12 Spooky Things to do for Halloween in Dublin in 2026

You may not know this, but Halloween originally began in Ireland about 2000 years ago. It’s derived from a Celtic festival known as Samhain. This festival marked the end of the harvest season, and it’s when the veil to the after world was believed to be the thinnest.

Eventually, Irish immigrants brought these traditions to America, where they evolved into the holiday we know today.

I personally think spending Halloween in the place it was invented is really cool! Dublin itself is one of the most haunted cities in Europe, with stories of notorious serial killers, mythical creatures and ghosts roaming the city.

Although, spending Halloween in Dublin may not have the same spooky craziness as some places in the US, like New Orleans for example. There is still a lot to do and from what I’ve heard, Ireland is starting to lean more into its spooky roots, so for the coming years, celebrations are going to get bigger and better. For now, you can experience all of Dublin’s Spookiness with this guide.

Things to do for Halloween in Dublin

Take a Spooky Ghost Bus Tour

BOOK THIS SPOOKY GHOST BUS TOUR

Let me start by saying this tour absolutely blew my mind. I’ve been on plenty of ghost tours over the years, and this one easily ranks in my top 3. The tour began even before we sat down.

Once we checked in, we boarded though a narrow corridor set up to feel like a haunted house. There was a creepy laughing doll, smoke, and I feel like the driver was hired to scare us. He had a whole collection of masks and kept jumping out and making creepy noises.

Once we got upstairs to our seats, I noticed the windows were blocked by bright red velvet curtains. Our guide said that was so we could focus on the stories being told. Our tour guide worked as an actor, which shouldn’t be a surprise on these kinds of tours. He was incredible! The tour honestly played out like a show. He used music, props and sounds to go with the storytelling, and as someone with ADHD I get distracted easily. But I was sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time.

We got out of the bus only twice. Most of the stories were told on the bus, but without giving too much away we learned about the art of body snatching; where Bram stoker got his inspiration for Dracula; the tale of the infamous surgeon Dr Clossley; myths surrounding Darkey Kelly & more.

This was such a fun tour! It runs year-round, so whether you’re visiting Dublin in October or on some random weekend in May, you can still experience it. If you love all things spooky and macabre, this is definitely worth booking.

BOOK THIS SPOOKY GHOST BUS TOUR

Have Drinks at a Creepy Cocktail Bar

Peruke & Periwig | Address: 31 Dawson St, Dublin 2, D02 DR58, Ireland

If you are looking for a place in Dublin with spooky vibes, I highly recommend Peruke and Periwig. This three-story cocktail bar sits inside a gorgeous Georgian building, and the atmosphere alone makes it perfect for Halloween.

The name itself comes from the building’s history as a wigmaker’s shop back in the day, and they’ve leaned hard into that theme. As soon as you walk into the first floor bar, you’ll spot rows of mannequin heads sporting powdered wigs perched up high.

When you arrive, I recommend heading towards the back and getting seated upstairs. I got there early and was lucky enough to get a table. Usually you need a reservation, especially later in the night or weekends.

Anyway, the hostess will take you up a narrow staircase. Once you reach the upper floor, you’ll walk into a stunning room surrounded by dark wood, plush red velvet seating, gilt-framed portraits, and antique furnishings.

They had such a unique selection of cocktails. One of my drinks had gold dusted lychee as a garnish, but I have to say, my favorite was a drink called “Sirens curls” which had wasabi, pickled infused gin, and melon foam. The ingredients sound strange, but they all went together beautifully.

The menu on the first floor bar and the upper floors do vary, so keep that in mind when deciding where to sit, but for ambiance I recommend the upper floor bar.

Discover your Inner Artist at a Halloween Themed Neon Painting Class

BOOK A NEON PAINITNG CLASS

I’ll be honest, I am probably the least artistic person out there, and that is because of my lack of fine motor control due to a neurological condition I have called Ataxia. My idea of drawing is making stick figures, and even drawing those are difficult. That being said, I do like to challenge myself and try new things, so I was intrigued when I found this UV light painting class and for Halloween, they offered a sugar skull theme.

This class was hosted by Dublin. Art Bar, which is located in a bar called Pawn Shop. Once you enter, you’ll head down the stairs and enter the painting workshop (by the bathrooms). This is also a paint and sip, so you’ll be able to run up to the bar and grab a drink to take down with you.

Before I started my painting, I decided to wander around the room and look at examples of how I want mine to look. I was determined to create a painting similar to the ones below.

Unfortunately, mine did not look anything like the painting above, but it was so much fun nonetheless. Our teacher guided us through the entire process, while she herself also participated. We began with these basic photocopies of skulls that we eventually sketched onto our canvas. This was the hardest part for me. If you are asking yourself, “where is your drawing, Marika!” Unfortunately, I didn’t get a photo and ended up leaving it behind, no room in the suitcase!

But this was a really fun class and even if you come to Dublin any other time of the year, I recommend taking one. They do fun themes like “SpongeBob”, “cherry blossoms”, “fireworks, and many more!

BOOK A NEON PAINITNG CLASS

Have a Halloween Inspired Afternoon Tea in a Vintage Double Decker Bus

Vintage Tea Trips

I have been dying to take a vintage tea bus tour for ages, ever since I first saw on a video on social media years ago. I was especially excited when I saw Vintage Tea Trips in Dublin had a Halloween themed one.

This tour combines the afternoon tea with a tour around Glasnevin Cemetery, the biggest cemetery in Ireland and is said to be the most haunted. The tour started at St. Stephen’s Green, where we boarded a beautifully restored 1960s Routemaster double-decker bus.

Our host for the bus portion was Hannah, and she was honestly incredible. As we cruised around Dublin’s landmarks, she shared fascinating stories about how Halloween or Samhain as it was originally known began in Ireland and is deeply rooted in Irish culture. We learned about traditions dating back to the 10th century that are still carried out today, including pumpkin carving, wearing costumes, and trick-or-treating.

She is also originally from Sleepy Hollow in NY, so she is well versed in all things spooky and even shared with us the story of the headless horsemen.

While we were soaking up all the Halloween commentary, we were treated to a full afternoon tea spread that included:

Freshly cut finger sandwiches (egg mayonnaise, coronation chicken, ploughman’s pickle)
Warm scones served with Irish fruit jam and clotted cream
A selection of desserts and pastries (ccarrot cake, lemon and raspberry tart, passion fruit mousse)
Unlimited tea, coffee, hot chocolate, juice, and water
A souvenir reusable branded cup to take home

We were driving for about 1.5 hours before arriving at Glasnevin for our tour. There are no bathrooms on board, so keep that in mind when enjoying those bottomless drinks!

Glasnevin Cemetery has about 1.5 million people buried there. We learned about several people who shaped Irish history, as well as some hauntings that have taken place.

