‘Gaillimh Ah-Boo!’: Galway launches new event celebrating Halloween’s Celtic origins
A new Halloween celebration highlighting Ireland’s Celtic origins has been announced by Galway City Council, with a programme of spooky and family-friendly events set to take place across the city and county throughout October and November.
‘Gaillimh Ah-Boo!’ has been launched as part of Fáilte Ireland’s Home of Halloween pilot destination development scheme, which promotes Ireland as the global home of Halloween traditions.
The festival’s name takes inspiration from the Irish battle cry “Gaillimh abú!”, meaning “Up Galway” or “Galway forever”, often heard at sporting events.
Among the highlights will be bilingual storytelling at Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop, seaside tales at Ladies Beach, and folklore evenings at Galway City Museum. The world-famous Macnas parade will return to the streets on October 26 with “An Treun – Summoning of the Lost”, inspired by a Bram Stoker tale and the vanishing of the “small, strange and precious” Corncrake bird.
Celebrated chef JP McMahon will mark the season with Féasta Fómhair, a feast using food and flame to honour the harvest of Halloween night. Community-led events will also feature, including a Day of the Dead procession and the debut of the Tine Lasta fire show at the Spanish Arch.
Mayor of Galway City, Cllr Mike Cubbard, said the festival would allow people to “experience the magic of Samhain”.
“Halloween has deep roots in Irish culture, and Galway is proud to honour those traditions through Gaillimh Ah-Boo! This programme brings together the best of our creativity, community, and heritage,” he said.
Galway is one of five destinations chosen for the scheme, with each local authority receiving nearly €100,000 annually until 2028 to develop “vibrant Halloween experiences”, according to Fáilte Ireland.
The initiative is expected to generate more than €17 million in economic impact across the participating counties over three years, while showcasing the richness of Celtic myths, folklore and traditions.
For more information and to view the full programme, visit www.GaillimhAhBoo.ie.