Fancy doing something special for Halloween? Here are a few ideas for the mid-term break
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DUBLIN For something simple, how about children's Halloween workshops? Malahide Castle (Malahide,
Co Dublin, 01-8462184, www.malahide castle.com) has one on October 28th, for €8.50 per child. Dublin Writers Museum (Parnell Square, Dublin 1, 01-8722077, www.writers museum.com) has one on October 29th, for €10 per child. Try www.visitdublin.com for details of more events.
For a more elaborate experience, try the Banks of the Foyle carnival, one of Ireland's largest Halloween festivals. Tens of thousands of people are expected to turn up between October 24th and 31st. On Halloween itself the city centre will be a family-friendly (in other words, alcohol-free) area, with street theatre, balloon modelling, face-painting and a teenage-spooks competition. Anyone can join in the Halloween-costume parade through the streets to the sounds of samba. The night will end with a bang, in a fireworks display. Call 028-71376545 or visit www.derrycity.gov.uk/halloween.
DUNDALK The Táin Rhythm and Roots Festival, which runs over the Halloween weekend, features a ghoulish ghost trail that takes in several spooky locations around the town. There are also basket-weaving and pumpkin-carving workshops for all the family. The musical bill includes The Saw Doctors, Mark Geary, Sharon Shannon, and Martin Hayes and Denis Cahill. More details from 042-9329649 or www.tainfestival.com.
SLANE Slane Farm Hostel is an ideal place to bring children for a few days. Its owner, Joanne Macken, has converted the sheds of her family farm into comfortable hostel and B&B accommodation. Children can get a taste of country life by helping to look after the family's cattle, sheep and horses. The village is having a Halloween bonfire, and the hostel is a good base to make contact with the dead by visiting the nearby burial chamber at Newgrange, the Hill of Tara, and the large megalithic graveyard at Loughcrew, believed to be the world's oldest. A night in a family room at the hostel costs €20 per adult and €10 for under-10s. Dormitory bunks cost €16 and €8. More from 041-9884985 or www.slanefarmhostel.ie
. . . AND AWAY
BLACKPOOL Blackpool's annual illuminations, which run until November 5th, create a sea of neon six miles long. The city's Pleasure Beach, Sandcastle Waterworld, Sea Life Centre and Louis Tussaud's Waxworks - as well as Blackpool Tower, of course - become a blaze of colour in a Las Vegas-style light show that costs €3.5 million to stage.
The town is an hour from the footballing Meccas of Anfield and Old Trafford, as well as the more accessible home grounds of Blackburn, Manchester City and Everton. Over Halloween, Liverpool entertain West Ham (October 29th), Manchester City host Aston Villa (October 31st), Blackburn are at home to Charlton, and Everton are at home to Middlesbrough (both November 5th). In the biggest game of the holiday, Manchester United are at home to Chelsea (November 6th), but tickets might blow the budget for the rest of the year. If money is no object, try
No 1 Events (www.no1eventsltd.co.uk), which specialises in procuring tickets for sold-out matches.
Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) flies between Dublin and Blackpool for about €47 each way, including taxes. Stena Line and Irish Ferries sail between Dublin and Holyhead, which is about three hours from Blackpool. Ikea's Warrington store (www.ikea.com) is on the way. A car and four passengers cost about €300 return with both companies (www.stenaline.ie and www.irishferries.ie).
For more details try www.visitblackpool.com or the Britain Travel Centre, 01-6708000, www.visitbritain. com.
GERMANY The Black Forest is not only one of Europe's more beautiful areas but also one of its safest and cleanest. On the edge of the forest, less than an hour from the spectacular spas at Baden-Baden, is Europa Park, which rivals Disneyland Resort Paris.
It's all so un-German: one of the park's two hotels is a replica of the Colosseum, in Rome, with a fountain that children can play in and a spa that they can't. Its sister hotel is more Mexican than a spaghetti western, with burritos on the menu and sombrero-wearing guitarists walking about. Families can even get a taste of the Wild West by staying in the park's tepee village (the tents are heated). The park has an abundance of roller coasters, water slides, merry-go-rounds, children's shows and places to eat. Between October 29th and November 6th the park will be festooned with pumpkins, witches, ghosts and goblins.
It costs €27 per adult and €24 per child per day. See www.germany-tourism.ie or www.europa park.de. The nearest airport is Stuttgart, which is served from Dublin by Hlx.com (www.hlx.com) for about €63 per person, including taxes, each way.