Experience all the Jump Scares at a Haunted House

Nightmare Realm | Address: Royal Liver Assurance Retail Park, Old Naas Rd, Inchicore, Dublin, D12 X3FK, Ireland

Nightmare Realm is the only haunted house in Dublin, and I was honestly shocked at how well done it was! I would say it’s more of a haunted complex than a house. There are 5 haunted houses included with your ticket, but each one can only be done once. There are actors walking around, and one actor even took my phone and tried calling my mom, which I thought was hilarious. She didn’t answer, but I can only imagine what she would have thought if she had.

Nightmare Realm runs from early October through early November, so you’ve got plenty of chances to experience it. Besides the mazes, you’ll see dance troupes, circus performers, and aerial acts performing throughout the venue.

The theme and storyline of Nightmare Realm changes annually. Past themes have included “The Curse of the Five”, “Attack of the Clowns” and “Haunted Orphanage”.

Between mazes, you can catch your breath in Halloween Town, which is a Victorian-themed Halloween festival village. It’s a buzzing hub with a food court, multiple themed shops including a tattoo parlor, tarot reading shop, haunted doll shop, and sweet shop, plus live entertainment including fire and dance shows.

Tickets range from about €22-€36 depending on the day (weekends are more expensive). Your ticket includes all five mazes and entry to Halloween Town. If you don’t want to wait in queues between mazes, you can upgrade to a Fast Pass for an additional fee. There’s also something called “Zombie Insurance” which is a wristband you can buy for €2 that signals to the actors you want a less intense experience.

Tour One of the Most Notorious and Haunted Prisons in Ireland

Kilmainham Gaol | Address: Inchicore Rd, Kilmainham, Dublin 8, D08 RK28, Ireland

If there’s one place in Dublin where history and horror collide, it’s Kilmainham Gaol. This former prison isn’t just one of Ireland’s most important historical sites, it’s also widely considered one of the most haunted places in the entire country.

Often called “Ireland’s answer to Alcatraz,” this imposing stone structure has witnessed so much suffering, and death over its 128-year history that it’s no wonder spirits reportedly still linger within its walls.

Kilmainham Gaol opened in 1796 as a “modern” replacement for Dublin’s overcrowded prisons, but it quickly faced the exact same problems. At its worst, the prison held 9,000 inmates. Men, women, and children were crammed together in grim, candle-lit cells sometimes five people per cell. While men got iron beds, women and children were expected to sleep on the cold stone floor.

The prison housed everyone from cold-blooded murderers to seven-year-old children convicted of stealing food. People imprisoned for petty theft were thrown in with rapists and killers, with no protection whatsoever.

But Kilmainham is most famous for its role in Irish independence. Many of Ireland’s most notable freedom fighters were imprisoned here, and the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising, including Pádraig Pearse and James Connolly were executed by firing squad in the prison’s courtyard. Public hangings also took place at the gates in the early years, meant to serve as warnings to others. Over its history, 150,000 people passed through Kilmainham’s doors, and many never left.

In 1960, the Kilmainham Gaol Restoration Committee was formed to turn the prison into a museum. From the moment restoration work began, volunteers and workers encountered strange paranormal activity.

Governor Dan McGill, who lived in the old warden’s quarters while overseeing the restoration, had one of the first documented experiences. One night, he looked out his window and saw the old chapel lights were on. He had just turned them off moments before. When he went to investigate, the chapel was empty. He turned off the lights again and returned to his quarters. When he looked back out the window, the lights were on again. He went back and forth with the lights several times before finally giving up.

The most famous and frightening encounter happened during those early restoration days. A volunteer was painting in the dungeon when suddenly, an unseen force violently blew him across the room and pinned him against the far wall. The man had to physically fight to free himself from whatever was holding him. Once he escaped, he refused to ever go back to that part of the prison again.

Today, Kilmainham Gaol operates as a popular museum (accessible only by guided tour), but the paranormal activity hasn’t stopped. Staff, tour guides, and visitors regularly report:

Heavy footsteps echoing through empty corridors
Lights turning on and off by themselves throughout the building
Disembodied voices and whispers
Doors slamming with no explanation
Cold spots that move through rooms
A feeling of being watched constantly
Children refusing to enter certain parts of the building
People being shoved or pushed by invisible hands
A particularly dark presence in the chapel area

Tour guides have collected countless visitor accounts of these experiences and while no specific ghosts have been definitively identified, it’s believed that the spirits of former inmates remain trapped there.

The prison is open year-round (except December 24-26) and can only be visited via guided tour, which you need to book weeks in advance. I did not know this and tried showing up, but the very nice security told me there are same day tickets issued daily at 9:15 am, so if you don’t have a ticket make sure you are online at the exact time. They go fast! The tours run throughout the day and take you through the cells, corridors, and the execution yard.

I would say, if you are short on time and can only pick a few things to do in the city, this should be one of them.

Watch Scary Movies at an Independent Theater

Lighthouse | Address: Market St S, Smithfield, Dublin 7, D07 R6YE, Ireland

Every October, Lighthouse Cinema showcases scary movies in an event they call “Silver Scream”. They run it from mid-October through Halloween night. You will have the opportunity to catch various movies such as Dracula, The Mummy, The Bride of Frankenstein, and if you have kids who want to partake in the fun, or you aren’t big on scary movies, they also show some Tim Burton classics. I saw Frankenweenie for the first time, and it was so good!

Irish Film Institute ! Address: 6 Eustace St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, D02 PD85, Ireland

I actually found out about the Irish Film institute’s IFI Horrorthon during the last few days of my trip. I was touring a distillery who happened to be providing a signature Halloween blend gin for the event, so I decided to see what was playing and chose “The Descent”.

The festival focuses on horror movies from around the world, as well as showcasing cult classics and films that haven’t hit mainstream distribution.

The event typically runs for five days in late October (usually the last week leading up to Halloween, around October 23-27).

Have a Halloween Themed Dinner with a Dinner Club

This was the first time I have joined a supper club and honestly, I may start doing more in the future because it was so fun and the food was absolutely incredible! This was put on by Slemish Supper Club. They primarily host their dinners in Northern Ireland, but will occasionally come down to Dublin and host some of their special dinners, like this Halloween one I was lucky enough to get tickets to.

Chef Rob Curley is the mastermind behind these dinners. Originally from Dublin, he’s got over 20 years in the restaurant trade, including stints at L’Ecrivain (a Michelin-starred restaurant) and the prestigious Shanahans On The Green in Dublin.

He’s competed in tapas and paella championships in Spain, competitive barbecue in France, and has collaborated with renowned chefs from Ireland, France, Spain, and Hong Kong. He even represented Ireland at the World Tapas Championship in Valladolid, Spain in 2018. It almost felt like I was meeting somewhat of a celebrity.

Our dinner was six-courses and all on theme with Halloween. We got to sip a cocktail out of a blood bag, and eat dishes with names such as The Puca, Porkensteins Crimson Creation, Floozy in the Jacuzzi, and Freaky Foot and Toe Jam.

Rob came out after every course was served to tell us the story of each dish. This was hands down, one of the best meals I had in Dublin and I would 100% book another dinner with Slemish Supper Club.

