Púca Festival to bring 100,000 visitors and €12 million boost to area

Meath is set to be centre stage in a massive new international tourism festival launched by Failte Ireland today.  ‘Púca’ is anticipated to bring 100,000 visitors and generate €12 million for the local economy by 2020.
The festival, which will centre in Trim, with hubs in Athboy and Drogheda, was launched in Dublin Castle this morning, with a gathering of tourism industry and international media figures present.
The announcement, which will see a spend of up to €800,000 on the festival, builds on the work of Meath and Boyne Valley Tourism with the ‘Spirits of Meath’ festival over the past decade, which focused on the Hill of Ward in Athboy as the place where Samhain/Halloween originated.
Orla Carroll, director of product development in Failte Ireland, said: “We didn’t just pick the idea from the sky. We did a lot of research and archaeological work to establish that Ireland does really ‘own’ Halloween. And for a festival to be authentic to a worldwide audience, it has to be something unique – an immersive story and an immersive experience is what they are looking for, and in Ireland, that can be Halloween.”
She explained that Failte Ireland was focusing on regionality and seasonality, and compared it to the St Patrick’s Festival in Dublin at the start of the season.
The name ‘Púca’ is equally genuine in our heritage, she said, as well as being easily pronouncable. “An American told me it falls off the tongue, and sounds fun – that’s what we want.”
She explained that UK-based Curated Place were awarded the tender to run the festival, as they had produced events around sensitive heritage and historic locations previously. Navan-based Act Out Theatre performed at the launch, as did DJ Kormac from Drogheda, who will perform at the festival.

The Púca Festival

Púca is a spectacular, fun and otherworldly new festival celebrating Ireland as the original birthplace of Halloween. Vibrant and contemporary in feel but strongly rooted in tradition, it will take place in three locations across Meath and Louth from 31st October to 2nd November 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 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 PuÌca 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 2pm
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 PuÌca 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. 

The festival programme can be found at www.pucafestival.com  

Orla Carroll, Director Product Development in Fáilte Ireland said:  “Festivals play a key role in delivering brilliant visitor experiences and providing international visitors with a unique reason to choose a destination. That is why the development of tourism festivals is a key part of Fáilte Ireland’s strategy to grow domestic and international visitors to Ireland, in particular to areas outside traditional tourism hotspots and peak times. 

We are very excited to be launching Púca, bringing together some of the best music, food and art in the country at a time of year that is synonymous with fun and celebration. 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 programme 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.” 

Jackie Maguire, Chief Executive, Meath County Council added:  “We are pleased to partner with Fáilte Ireland and Louth County Council to host the new Puca Halloween Festival.  Celebrating the Boyne Valley as the home of Halloween and creating an international festival from the unique story of Samhain will place the Boyne Valley centre stage and develop and support the tourism economy of County Meath.”

 Joan Martin, Chief Executive, Louth County Council said: “Louth County Council is delighted to partner with Failte Ireland and Meath County Council for what promises to be a fantastic celebration of the Irish and Celtic Halloween traditions. We look forward to welcoming visitors and locals-alike to the many musical and cultural events being held in Drogheda, including Drogheda de:LUX, a music and light installation that draws inspiration from Irish Halloween folklore, which will be held in locations across Drogheda.”