Ghost Stories in Ireland

In Ireland we love Ghost stories and tales of encounters with otherworldly beings such as banshees, selkies and other ghosts. At Halloween, it was believed that the veil between the physical and spiritual realms becomes thinner, allowing spirits to cross over to interact with the living. This is why ghosts and spooky stories are so strongly associated with this time of year.

Believe it or not, Halloween originated in ancient Ireland and it all began with the pagan celebration of Samhain, which took place every November.

The origins of Halloween date back 2,000 years ago. At the Celtic festival of Samhain the Irish gathered around huge bonfires which were used to scare off evil spirits.

On the night of Samhain it was traditionally recommended not to leave the house. People were terrified and if they did leave home would go disguised as a creature from another world and carry a hollowed out turnip as a lantern to ward off any ghosts.