Visit Ireland’s Biggest and Most Haunted Cemetery

Glasnevin Cemetery | Address: Finglas Rd, Glasnevin, Dublin, D11 H2TH, Ireland

Glasnevin is Ireland’s largest cemetery, it’s 124-acres and over 1.5 million people have been buried there since 1832. The cemetery was founded by the legendary Daniel O’Connell (who’s buried there with his own impressive tower) in response to a serious problem: Irish Catholics had no cemeteries of their own.

The repressive Penal Laws of the 18th century made it nearly impossible for Catholics to perform their own funeral services, so they were stuck using Protestant churchyards with limited rites. Glasnevin was created as Ireland’s first non-denominational cemetery, a place where people of all faiths could bury their dead.

The cemetery quickly became the final resting place for Ireland’s most notable figures. You’ll find the graves of Michael Collins, Éamon de Valera, Charles Stewart Parnell, Countess Markievicz, Brendan Behan, Luke Kelly of The Dubliners, and countless other Irish legends. It’s earned the title “Ireland’s National Cemetery.”

In the 1830s and 1840s, informal pits were dug to accommodate the massive death toll from cholera outbreaks and the Great Famine. Nearly 800,000 people are buried in unmarked mass graves at Glasnevin.

Body snatching was also a serious problem in 18th and early 19th century Dublin. Medical schools needed bodies for research and experiments, and grave robbers would steal freshly buried bodies to sell them. The high walls and watchtowers you see surrounding Glasnevin were built to deter bodysnatchers.

The cemetery’s museum even has displays showing some of the more inventive (and gruesome) methods grave robbers used. One particularly horrifying diorama shows a man who, instead of digging up the entire coffin, dug a tunnel to the head of the coffin, fastened a noose around the corpse’s neck, and hoisted the body back to the surface.

Despite its dark history, most of the spirits reportedly haunting Glasnevin are said to be pretty benign. The most famous ghost isn’t even human: it’s a dog.

In February 1861, Royal Navy Captain John McNeill Boyd was swept out to sea during a ferocious storm while attempting to rescue the crew of a stricken vessel, which had crashed into the east pier at Dun Laoghaire. His body was recovered two weeks later, and his faithful Newfoundland dog was on the search boat.
The dog refused to leave his master’s side, even after Boyd was buried at Glasnevin. The loyal companion sat at the grave, refusing all food that was brought to him, and eventually died of starvation.

Ever since, people have reported seeing a large black Newfoundland roaming Glasnevin Cemetery, sitting beside Boyd’s grave, or wandering the grounds at night. The ghostly dog has even been spotted near Boyd’s statue at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Today, Glasnevin is still a working cemetery. There are several tour options to choose from. The “Dead Interesting Tour” explores the lives of some lesser-known residents, while the “Women in History Tour” shines a spotlight on the extraordinary women buried there. For a broader overview, there’s the “Irish History Tour” that covers the pivotal events and people who shaped Ireland.

And around Halloween, they run a special “Samhain Tour” designed specifically for kids, focusing on Celtic culture, superstitions, and ghost stories. The cemetery also has a museum where you can dive deeper into Glasnevin’s history and learn about the fascinating people who are buried there.

Tour One of the Most Haunted Castles in Ireland

Malahide Castle | Address: Back Rd, Malahide Demesne, Malahide, Co. Dublin, Ireland

Just north of Dublin sits one of Ireland’s most haunted castles. With over 800 years of history including battles, betrayals, and executions.  Malahide Castle has collected quite the roster of resident ghosts. At least five spirits are said to roam its halls, and every single one of them has a tragic story to tell.

Malahide Castle’s story begins in 1185 when Sir Richard Talbot accompanied Henry II to Ireland and was granted land as a reward for his service during the Anglo-Norman conquest. The oldest parts of the castle date back to the 12th century, and it remained in the Talbot family for nearly 800 years, one of the longest continuous occupancies of any castle in Ireland.

Over the centuries, Malahide has witnessed so much, including many bloody battles. In fact, during the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, fourteen men of the Talbot family sat down for breakfast together on the morning of July 1st. By that evening, only one was still alive.

Now, on to the hauntings of Malahide.

Miles Corbett was one of 59 members of Parliament who signed the death warrant of King Charles I making him a regicide (king-killer) in the eyes of the monarchy. When Oliver Cromwell conquered Ireland, he rewarded Corbett’s loyalty by granting him Malahide Castle and the surrounding property, effectively kicking out the Catholic Talbot family.

But Corbett’s fortune didn’t last. When Cromwell died and the monarchy was restored in 1660, King Charles II wanted revenge for his father’s execution. He set out to hunt down all 59 regicides who had signed the death warrant. Corbett, realizing his days were numbered, fled to the Netherlands. The Talbots simply moved back into their castle.

Two years later, in 1662, Charles II caught up with Corbett and dragged him back to Malahide to make an example of him. Corbett was hanged, drawn, and quartered right there at the castle, one of the most brutal forms of execution reserved for traitors. His body was torn into four pieces as a warning to anyone who might consider conspiring against the Crown.

His ghost is one of the most active at Malahide Castle. Witnesses report seeing a figure in full armor who suddenly falls to pieces, four pieces, to be exact. Every anniversary of his death, his ghost is said to run throughout the castle at night.

Another tale involves Puck, the court jester who served the Talbot family in the 16th century. Puck’s job was to entertain guests, but one day he encountered a visiting noblewoman and fell head over heels in love. The problem? A lowly jester had absolutely no business falling for nobility.

Around the same time, rumors began swirling that someone at Malahide Castle was conspiring with the rebel Silken Thomas Fitzgerald against King Henry VIII. The Talbots were worried. If these rumors reached the king, he could declare war on them.

One snowy December morning, Puck was found stabbed just outside the castle walls, dying from his wounds. The Talbots claimed he’d killed himself, but hardly anyone believed that story. It’s widely suspected that a member of the Talbot family murdered Puck to silence him. =

With his dying breath, Puck vowed to haunt Malahide Castle forever, though he promised not to harm any male Talbot who slept there. And he’s made good on that promise. Puck is now the castle’s most mischievous and active ghost. He’s been spotted in the minstrel’s gallery and the tower room where he once lived. He’s a playful spirit who enjoys photobombing and moving objects around.

In 2019, Lizzo performed at Malahide Castle and claimed Puck took her phone and put it in her dancer’s pocket outside the castle. She said: “He took my phone and he put it in my dancer’s pocket, it was so crazy! They looked all over the castle for it. Then we called it and it was in my dancer’s pocket outside. It happened after I knocked on his door.”

Perhaps the most tragic tale is that of Sir Walter Hussey (also known as Young Lord Galtrim) and his bride, Maud Plunkett. There are two versions of what happened on what should have been the happiest day of their lives in 1429.

One version says that Galtrim was ambushed and stabbed on his way to the wedding, killed by a jealous rival.

