Puca Festival

Samhain marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter in the early Irish calendar, and it is recorded in Irish literature earlier than anywhere else - the Hill of Ward at Athboy, Tlachtga, is named in the sources as a site of Samhain assembly and fire. Halloween's descent from that feast, carried to North America by Irish and Scottish emigrants in the nineteenth century and returning transformed, is the basis of the festival's claim to be at the origin. Puca runs over the Halloween weekend across Trim, Athboy and Drogheda with music, street theatre, food, fire spectacle and a lighting ceremony at the Hill of Ward. It was launched by Failte Ireland in 2019 and is a modern constructed festival rather than a continuous tradition, which it does not hide - the historical claim is about Samhain, not about the festival itself.

What you'll find

• The Hill of Ward - Tlachtga, named in the sources as a Samhain assembly site.
• The fire ceremony - the lighting event that anchors the weekend.
• The three towns - Trim, Athboy and Drogheda each hosting parts of the programme.
• The Samhain story - the feast's Irish record and its route to modern Halloween.

When to go

The Halloween weekend at the end of October. Events are spread across three towns, so a car helps. Book ticketed concerts and accommodation ahead.

What to expect

A modern festival launched in 2019, not a surviving folk tradition - the historical claim is about Samhain rather than continuity of practice. Events are dispersed across towns. Late October weather is wet and cold and much of it is outdoors.

Nearby

Trim Castle and the Hill of Tara are close; Newgrange and the Boyne Valley are east.