Púca up for fun...

HALLOWEEN FEST BACK

THIS Halloween the spirit of Púca returns bringing more mischief and merriment than ever before.

Púca festival is a spectacular, fun and otherworldly festival celebrating Ireland as the or iginal bi r thplace of Halloween.

In 2021 visitors from home and abroad are being welcomed back for a week of music and mythology, sideshows and standup, cabaret and cocktails, and everything else in between.

For the first time Slane Castle will become a hub of mischief and magic this Samhain, the perfect experiential appetiser to an evening of comedy or live music in Trim or Drogheda.

Four festival hubs — Slane Castle, Athboy, Drogheda and Trim — play host to Ireland’s best established and up and coming names in music, comedy, performance and spectacle.

The walls of Trim Castle will come alive after dark and the grounds of Slane Castle will play host to breath-taking installations.

Drogheda will see a star lineup of award- winning musicians, world class comedians and internet sensations take to the stage. And in Athboy local pubs and restaurants will come alive.

Púca festival will take place from October 23-31. See www. pucafestival.com.

Activities

Meanwhile, Birr Castle and Demesne in Co Offaly will host a wide programme of exciting activities over Halloween.

Its midterm line- up takes place from Saturday, October 23 to Sunday the 31st and includes a special Halloween pumpkin trail called the Quest.

There’s also the Red Tree Trail with its stunning 65 trees in all their autumnal colours, the Gallery Challenge and the Solar Trail. Plenty of reasons to get wrapped up and visit!

All activities are included in general ad mission t ickets which are available online. Daily activities will be allocated on a first-come basis.

As well as a host of Halloween activities, families can explore Birr Castle’s Science Centre and the Treehouse Adventure Playground and marvel at the Great Telescope, once the biggest in the world.

See www. birrcastle. com full details. for