The other version says that Galtrim and Maud were married on the morning of Whit Monday, 1429. Just a few hours after their wedding, Galtrim was killed in battle. Maud wasted no time in marrying again after Galtrim’s death. Some stories suggest she married the very man who killed her young husband.

His ghost now wanders the halls of Malahide Castle, groaning and pointing to the spear wound in his side that killed him.  Maud herself haunts the castle too. Her second marriage didn’t last, and by the time she married for a third time to a Lord Chief Justice, she’d become paranoid. The couple fought constantly. Her ghost is still seen chasing the spirit of her final husband through the castle halls.

There’s one more ghost at Malahide, and she’s a mystery. In the Great Hall hangs a portrait of a beautiful woman in a flowing white dress. Nobody knows who she is or how her portrait came to hang at Malahide Castle. But on many occasions, this young lady steps right out of her portrait and wanders the castle halls at night. She’s been seen by countless visitors over the years, though she seems benevolent and peaceful compared to some of the castle’s other spirits.

Malahide Castle is filled with unexplained occurrences. Doors that staff have locked simply unlock themselves. Open doors slam shut. Unseen hands push people as they walk down hallways. Water taps turn on and off by themselves. Visitors report being nudged by invisible presences, particularly in areas where Puck is known to haunt.

Malahide Castle runs a fun adults only event called:A Traitorous Tale.  It’s a murder mystery that will take you through the castle. You will be tasked at solving a murder, and you will have to choose between 3 suspects, who all share their versions of what happened and try to convince you of their innocence. Before the show started, we also got canapés and a themed Halloween cocktail, which was all so good.

This experience does sell out weeks in advance, so make sure you book early!

Take a Ghost Walking Tour

BOOK THIS DUBLIN GHOST TOUR

Dublin’s haunted history goers back centuries. I would go as far as to say it is one of the most haunted cities in Europe. Dublin has so many ghost walking tours to choose from, but in the end, I decided to go with this haunted Dublin walking tour. Our guide was great, and we learned all about Dublin’s spooky legends and myths, as well as some of the city’s most notorious serial killers and brutal killings that took place.

Have Food and Drinks at a Historic and Ghostly Pub

Darkey Kelly | Address: 19 Fishamble St, Christchurch Pl, Temple Bar, Dublin 8, D08 PD8W, Ireland

Darkey Kelly’s looks like any other lively Irish pub live music, Guinness on tap, tourists, and locals packed in together. But this place has one hell of a dark backstory that goes back centuries.

In the 1750s, a woman named Dorcas Kelly ran one of Dublin’s busiest brothels. The Maiden Tower, tucked away on Copper Alley near Fishamble Street, catered to the city’s elite and its most depraved. Locals called her “Darkey,” a nickname derived from her given name, which ironically means “dark” in Irish.

Among her regular patrons was Simon Luttrell, Dublin’s Sheriff and the 1st Earl of Carhampton. Luttrell was a ranking member of the notorious Hellfire Club, earning himself the chilling title “King of Hell.” When Kelly allegedly became pregnant by the sheriff and demanded he support their child, he turned on her. He said that she’d used witchcraft to seduce him, then sacrificed their infant in a demonic ritual. The child’s body was never recovered.

While the witchcraft charges may have been fabricated, evidence suggests Kelly was guilty of something far worse. Official records show she was convicted of killing a shoemaker named John Dowling on St. Patrick’s Day 1760. Nearly three decades after her death, a newspaper reported a grisly discovery at a Copper Alley brothel: five male corpses concealed beneath the floorboards, so she may have been a serial killer. No one really knows.

The only thing that is known is how she died. On a bitter January day in 1761, Kelly was dragged to Gallows Road, today’s Baggot Street, where she was executed. First partially hanged, then burned alive at the stake. In a final act of defiance, her fellow prostitutes held a wake for her on Copper Alley. Authorities arrested thirteen of the women for causing a public disturbance and threw them in Newgate Prison.

More than 260 years have passed, yet locals insist Darkey Kelly still walks Dublin’s streets. Patrons at the pub bearing her name report unexplained sounds, objects moving without cause, and an unsettling feeling of being observed. Those brave (or foolish) enough to wander near Fishamble Street after dark sometimes glimpse a shadowy female figure drifting toward Copper Alley, only to vanish into thin air.

These days, the pub stands in what was once called Dublin’s “hell” district. Visitors come for the nightly traditional music, the extensive whiskey selection, and the cozy atmosphere. But some come hoping for something more… a meeting with Darkey.

Unfortunately I did not experience any interactions with Darkey, but I did have a fantastic meal and a Guinness while listening to some music, so I recommend stopping in and staying for a bit. The workers are also well versed in the story of Darkey Kelly, so if you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask!

Bull & Castle | Address: 5-7 Lord Edward St, Dublin 2, D02 P634, Ireland

On Lord Edward Street, you’ll find an upscale steakhouse with an unexpected resident. The sorrowful spirit of one of Ireland’s greatest poets.

What’s now known as the Bull & Castle began life far more humbly as a simple grocery store on Fishamble Street, run by the Mangan family in the early 1800s. But the story begins when a, troubled boy was born within these walls on May 1, 1803.

James Clarence Mangan entered the world as the son of a grocer whose grand ambitions far exceeded his business sense. His father’s reckless property speculation and extravagant lifestyle plunged the family into bankruptcy, forcing them to move repeatedly throughout Dublin. By age 15, young James was trapped in the soul-crushing work of a clerk’s office, copying legal documents for pittance wages to support his struggling family.

Yet from this misery emerged one of Ireland’s most celebrated poets. Mangan taught himself multiple languages and became known for nationalist works like “Dark Rosaleen,” his haunting translation of the Irish classic “Róisín Dubh.” His contemporaries described an unforgettable figure: a gaunt man who padded his shirts to hide his malnourished frame, wore enormous green spectacles, and topped it all with a peculiar pointed hat.

Depression consumed Mangan like a slow poison. He turned first to alcohol, then to opium, trying to numb the pain of his existence. Friends who admired his genius watched helplessly as he descended into addiction, delivering poems for immediate payment before vanishing into Dublin’s seediest taverns.

By 1846, his drinking had cost him his position cataloguing books at Trinity College library. He spent his final years in abject poverty, begging money from sympathetic patrons and living in conditions of shocking squalor. Those who tried to help him felt a mixture of pity and frustration.

The cholera epidemic of 1849 swept through Dublin. Mangan, already weakened by malnutrition and years of substance abuse, didn’t stand a chance. After days in the fever sheds at Kilmainham, he was discovered near death and rushed to Meath Hospital. Seven days later, on June 20, 1849, he died at just 46 years old. His funeral was attended by exactly two people.

Those who work at and visit the Bull & Castle insist that Mangan’s spirit never left his birthplace. The signs of his presence are subtle but unmistakable: a sudden plunge in temperature that makes patrons shiver despite the warmth of the room. An overwhelming sense of melancholy that settles over certain spots like a heavy fog. Some report an oppressive feeling, as if the very air is weighted with sadness.

