VISITORS will be able to take a “spine-chilling” tour of an abandoned Irish prison with “eerie” underground tunnels this Halloween.
Spike Island’s hugely popular After Dark Tours are returning just in time for the spooky season.
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With mind-bending illusions, thrilling escapes, and eerie encounters, this Halloween experience is one you won’t want to miss.
The After Dark Tours are always a sellout, and this is the ideal opportunity for Halloween enthusiasts to get their spooky season fix at Ireland’s most notorious prison island.
Visitors will be allowed to discover the “spine-chilling” side of Cork’s iconic prison island through a creepy guided tour and gain access to “truly frightening areas of the island” that are usually strictly off-limits.
Spike Island will be taking it to new levels as they welcome renowned mentalist and escape artist Dean Jacob for ‘Sinister by Dean Jacob’.
Dean will star in a live interactive show featuring “mind-bending illusions, heart-stopping escapes, and eerie encounters that will leave audiences questioning their realities”.
You will explore the haunting corridors of an abandoned prison and enter underground tunnels once used for solitary confinement.
This year, After Dark Tours tickets are currently on sale starting at €35.
And it is the perfect setting for a scare during the month of Halloween, captivated by psychological twists and thrilling escapes.
‘Sinister’ After Dark tours will take place every Friday and Saturday night throughout October, starting on October 4-5.
In the week leading up to Halloween, this will extend to a four-night run across the week.
As After Dark tours are always a sellout success, you’re advised to book your tickets as early as possible.
EUROPE’S BEST SCREAM PARK
Separately, the Nightmare Realm, which has been voted voted Ireland’s best Halloween experience and Europe’s best scream park, returns on October 4 at Dublin’s City Market.
Karl O’Connor, the owner of The Nightmare Realm, says the experience will push visitors’ limits of fun, fear, and thrills.
He said: “We want guests to experience the event at a level they are comfortable with, whether it’s deep diving into storylines, crossovers and side quests, or just enjoying the show for what it is – immersive theatrics.
“We aim to bring each guest through a world-class experience, which has been compared to ‘open world gaming’ and Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights.”
The Nightmare Realm, sponsored by Club Orange, invites guests to step into its immersive world with a brand-new event: Village of Fear XV.
Celebrating its 15th anniversary, this year’s event runs from October 4 to November 1 and promises to be bigger and better than ever before.
TOP HALLOWEEN EVENTS
The Puca Festival, Co. Meath
- A four day festival where Samhain, the tradition that later became Halloween first took place.
- This event draws in visitors from across the world that come for musical acts, folklore and food.
The Bram Stoker Festival
- This festival returns to Dublin for four days on October 24 to 28 and pays homage to the Irish author who wrote the Novel ‘Dracula’.
- A highlight of this event is the amazing light display which beams over Dublin Castle every year.
Derry Halloween Festival
- Another major event which takes place from October 28 to October 31 every year.
- The event is known for it’s massive parade and firework display that attracts visitors from across the country and beyond.
Macnas Halloween Parade, Galway
- This huge parade will take place on October 24 of this year, and features tonnes of spooky characters, dance performances and music.
- In 2023, the parade was inspired by the legend La Loba, a wolfwoman who collects bones of humans, animals and gods.
Dublin Ghost Tours
- This haunted history walking tour takes visitors to uncover all of the gruesome aspects of Dublin’s history.
- Tours are now available every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evening at 8pm.
The new show features five exciting mazes, secret rooms, an expanded Museum of Horrors, a food court, and a larger HalloweenTown.
Visitors will explore mazes like ‘House of Little Red’, ‘Possession 1692’, ‘The Meat Market’ ‘Slappys Birthday BASH’ and ‘The Last Gas Station on The Left’.
The event has entertained thousands of visitors from around the world and won multiple awards, including Europe’s Best Scream Park and Most Immersive Indoor Scream Park in 2023.
The Nightmare Realm has even attracted celebrities like Megan Fox, Machine Gun Kelly, and Little Mix in the past.
This year’s event takes place at the City Market in Dublin, a short walk from the Four Courts Luas stop.
The event is recommended for visitors aged 13 and over due to its intense scares.
Ticket prices range from €24 to €38, and are on sale now at thenightmarerealm.ie.
