Halloween At Rathcroghan

Halloween At Rathcroghan

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The Home of Halloween

“With the cave of Uaimh na gCat (Oweynagat) being the home of Halloween, and reputed as Ireland’s Gate to Hell, what better way to spend Halloween, the ancient festival of Samhain, than by a special guided visit down into the bowels of the earth, to prove yourself on this most unholy of nights!”

The 31st of October marks the celebration of ‘Samhain’, one of the four major pre-Christian Gaelic Pagan Festivals along with Bealtaine, Lughnasadh and Imbolc. As Cruachan (Rathcroghan) was traditionally a site for great Aénaige or gatherings, it can be suggested that these festivals were very important occasions here, and of the four, Samhain is particularly linked with Rathcroghan.

Entrance to the cave at oweynagat
Portrait of ancient group of people

As Samhain marks the end of the year and the beginning of Winter, for a prehistoric farming community it would probably have been a last chance to celebrate the harvest before preparation for the challenge of the cold, dark months ahead.

This time of the year is a natural interval or liminal period between the seasons, so it is perhaps no surprise that the festival provided ease of access across the borders from this world to the Otherworld and it is from the cave of Oweynagat at Samhain that fearsome otherworldly beasts emerged to ravage the landscape and make it ready for Winter.

To celebrate Samhain in style we provide a number of special tour options at the traditional home of Halloween… Are you up to the task?

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Origins of Samhain Tour

With the cave of Oweynagat being the home of Halloween, and reputed as Ireland’s Gate to Hell, what better way to celebrate Halloween, the ancient festival of Samhain, than by a special guided visit down into the bowels of the earth. To facilitate this journey for our visitors we are delighted to present the ‘Origins of Samhain’.

This is a daily tour to Oweynagat (the Cave of the Cats), the birthplace of Samhain and the home of Halloween.

This special seasonal tour will run from (23rd October) to  (3rd November) inclusive, departing Rathcroghan Visitor Centre at 3pm sharp.

€15 per person (adult/child).

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General Tour Information

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Please note the Cave of Oweynagat, particularly at this time of year, is muddy, dark and narrow, so appropriate outdoor footwear and clothing must be worn.

All tours are weather dependent. In the unlikely event of cancellation, a full refund will be issued.

Please note that as our Halloween Tour Events are very popular and places are limited, early booking is strongly recommended in order to avoid disappointment. For further details of these events, please follow us on Facebook, join our Mailing List or Contact Us directly.