These days, the Bull & Castle serves some of the best steaks in Dublin. But if you suddenly feel an inexplicable chill creep up your spine, or notice the mood around you darken, don’t be alarmed. It’s just Mangan, making his rounds.

I had a lovely steak dinner here, and it’s definitely a place I recommend checking out. The interior is also just really beautiful.

The Brazen Head | Address: 20 Bridge St. Lower, Usher’s Quay, Dublin, D08 WC64, Ireland

The Brazen Head is possibly Dublin’s oldest drinking establishment, definitely one of its most haunted, and absolutely a place where the ghosts of Ireland’s revolutionary past refuse to rest in peace.

Ask the pub itself, and they’ll tell you they’ve been serving drinks since 1198. The reality? Well, it’s complicated. The building you see today was erected in 1754 as a coaching inn, replacing earlier structures. Records show the location had a merchant’s house by 1613, received permission to serve alcohol in 1661, and first appeared in documents as an inn in 1668.

In the dying years of the 18th century, the Brazen Head became ground zero for the revolution. The United Irishmen, a group of idealistic rebels determined to break free from British rule gathered here in secret.

Among them was Robert Emmet, a passionate 25-year-old from a well-off Protestant family. Emmet had spent months preparing. Weapons hidden throughout Dublin. Allies ready to rise. Plans to seize Dublin Castle and capture the British administration in one bold stroke. But when the moment came, everything fell apart.

The rebellion dissolved into confused street fighting. Instead of a coordinated uprising, Within hours, it was over. The revolutionaries melted away into the night, and Emmet went underground, a wanted man with a price on his head.

He lasted just over a month in hiding before authorities found him on August 25th. His trial on September 19th was a foregone conclusion. The British had even bribed his lead attorney to ensure conviction.

They took him to Thomas Street, just up the hill from his beloved Brazen Head, and built a scaffold outside St. Catherine’s Church. They hanged him until his body went limp.

Once he was dead, they cut him down and beheaded him. The executioner held the severed head high, fingers twisted in Emmet’s hair, bellowing to the assembled crowd: “This is the head of a traitor!” His blood ran into the street, pooling in the gutters where stray dogs lapped it up.

They carted his remains back to Kilmainham Gaol and left them in the prison yard for days, forcing other inmates to see what happened to rebels. The blood-soaked execution block stayed on Thomas Street for two days as a warning. Local legend claims his blood ran downhill from the scaffold, flowing back toward the Brazen Head.

But before they killed him, Emmet gave them his final words. Standing in the dock, he delivered a speech that would inspire Irish rebels for the next two centuries: “Let no man write my epitaph… When my country takes her place among the nations of the earth, then, and not till then, let my epitaph be written.”

To this day, nobody knows where Robert Emmet’s body ended up. A search of his family vault a century later found nothing. But ask anyone who’s worked late nights at the Brazen Head, and they’ll tell you: Emmet never left. Staff and patrons have spotted a figure in the same corner where he used to sit. Sometimes it’s just a shadow. Other times it’s a young man in period clothing,

People also claim to see TWO ghosts at the Brazen Head. Not just Emmet, but also his executioner. Some say it’s Emmet’s unfinished business keeping him here. Others whisper that he’s searching for something, his head, perhaps, or his final resting place, or maybe just waiting for that day when Ireland truly stands free among the nations. There’s even a rumor that Emmet’s actual remains are hidden somewhere in the pub’s cellars.

The Brazen Head didn’t stop collecting famous patrons after Emmet’s death. James Joyce mentioned it in Ulysses. Brendan Behan drank here. Jonathan Swift allegedly stopped by. Michael Collins, the revolutionary who survived the 1916 Easter Rising used the pub as a safe house during Ireland’s War of Independence.

During the brutal Civil War of 1922, the pub nearly went up in flames. Inside, you can see old photographs on the walls documenting those violent times. These days, the Brazen Head is a popular pub that fills up the minute it opens. I went for a fabulous lunch of bacon and cabbage, plus a Guinness. You will find historic artifacts and old photos covering every available wall space, and it’s genuinely just a fascinating place to eat and drink.

The Bleeding Horse | Address: 24-25 Camden Street Upper, Saint Kevin’s, Dublin 2, D02 NP22, Ireland

Walk past the Bleeding Horse today and you’ll see “1710” proudly displayed above the door. But don’t be fooled by that date. This watering hole’s history stretches back much further.

Evidence suggests a tavern stood on this very spot as early as 1649, potentially making it 19 years older than the Brazen Head’s claim to fame. If true, that would make the Bleeding Horse: Dublin’s actual oldest pub.

The location itself tells you why it thrived for so long. Perched at the junction where two major highways split off from the city. This was prime real estate for any innkeeper. Tired travelers, thirsty merchants, and weary soldiers all passed through these doors over the centuries.

The building you see now dates from 1871, but it was renovated in the 1990s. Step inside and you’ll find a maze of wooden beams, exposed timbers, and multiple levels of balconies overlooking a central atrium. The balconies are actually recycled church railings.

To understand the Bleeding Horse, you need to understand the carnage that gave it its name. Ireland in 1649 was a war-torn country. It’s been at war for eight brutal years following the Irish Rebellion of 1641. Most of Ireland was controlled by Irish Confederate Catholics based in Kilkenny, while the English Parliament clung desperately to two small footholds: Dublin and Derry.

In July 1649, James Butler, Earl of Ormonde, marched a combined force of 11,000 Irish Confederate and English Royalist troops toward Dublin, determined to seize it from the Parliamentarian garrison. He set up camp just south of the city in what’s now the peaceful suburb of Rathmines. His plan was simple: take Dublin, prevent Oliver Cromwell from landing with reinforcements, and change the course of Irish history.
It all went catastrophically wrong.

On August 2nd, the Parliamentarian commander Michael Jones, a tactical genius with only 5,000 troops launched a surprise attack that caught Ormonde’s forces completely off guard. What should have been an organized battle dissolved into utter chaos. Confederate and Royalist soldiers fled in panic as Jones’s cavalry cut them down from behind. The fighting became a bloody rout, with scores of men dying as they tried to escape south through Rathmines.

Jones claimed his forces killed around 4,000 enemy soldiers and captured 2,517 prisoners while losing barely a handful of his own men. Even if those numbers are inflated, historians agree the slaughter was immense. Bodies littered the fields. And terrified horses bolted from the carnage in every direction.

According to the most popular version of the story, one of those panicked war horses fled the battlefield and galloped toward the city. Wounded, bleeding, perhaps already dying, it stumbled through the doors of a small tavern that stood at the crossroads, the very spot where the Bleeding Horse now stands.

Some versions say the horse collapsed and died right there on the floor. Others claim it lingered for hours or even days, treated by a farrier but ultimately succumbing to its wounds.

The alternate explanation for the name is more mundane. Before modern veterinary science, horses suffering from “the staggers”, a condition causing lack of coordination and strange gait, usually from eating toxic plants or fungus-infected grass were routinely “bled” by farriers who believed removing blood would cure various ailments. A farrier working at the inn might have bled dozens of horses over the years, making this practice a defining feature of the place.

