Halloween folk festival announced in Portlaoise

A new Halloween festival has been launched in Laois, bringing four days of magical spooky entertainment.

From 29 October to 1 November, Portlaoise will host a four-day celebration of folklore, myth, history, and tradition, called the Portlaoise Samhain Folk Festival.

Storytellers, historians, artists, and neighbours are all taking part to encourage everyone to explore the magical connections between Laois, Ireland, and the wider European community.

Events will take place across Portlaoise Library, Dunamaise Arts Centre, Midlands Park Hotel, and Kavanagh’s Bar & Venue.

Festival Highlights at a Glance:

Beware the Fairy Fort (Thursday, 5:30pm, Portlaoise Library): Discover why our ancestors revered, feared, and carefully avoided fairy forts, and how these age-old tales still shape Irish storytelling today.

In Person with Author Ellen Ryan (Friday, 4:30pm, Portlaoise Library): Meet the author of They Called Us Witch for an interactive look at true stories of historical women labeled as witches, priestesses, and healers.

Myths, Monsters & Magic Illustration Workshop (Friday, 11:00pm, Portlaoise Library): A fun, creative folklore illustration workshop with David Butler.

Step Inside the Story Dome (Saturday, Portlaoise Library): Join storyteller Vicky McFarland inside a magical portable dome featuring live storytelling and projected animation full of heart and imagination!

Myth & Memory Seminar (Saturday, 3:00pm, Midlands Park Hotel): A warm gathering of leading minds exploring shared traditions, protective charms, and European folklore.

Plámásing with Fionn Phelan (Saturday, 9:00pm, Kavanagh's Bar & Venue): A cozy evening of wonderful storytelling, music, and great conversation with special guests.

Laois: Its Dark Histories (Sunday, 3:00pm, Dunamaise Arts Centre): A fascinating closing discussion on local mysteries, superstitions, and legends, complete with special musical and character performances.

The festival coordinator is David Broderick.

"Samhain is one of Ireland's most important cultural traditions, with roots that stretch back centuries and connections that can be found across Europe. This festival celebrates not only the unique stories of Laois but also the shared folklore, customs and beliefs that link communities across Europe. Through storytelling, discussion, music and performance, we hope to inspire people to rediscover the stories that shape our identities, our sense of place and our cultural heritage."

Schedule:

Thursday 29 October - Portlaoise Library 3pm: Biddy Aghaboe: Wise Women, Wells & Water with Michelle Quirke. 5:30pm: Beware the Fairy Fort: Tales from Ireland's Otherworld with Erika Lewis. 7pm: Haunting Echoes of Ireland's Past with author Colm Donnelly, exploring Ireland's rich and forgotten ruins. All Day: Repeated screenings of the film The Elder Days.

Friday 30 October - Portlaoise Library 11:00am: Myths, Monsters & Magic Illustration Workshop with David Butler (Portlaoise Library). 4:30pm: They Called Us Witch, an interactive talk (13+) with author Ellen Ryan (Portlaoise Library). All Day: Immersive Story Dome adventures with Vicky McFarland, plus repeated film screenings at Portlaoise Library.

3pm: Family-Friendly Heritage Walking Tour with Michael Parsons.

8pm: Screening the short film Poulastore at The Heath Community Hall 8pm: Witches in Art, a multimedia art talk at the Dunamaise Arts Centre.

Saturday 31 October Halloween 10am – 3pm: Myth & Memory Seminar: Ireland, Europe and the Folklore of Laois at the Midlands Park Hotel. Featuring talks by David Broderick (The Evil Eye), Tony Delaney (Our Past), Aaron Grimes (Witch Hunting in Britain and Europe vs. Ireland), and Nuala Hayes (Collecting Folklore in Laois).

9pm – 11pm: Plámásing with Fionn Phelan at Kavanagh's Bar & Venue, featuring guests Cormac Strain, Aileen Donovan, and Alannah Murray.

Sunday 1 November 3pm – 5pm: Laois: Its Dark Histories hosted by Ann-Marie Kelly at the Dunamaise Arts Centre. A panel discussion with Nuala Hayes, Teddy Fennelly, Prof. Henry O'Connell, and Pat Critchley, accompanied by Michael Creagh (as Canon O'Hanlon) and musician Adam Tahraoui.

The new festival is funded through Cultúr 2026 - the national cultural programme supporting Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union - this year’s theme, "Ireland, Europe and the Stories That Bind Us," celebrates shared stories, beliefs, and cozy traditions.

Brochures are available to pick up at Portlaoise Library.