In Celtic Ireland, November 1^st was the festival of samhain, which literally translates as “the end of summer”. Festivities would begin the evening before on October 31^st, and would include feasting, bonfires and, er, sometimes live sacrifices (animal or human).

See more about autumn in Ireland here…

With Christianity on the scene, Samhain morphed into the rather less bloodthirsty All Hallows Day and All Hallows E’En (Halloween). Dressing up in scary costumes and games like bobbing for apples replaced the Celtic festivities.

Today, Halloween in Ireland’s very much another excuse for great craic: check out the best budget-friendly events going on in Dublin this October 31^st below…

Halloween Events in Dublin

• The Bram Stoker Festival

One of Dublin’s most famous literary sons, Bram Stoker invented the Gothic novel with Dracula. An exhibition at the Little Museum on St. Stephen’s Green and talks at Trinity College make up the three days of vampire-themed fun.

€5, 26^th – 28^th October | More info

• Dublin Halloween Walk

Taking place on the outskirts of Dublin, this spine-tingling Halloween walk takes you round a burnt-out ‘haunted’ hunting lodge called the Hellfire Club, associated with Satanism, the occult and the supernatural.

€23, 22^nd – 31^st October | More info

• Dublin Halloween Pub Crawl

Incorporating three pubs within stumbling distance of one another in Dublin’s city centre, this boozy tour of the capital’s drinking dens also offers free shots and devilish Halloween cocktails. A photographer will be capturing the night, too, so make sure your costume’s up to scratch…

€15, 27^th October | More info

Need somewhere to stay? See our hostels in Dublin for beds starting at €8pppn (@Backpackers Citi Hostel)

Related posts:

• Top 10 Dublin pubs for a Guinness
• 10 Things to Do in Dublin for $10
• 10 Unusual Places to Drink Guinness in Ireland

Thanks for the image off Flickr lobo235. Please note, this image was held under the Creative Commons licence at the time of publication.