But let’s be honest: the battle story is far more compelling, and it’s the one locals prefer. And given that the Battle of Rathmines happened in 1649, the same year the tavern is first documented, the timing is too perfect to ignore.

The Bleeding Horse attracted Dublin’s literary elite. Sheridan Le Fanu, the Victorian master of gothic horror mentioned the pub in his 1845 novel “The Cock and Anchor,” describing it as a small, old-fashioned building that served as both alehouse and inn. Le Fanu’s description includes wonderful details about the painted sign showing a white horse with a crimson cascade spouting from its neck.

James Joyce gave it the obligatory nod in “Ulysses,” cementing its place in Dublin’s literary map. And remember James Clarence Mangan, the poet whose ghost haunts the Bull & Castle? He was a regular here too.

Legend has it Joyce got drunk, fell down in the hallway, and looked up the skirt of a leading actress. He was promptly thrown out.

Staff and patrons at the Bleeding Horse have reported strange occurences for decades, particularly late at night after the crowds have gone home. Around midnight, unexplained noises echo through the empty rooms. Footsteps that sound like hooves on stone. The creak of old timbers when no one’s moving. Shadows that don’t quite match the light sources.

Some nights, staff closing up claim they can hear labored breathing, as if an exhausted animal is struggling somewhere. Others report sudden cold spots in specific areas of the pub.

Today, the Bleeding Horse is a bustling spot. Thye have delicious food and drinks and I enjoyed just walking around. Each room was so different and even the bathroom was super cool! I can’t say I felt any paranormal presense, but that could ber becaiuse I was there in the middle of the day.

Davy Bynes | Address: 21 Duke St, Dublin, D02 K380, Ireland

Davy Byrnes traces its roots back to 1798. But the pub really came into its own in 1889, when a quiet, abstemious vintner from Wicklow named Davy Byrne purchased the premises for £2,300 and hung his name over the door.

Byrne wasn’t your typical Irish publican. He was known as a “moral pub” keeper. He didn’t gamble, didn’t gossip, minded his own business, and treated his customers with quiet dignity. He’d cash you a check when you were short, stand you a drink on rare occasions, and never pry into your troubles. In a city full of characters and chancers, Davy Byrne was a gentleman.

Over the next 25 years, his establishment became Dublin’s premier literary gathering place. The Anglo-Irish Literary Revival was in full swing, and everyone who was anyone in Dublin’s artistic circles held court at Davy Byrnes. Oliver St. John Gogarty, James Stephens, Liam O’Flaherty, Pádraic Ó Conaire. They all gathered here to debate, and drink.

But it was one particular customer who would make Davy Byrnes famous forever.

James Joyce, already establishing himself as one of the most innovative writers of his generation was a regular at Davy Byrnes. He and the Byrnes developed a friendship, unusual for Joyce who often kept people at arm’s length. There was something about Byrne’s quiet decency that appealed to him.

On June 16, 1904, a date that would become known to literature lovers worldwide as “Bloomsday”, Joyce set a crucial scene from his masterpiece Ulysses right here in Davy Byrnes. His protagonist, Leopold Bloom, stops in for lunch during his wanderings through Dublin, ordering a gorgonzola cheese sandwich with mustard and a glass of burgundy. Joyce describes Byrne himself in the text.

That single literary moment transformed an ordinary Dublin pub into a pilgrimage site. When Ulysses was published in 1922, readers from around the world began making the trek to Duke Street to sit where Bloom sat, to eat what Bloom ate, to experience what Joyce had written. To this day, every June 16th, thousands descend on Davy Byrnes for Bloomsday celebrations, ordering gorgonzola sandwiches and burgundy in tribute to Joyce’s fictional hero.

Davy Byrnes is filled with mirrors, part of its gorgeous art deco redesign from the 1940s. Beautiful, ornate mirrors that reflect the warm glow of brass light fixtures, the stunning hand-painted floral ceiling, and Liam Proud’s scenes of Joycean Dublin.

And sometimes, those mirrors show more than they should.

Staff and regular patrons have reported for decades, a reflection that appears when no one’s standing in that spot. A figure at the bar, quietly sitting with a drink, visible in the mirror but nowhere else in the room. The face matches old photographs perfectly, sharp features, round spectacles,and an intense gaze.

The sightings always follow the same pattern. Someone catches movement in their peripheral vision and glances at a mirror. There he is, sitting at the bar or standing near his usual spot, looking exactly as he did in his prime. But when they turn to look directly, there’s nothing there. Turn back to the mirror, and sometimes he’s still there.

It’s not a frightening haunting. Joyce’s ghost, if that’s what it is, doesn’t make noise or throw objects or create cold spots. He simply… appears.

Today, Davy Byrnes remains gloriously what it’s always been: a meeting place for thinkers, writers, and anyone seeking good food, and good drink. The art deco interior is stunning, preserved and maintained and the murals tell stories on every wall.

The pub has even launched the Davy Byrnes Short Story Award, won by contemporary Irish literary talents like Anne Enright, Claire Keegan, and Sara Baume. And yes, you can still order that gorgonzola sandwich with mustard and a glass of burgundy.

This Halloween, if you find yourself at Davy Byrnes, pay attention to those beautiful mirrors. Watch them from the corner of your eye. Don’t look directly because that seems to make him vanish. But if you’re lucky (or unlucky, depending on your perspective), you might catch a glimpse of Joyce.

He loved this place too much to ever truly leave. And honestly? For a ghost story, that’s rather beautiful.

John Kavanagh The Gravediggers | Address: 1 Prospect Square, Glasnevin, Dublin, D09 CF72, Ireland

There’s a quiet square in Glasnevin, just off the main road, where over 1.5 million people rest. More people lie beneath the ground here than walk above it in all of Dublin. And pressed right up against the cemetery wall, sits a pub that’s been serving pints to those who dig the graves since 1833. Welcome to John Kavanagh’s. Or as everyone calls it: The Gravediggers.

The year was 1833. Glasnevin Cemetery had just opened its gates the year before. It’s Ireland’s first cemetery to accept people of all faiths, a revolutionary concept after decades of Catholics being denied proper burial grounds.

John Kavanagh, the original proprietor, saw an opportunity. He opened his pub steps from the cemetery’s main entrance.For nearly two centuries, the Kavanagh family has run this establishment. We’re now on the eighth generation, with the seventh still behind the bar most days. And, there are some ghostly friends who also love to stick around.

The pub earned its macabre nickname after a long shift of digging grave. The cemetery workers would stop in for “a few scoops.” Sometimes they’d come in the front door. But often, when they were too filthy or exhausted to bother with propriety, they’d use the shortcut.

Legend says the gravediggers would knock on the cemetery wall with a shovel, a boot, a stone or whatever thay had on hand. The bartender would hear the knock, pour the pint, and pass it through the iron railings that connected the pub to the graveyard. The gravedigger would down his drink right there, and hand back the glass, and return to work.

