The Museum is delighted to present a fun-filled, family friendly programme of events to discover the Irish origins of Samhain and create memories together over the Hallowe'en Midterm break.
Enjoy a mask making workshop; take a magical nature walk in Turlough Park; discover the trials and tribulations of life as a soldier living in Collins Barracks; or hear how Viking god Odin used ravens to gather information from around the world.
You can also use our Samhain video series to learn all about Hallowe'en customs such as the making of special crosses in folk tradition to be placed above the door and protect the home from bad luck for the coming year!
Clodagh Doyle, Keeper of the Irish Folkife Collection, discusses traditions and customs relating to the Samhain festival.
Highlights from the programme
Bram Stoker Festival- Hands-on History: Malady, Mourning and Mystery
National Museum of Ireland - Decorative Arts & History, Collins Barracks
13.00pm to 15.00pm, Friday 28th October,
12.30pm to 14.30, Saturday 29th October
Get hands-on with the National Museum of Ireland’s collections this Halloween weekend.
Museum educators will facilitate an interactive session with objects from the Museum’s handling collection that reflect a history of life, disease and death.
Move out of the sun and into the Museum to learn all about how people fought illness and mourned losses in the Victorian era.
‘Remember my friend, that knowledge is stronger than memory, and we should not trust the weaker…’
National Museum of Ireland - Country Life, Castlebar, Mayo
5.30pm to 9.30pm, Saturday and Sunday, 29 and 30 October, Suitable for families
See the grounds of Turlough Park in Co Mayo in a whole new light this Hallowe'en on a spectacular guided 'Samhain Creepy Crawl' for the whole family. This exciting, unique and immersive experience will feature light displays, installations, tricks, treats, traditional games and more. Suitable for families with children aged three to 10 years. Admission is free and no booking is required. FIND OUT MORE
Scary Objects Activity Trail
National Museum of Ireland - Country Life, Castlebar, Mayo
29 October to 6 November 2022, Families
Pick up a free activity sheet at Museum Reception to go on an object hunt across three floors of the Museum and find our scary Hallowe'en artefacts hidden in the exhibitions. Scary Objects is a fun activity trail for families, suitable for children aged three to 10 years. This is a free, drop-in activity throughout the Midterm break. No booking required. When you are finished your object hunt, be sure to bring your completed activity sheet to Reception to enter a free draw for our spooktastic Hallowe'en hamper! FIND OUT MORE
Bram Stoker Festival: Life, Disease and Death in Collins Barracks
National Museum of Ireland - Decorative Arts & History, Collins Barracks
BOOKED OUT: 1pm and 2pm on Saturday 29th October
BOOKED OUT: 1:30pm, 2:30pm, and 3:30pm on Sunday 30th October
Join a free tour with Museum guide Dr Declan Brady as he discusses the chills, ills, and kills in Collins Barracks 300-year long history. General audience. Booking required. FIND OUT MORE
Valhalla'ween Drop-in Workshop: Viking Artefact Detective
National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology, Dublin
2pm - 3:30pm, Wednesday, 2 November. Families 7+
Drop-in to the Learning Resource Room at the Museum and learn how to think like an archaeologist by solving our puzzle. Look and handle our Viking replica artefacts and figure out what they are and how they were used. No booking required. Located in the Learning Resource Room, First Floor. Not wheelchair accessible. Age 8+ FIND OUT MORE
Valhalla'ween Drop-in Workshop: Viking Raven Masks
National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology, Dublin
11.30pm - 1pm, Thursday, 3 November. Families 7+
In Norse mythology, Huginn and Muninn are a pair of ravens that fly all over the world and bring back information for the Viking god Odin. Join us to discover more about the beliefs of the Vikings and their celebrations at this time of year and make your own spooky raven mask to take home. Halloween costumes welcome! No booking required. Located in the Learning Resource Room, First Floor. Not wheelchair accessible. Age 8+ FIND OUT MORE
National Museum of Ireland - Country Life, Castlebar, Mayo
12noon to 2pm, Saturday, 29 October, Families with children aged 7+
Did you know people in Ireland wore masks at Hallowe'en because they believed the spirits of the dead would be on the move through the countryside on 31 October? See our Samhain display, learn more about masks and other Hallowe'en traditions, and then enjoy some mask making fun with an artist at our Hallowe'en workshops. Numbers are limited and booking is required. Book now by email or telephone (094) 90 31751. FIND OUT MORE
Winter Magic Nature Tours
National Museum of Ireland - Country Life, Castlebar, Mayo
2pm and 3pm, Tuesday and Thursday, 1 and 3 November, Families
Get outdoors and learn about nature in the spectacular grounds of Turlough Park this midterm on our guided Winter Magic nature tour. This is a fun and educational nature walk suitable for the whole family. Tours start at reception in the Museum Galleries. No booking required. Places allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. As this is an outdoor event, participants should dress appropriately for the weather. FIND OUT MORE
BROWSE: More upcoming events at the National Museum of Ireland
READ: Ghost turnips, púcas, fortune-telling and evil abductions...how our ancestors inspired our Hallowe'en celebrations today