Púca, celebrated over three nights in Athboy, Drogheda and Trim is a brand-new festival to celebrate the ancient Irish feast of Samhain, aka Halloween
A first look at the program of events for Púca, Ireland’s new three-day Halloween festival, was unveiled by Fáilte Ireland at Dublin Castle on Tuesday.
Púca is a new festival celebrating Ireland as the original birthplace of Halloween. Vibrant and contemporary in feel but strongly rooted in tradition, Púca will take place in three locations across Meath and Louth from Oct 31 to Nov 2, 2019.
The festival has been developed by Fáilte Ireland in partnership with Meath and Louth County Councils to claim ownership of this internationally celebrated event and to tell the story of Halloween’s origins in Irish and Celtic traditions with a view to encouraging more international visitors to visit Ireland during October and November.
In its inaugural year, Ireland’s Ancient East will play host to the newly established contemporary and inspiring Púca Festival which is designed to capture the original and authentic spirit of Samhain across three breath-taking nights of music, food, light and spectacle.
Some highlights of Púca will include:
- The Coming of Samhain at Athboy will kick start the festival on 31st October recreating the symbolic lighting of the Samhain fires.
- The walls of stunning and ancient Trim Castle and St. Laurence’s Gate, in Drogheda, will come alive after dark with some of the best projection artists in the world, including Seb Lee Delisle, Algorithm, Illuminos, and Ronan Devlin.
- Three festival hubs – Athboy, Drogheda and Trim – will play host to Ireland’s best established and up and coming names in music, including Lisa O’Neill, David Keenan, DJ KORMAC and Jerry Fish.
- The Púca Food and Craft Market, in Trim, will offer up tasty treats and traditional handicrafts to satisfy Halloween appetites.
Orla Carroll, Director Product Development in Fáilte Ireland said: “Púca brings together the most breathtaking elements of entertainment and history to create a festival that will be an unforgettable celebration of Ireland as the birthplace of Halloween.”
“Our new festival, Púca, will deliver just that, with its distinctive program of events that has something for everyone. We are excited to see Púca brought to life in October and are committed to developing it into a world-class festival that positions Ireland as the home of Halloween internationally over the next number of years.”
The festival program can be found at www.pucafestival.com.
Some highlights attendees can expect from Púca include:
ATHBOY
> The Coming of Samhain
Thursday 31 October, 5pm – Fair Green, Athboy. Free but ticketed.
A stunning historical and spiritual celebration in the shadow of The Hill of Ward (Tlachtga); the ancient site from which the light of the new year first emanates.
TRIM
> Puca Halloween Night
Thursday 31 October
Púca Festival opens with a spectacular series of immersive promenade events that commemorate Samhain and the beginning of the darker half of the year…
- Samhain Procession
Thursday 31 October, 5.45pm - 7.00pm. Free to join.
Gather on the streets of Trim as dusk falls to join the Spirits’ procession as it weaves its way through the streets to the Púca playground at the Castle.
- Arrival of the Spirits
Thursday 31 October – Saturday 2 November, Trim Castle, 7pm onwards. Free but ticketed.
Meet the original spirits of Halloween in this dramatic Festival opener and greet some very special Festival guests into the atmospheric surrounds of Trim Castle.
- Púca Light Spectacular
Thursday 31 October – 2 November. Nightly from 6pm. Admission Free.
The grounds at Trim Castle come to life each night with a host of illuminations and interactive interventions - from aerialists and Púca performers to castle projections to laser shows.
> Púca Food and Craft Market
Thursday 31 October – 2 November in Trim from
A wonderful showcase of local producers in the grounds of Trim Castle.
> Trim Castle Concerts
Nightly from 8pm-11pm
The very best in contemporary Irish music join us for three massive entertaining nights, including:
> Jerry Fish’s Púca Sideshow
Thursday 31 October
Jerry resurrects his hugely popular Electric Sideshow – a wicked night of Halloween entertainment.
> Just Mustard + Pillow Queens + AE MAK
Friday 1 November
Breaking Tunes Púca Nite with some of Ireland’s best music-makers
> KORMAC + Irish Chamber Orchestra
Saturday 2 November
Acclaimed beatmaker and performer, Kormac brings his incredible multimedia Equivalent Exchange with his Big Band and the Irish Chamber Orchestra.
DROGHEDA
> Shadows Of The Tain (Táin Bó Cuailgne)
Thursday 31 October & Friday 1 November, Old Mollies, Drogheda. 8pm. Tickets €15
Immerse yourself in the fight between Ferdiad and Cúchulainn and join Queen Medb and her Connacht forces as they invade Ulster at Samhain, in a unique re-telling by Candlelit Tales of the Irish Epic, Táin Bó Cuailgne.
> Haxan
Friday 1 November, Droichead Arts Centre, Drogehda. 8pm. Tickets €12
For this special Púca screening a new score has been created by Dublin- based musician Matthew Nolan for Benjamin Christensen’s legendary silent horror Häxan (The Witches).
> David Keenan + Sive
Friday 1 November, Crescent Concert Hall, 8pm. Tickets €20
County Louth’s very own David Keenan is a singer-songwriter whose body of work is steeped in the poetic tradition of old but delivered in such a way that is entirely his own. The eerie and inspiring Sive joins Keenan on the bill with her unique, experimental arrangements.
> Lisa O’Neill
Saturday 2 November, Crescent Concert Hall, 8pm. €15
Lisa O’Neill’s distinctive voice draws you into a surreal world influenced by all that is beautiful and strange in traditional Irish music and beyond.
> DROGHEDA de:LUX –
31 October – 2 November, locations to be announced.
Over three nights Drogheda will play host to de:LUX - music and light installations which draw inspiration from tales of Irish folklore and the spirits of Halloween.
Have a look at the exciting new program here and book tickets to concerts and events across the three festival hubs.
The festival program can be found at www.pucafestival.com.
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