In the pub’s early decades, there was a problem. Funerals would be scheduled, mourners would gather, and then… they’d stop at the pub first. One drink to steady the nerves. Two to honor the deceased. Three because, well, everyone else was still there. By the time they stumbled toward the cemetery, if they made it at all, the funeral was hours late or forgotten entirely.

The cemetery committee, understandably frustrated, enacted a bylaw: funerals could only be held in the morning. This way, people had to attend the burial before the pub opened. It was one of Dublin’s first attempts at enforcing sobriety through scheduling.

Then in 1878, Glasnevin closed the gate right next to The Gravediggers. The pub took a massive financial hit. John’s son Joseph had to get creative, adding a shooting range and other games to attract new customers. Later generations added a grocery store, then a lounge, then a food menu.

Now, time for the hauntings!

Multiple staff members, over they years, have reported the same apparition: an elderly gentleman dressed in a dated tweed suit, sitting quietly at the bar, nursing a pint of Guinness. He’s dapper. Well-mannered. Doesn’t cause trouble. And then, when you glance away for just a moment, he’s gone. The pint remains, still full, condensation running down the glass.

Some believe he’s a former gravedigger. Others think he’s one of the million-plus souls buried next door. A few regulars have claimed he looks like a loved one they buried in Glasnevin. But the man in tweed isn’t the only supernatural presence.

Staff working late shifts have heard the unmistakable sound of old fashioned keys jingling., the kind that would have hung from a gravedigger’s belt or a Victorian undertaker’s chain.

One incident stands out. A dog was brought into the bar area and immediately panicked. Hackles raised, whimpering, backing away from something invisible. Whatever it sensed in that spot terrified it so much that it refused to go near that area again. Dogs, they say, can see things humans can’t.

Upstairs, in what used to be the family’s private quarters, there’s another ghost. Staff and family members have occasionally spotted a young girl, maybe eight or nine years old, wearing a white nightdress. She appears in doorways, standing perfectly still.

Who is she? Nobody knows for certain. Over 190 years, countless families lived above the pub. Children were born, grew up, and died here. Perhaps she was a Kavanagh daughter, taken too young by disease or accident. Perhaps she’s the child of a gravedigger’s family. Or maybe she’s one of the thousands of children buried in Glasnevin. Whatever her story, she seems sad. Those who’ve seen her report feeling pity rather than fear.

It’s worth remembering that The Gravediggers wasn’t always about havimg a drink after a hard days work. In the 19th century, when medical schools desperately needed cadavers for dissection but the law restricted access to bodies, a grim trade emerged: body snatching.

Resurrection men, as they euphemistically called themselves would dig up fresh graves and sell the corpses to anatomists. The Gravediggers became a known haunt for these guys. They’d sit in dark corners, speaking in low voices, planning their night’s work. After the deed was done, they’d return for whiskey to steady their nerves and wash the grave dirt from their throats.

Some locals wonder if the paranormal activity isn’t from the gravediggers at all, but from the victims of the body snatchers. The Gravediggers has remained remarkably unchanged since it opened it’s doors.

The family has resisted every temptation to modernize. Even when they added card machines recently, staff joked about “electronic interference” the machines mysteriously malfunctioning, perhaps protested by ghosts who preferred cash transactions.

Films have been shot here. Gene Wilder’s “Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx” and “Michael Collins” with Liam Neeson. Lonely Planet even listed it as one of Europe’s 50 hidden treasures.

Now, this pub is a lively place tourists and locals flock to for a pint and a bit of history. I recommended going next door to their restaurant for amazing Irish inspired tapas. I got ther black pudding arancini and meatballs, both very tasty!

Doyles Corner | Address: 160/161 Phibsborough Rd, Phibsborough, Dublin 7, D07 R26N, Ireland

Built from stones recycled from a demolished church in 1873, and positioned just a stone’s throw from Mountjoy Prison. Doyle’s Corner has witnessed more death than most Dublin establishments. And for decades, it served as the favorite watering hole of the most prolific hangman of the 20th century.

Albert Pierrepoint, had a favorite pub in Dublin. And this was it. Between 1932 and 1954, Pierrepoint hanged over 400 people (some sources claim up to 600). He executed Nazi war criminals in Germany. He hanged Lord Haw-Haw, the infamous traitor. He killed Ruth Ellis, the last woman executed in Britain. His record was seven seconds from entering the condemned cell to opening the trapdoor.

But when Pierrepoint came to Dublin on “business” a chilling euphemism for his work at nearby Mountjoy Prison, he needed somewhere to unwind afterward. Somewhere to have a whiskey or two and that palce was Doyles Corner.

Between 1923 and 1954, thirty-five executions took place at Mountjoy. Pierrepoint, first assisting his uncle Thomas, then as the chief executioner himself conducted at least thirteen of them. The Irish government tried to train their own hangman, a man using the pseudonym Thomas Johnston, but he lost his nerve at the last moment when he witnessed an execution. Pierrepoint had to step in and finish the job.

The newly independent Irish state, having fought so hard to throw off British rule, still had to import an English hangman to execute Irish citizens. Government memos from the 1950s called it “un-Irish” and “a relic of barbarism.”

And after each execution, Pierrepoint would walk the short distance from Mountjoy to Doyle’s Corner for his whiskey. In his autobiography, he claimed the work haunted him, though he performed it with surgical precision.

As if having the hangman as a regular wasn’t dark enough, Doyle’s Corner had another macabre neighbor: Lanigan’s Funeral Home operated right next door for many decades. The funeral home is long gone now, but locals believe it left something behind. The building’s second floor, in particular, has a reputation. Staff working upstairs have reported a presence. Objects move. Temperatures drop. A sense of dread settles over anyone who lingers too long.

Some believe the ghost is one of Pierrepoint’s “work subjects” from Mountjoy a man wrongfully executed, or one who went to the gallows screaming his innocence.

Pierrepoint died in 1992, long after his last execution. But the ghost at Doyle’s Corner, if that’s what it is, remains. Still angry. Still searching. Still terrorizing anyone unfortunate enough to be alone on that second floor.

The bar itself is very nice and had a vintage look to it. I’ll be honest, the food wasn’t great, but pop in for a pint and a look around, and maybe, you’ll see Pierrepoint lurking around.

Since I wasn’t in Dublin for Halloween, I missed out on some Halloween festivities including the Bram Stoker Festival, so I can’t say for sure if that’s worth it or not. I can say that it may be fun to check out. During the festival, they host a Halloween parade, Bram Stoker movie screenings, shows, and even a Victorian carnival, but from what I read, that is geared more towards children. If you do check it out, let me know how it is!

Where to Stay in Dublin

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Halloween in Dublin: FAQS

What is the weather in Dublin like in October?

October in Dublin typically has temperatures around 8-14°C (46-57°F), so it’s cool but not freezing. Rain is definitely a possibility (this is Ireland, after all), so you’ll want to pack a waterproof jacket and layers. It’s not usually pouring constantly, but you might get some drizzle or scattered showers throughout the day.

