This year of all years we need something to divert us, so it was good to hear from Failte Ireland that the Púca Festival is returning and even better news that Drogheda is to have a greater role in the festival of Halloween mischief this year.
Which is only fitting really, because mischief is one thing we do really well in Ireland’s biggest town.
The press release says that the ‘Púca’ is a shape-shifting creature from Celtic folklore, a familiar character in Ireland’s narrative of Halloween. Yep, we can do shape-shifting too.
The three other hubs for the Púca Festival are Athboy, Trim and, for the first time, Slane Castle.
Events in Drogheda will include a Púca Comedy Night featuring the outrageous and hilarious Joanne McNally who seems to be popping up all over the place at the moment. She’ll be popping in to Odd Mollies on October 28th for her irreverent and critically acclaimed show “The Prosecco Express”.
Venues across the town will join in the Púca celebrations of Halloween with their own gigs, plays and happenings.
October 29 – 31 a trail of local traditional musicians playing in some of Drogheda’s oldest and most loved pubs including Weavers and Clarkes.
October 29 – Laura Quirke and Claire Kinsella of Lemoncello bring their mix of acoustic guitar, cello and harmonies to Odd Mollies.
October 29 – Brian Kennedy, one of Ireland’s most inspired and revered singers and multi-platinum recording artist will be performing at the Crescent Concert Hall.
October 30 – Internet sensations Jiggy, a festival favourite around the world, bring their mixes and melds of traditional Irish music with world rhythms and cutting-edge dance grooves to Odd Mollies.
Oct 31 – Award-winning singer-songwriter, Aoife Scott. Catch her fragile and ethereal, strong and vibrant music which will leave you entranced at Odd Mollies.
October 31 in the Droichead Arts Centre Masters of storytelling, Candlelit Tales weaves a magical world around their audience with fresh, fine-tuned stories that bring folklore and fantasy to life.
On All Saints Day, November1, the spirits make their way back to the Otherworld leaving us safe for another year. When Púca returns Drogheda will play host to Farewell to the Spirits, a huge parade, fire and feast spectacular over and around the Boyne River.
Slane Castle
This year, for the first time, Slane Castle will become home to the mischievous spirits of Púca, Boann, The Morrigan and Fear Dearg as they roam the woodlands and spectacular illuminations and installations bring the landscape to life.
A 1km walk through the grounds takes the audience past Stephen James Smith’s ‘Our Darkest Night’, surrounds visitors with Mark Anderson’s ‘Fireflies’, spooks with Matthew Nolan’s Samhain Whispers and wows with a special Halloween weekend performance by the aerialists of LUXE.
On hand to keep festival goers warm and satisfied will be a whole host of local food and drink producers, not least the team from Slane Distillery, who will be serving up a specially created Púca Punch to help wash down all the tasty treats on offer.
Púca festival has been developed by Fáilte Ireland (the National Tourism Development Authority of Ireland), in partnership with Meath and Louth County Councils, to claim ownership of this internationally celebrated event and to tell the story of the origins of Samhain, or Halloween as it is now known, in Irish and Celtic traditions, with a view to encouraging more international visitors to visit Ireland during October and November.
