HALLOWEEN IS here and those with a desire to dress up have plenty of festivals to choose from across the State to celebrate.
As ghosts and ghouls of every description set about trick or treating, a record 14,000 runners will probably look scary enough without a costume by the day’s end after they take part in the National Lottery Dublin Marathon.
For only the fifth time in its 32-year history, the marathon has fallen on Halloween.
To facilitate the event, gardaí are enforcing a number of traffic diversions across the city. The worst-affected areas include around the Rock Road, Merrion Square, Nassau Street and St Stephen’s Green.
The race itself starts from Fitzwilliam Street Upper, with wheelchair athletes setting off at 9.45am, elite athletes from 9.50am and then waved starts of participants from 10am.
The marathon will also provide the setting for a demonstration by the new EU Ex-Smokers are Unstoppable campaign, a group that celebrates the achievements of ex-smokers from all over Europe and offers free help to stop smoking. The campaign will have “a major presence” outside the RDS during the race.
The marathon is not the only thing happening this Halloween, however, as a whole host of festivals are planned for around the city. In Ringsend, a Halloween festival parade begins at 3.30pm from Irishtown Stadium to Clan na Gael GAA Club while the Ballymun Otherworld Halloween festival parade from Burren Court in Poppintree down to festival village on Civic Plaza starts at 5.30pm.
A Fright Night Halloween festival is scheduled for the Finglas Civic Centre, beginning at 6pm, as is a firework display in Darndale Park. Other firework displays in Dublin include shows in Kilbarrack at 7pm, Donaghmede at 7.30pm, and Edenmore Crescent Park at 8pm.
Elsewhere in the Republic, the Spirits of Meath Festival continues in Trim while in Derry the final day of the Banks of the Foyle Halloween Carnival sees a variety of acts take to the stage at the Guildhall Square before the Carnival of Lights parade and fireworks begin at 7pm.
The heaviest pumpkin is the centrepiece of a unique Halloween weekend in Cavan as the Virginia Pumpkin Festival sees its final day today. On the programme for tonight is a Pumpkin Country and Western Night in the Dome at 9pm.
Halloween festivals are also taking place in Galway (the Galway Aboo Festival); Waterford city; Thurles, Co Tipperary; and in Ballina, Co Mayo.