The weather can be a bit unpredictable, so it’s smart to be prepared for a mix of conditions. You might get lucky with some crisp, clear days, or you might end up with grey skies and dampness.

The good news is that a lot of Halloween events happen in the evening anyway, and somehow the cool, potentially misty weather just makes wandering around Dublin’s old streets feel even more creepy. Just dress in layers, bring an umbrella, and you’ll be fine.

How Do You Get around Dublin?

The city center is quite compact, so you can actually walk to a lot of places, which is honestly, in my opinion, one of the best ways to explore.

For longer distances, Dublin has a decent public transportation system. The bus network is extensive and covers pretty much everywhere you’d want to go. You’ve got the Luas, which is the tram system with two lines (Red and Green) that connect different parts of the city. There’s also the DART, which is a coastal rail line that’s great if you’re heading to seaside areas or suburbs along the coast.

If you’re planning to use public transport regularly, definitely get a Leap Card. It’s a reusable smart card that works on buses, Luas, and DART, and it’s significantly cheaper than paying cash for individual journeys.

You can pick one up at most convenience stores, newsagents, or at transport hubs for a small deposit, then top it up as needed. It’ll save you money and hassle, especially if you’re hopping around to different Halloween events across the city.

Taxis and ride-sharing apps like Uber and FreeNow are readily available. They’re handy late at night when public transport is less frequent.

How Busy Does Dublin Get During Halloween?

Dublin gets pretty busy during Halloween, particularly in popular areas like Temple Bar.

That said, it’s not uncomfortably crowded everywhere all the time. During the day and in the lead-up to Halloween, things are busier than usual but still manageable, and it’s also buys because October is a great time to visit Dublin.

If you’re not a fan of huge crowds, you can still enjoy Halloween in Dublin by timing things strategically. Go to popular spots earlier in the day, and book restaurants in advance.

Do I need to book Halloween events and tours in advance?

Yes, you should definitely book in advance if you can. Most of the stuff I wrote about does sell out. If there’s a specific things you’ve got your heart set on, don’t wait until you arrive in Dublin to book it. You’ll either find it’s sold out or you’ll be stuck with whatever random time slots are left. The same goes for any special Halloween events at bars, clubs, or venues, these often require advance tickets or reservations.

Is Dublin Safe During Halloween?

Dublin is generally safe during Halloween, even with all the crowds and festivities. It’s a major event for the city, so there’s a visible police presence. That said, you should still use common sense like you would in any busy city during a big event. Keep an eye on your belongings in crowded areas. Pickpockets can take advantage of large gatherings. Stick to well-lit, populated streets if you’re out late, and be aware of your surroundings, especially if you’ve been drinking. Temple Bar and other nightlife areas can get rowdy later in the evening, but it’s mostly just drunk people having a good time.

If you’re doing ghost tours or visiting some older, quieter parts of the city at night, it’s smart to go with a group or a tour rather than wandering around solo. Overall, thousands of people visit Dublin for Halloween every year without any issues. Just use the same street smarts you’d use in any city. Don’t flash expensive stuff around, watch your drinks, and trust your instincts if something feels off.

What are the best neighborhoods to stay in for Halloween?

City Center/Temple Bar is the most obvious choice if you want to be in the thick of everything. You’re walking distance to loads of pubs and bars, ghost tours, and pretty much all the main action. The downside is it can be loud, crowded, and more expensive.

Smithfield is a great option that’s still central but slightly more chilled out than Temple Bar. It has good access to public transport. The area has some cool bars and restaurants, and you’re still within easy reach of everything without being right in the chaos.

Grafton Street/St. Stephen’s Green area puts you near shops, restaurants, and attractions while being a bit more upscale and quieter than Temple Bar. You’re still close enough to walk to most things, and it’s a nice area to base yourself if you want a bit more calm.

Stoneybatter has become really popular lately and has a more local, neighborhood vibe. It’s got great pubs and cafes, and while it’s a bit further from the main action, it’s still walkable or a short bus ride to the city center. Good option if you want something more authentic and less touristy.

Rathmines or Ranelagh are further south but still well-connected by bus. These are more residential areas with a good local feel, plus plenty of pubs and restaurants. You’ll need to travel into the city center, but accommodation might be cheaper.

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Travel Resources

First off, if you want to browse all my favorite travel resources, check out my Travel Resources page.

Trip Planning: I have put together the ultimate trip planning guide that will walk you through everything you need to know to plan your perfect trip.

Book your Flight: Check out Momondo! They are my go to for booking flights. Airfarewatchdog is also a favorite of mine. I get notified by email every time there is a good deal from my local airport. WayAway is also a good option. They list mistake fares so many times, you can get an international ticket for as little as $300!

Book your Transportation: Busbud is usually where I check first. They check hundreds of different transportation companies all over the world and find you the best bus deal. Flixbus is one of my favorite cheap options for Europe. The buses generally aren’t too bad, and they go to most countries around Europe. It’s the perfect option for short distances. Train travel is my favorite mode of transportation, and I always use Rail Europe to book my tickets. If you need a transfer from the airport or if you are going somewhere where transport is limited (like a festival in the middle of nowhere or even a day trip) Welcome Pickups is a great option. I have used them on multiple occasions, and you can book a ride 5 hours in advance!

Book your Accommodation: My number one is Booking. If you book enough hotels from them, you can get huge discounts and perks like free breakfast and room upgrade. On a budget and looking for cheap accommodation? Hostelworld is my preferred site to book cheap and reliable hostels. Hotwire has a fun mystery to it. It’s a great site to use for last-minute bookings. They don’t actually tell you the name of the hotel when you are browsing. You will just get the area of the city it’s in, the price, and how many stars it has. I love the surprise aspect of it! Traveling to Asia? Agoda is the best accommodation booking site! If you are traveling with a big group, Vrbo is a good option. They have a huge selection of vacation rentals. Hotellook allows you to compare hotel prices around the world, so you can find the best deal!

Book your Travel Insurance: Getting travel insurance is such a crucial part of preparing for a trip. You never know what could happen, and why take the risk? Before I travel anywhere, I always book my insurance through Visitors Coverage.

Book your Activities: Now, you have planned all the logistics, time to think about what you will do once you get to your destination! These are a few of my favorite trip planning sites. I always use Get Your Guide and Viator when I am looking for tours. If you are traveling to Asia, Klook is widely used to book activities. Go City sells tickets to top attractions for up to 65% off. Eat With allows you to book dinners or cooking classes with local families. If you enjoy self-guided walking tours, We Go Trip has audio guides you can download. Big Bus Tours offers open-top sightseeing tours.

Store Your Luggage: Do you have a long layover or a late flight and need to store your luggage? Radical Storage has got you covered.

Get an eSim: Airlalo has been an amazing way for me to stay connected on the road. They have eSims in 200 countries and set up is super easy.