Get into the spooky seasonal mood with one of these magical staycations …
Witches and Wizards of the K Club, Co Kildare
The K Club is welcoming all cackling witches and warbling wizards for a Halloween stay which will be sure to blow their brooms away!
From Saturday 29 October until Sunday 6 November 2022, the K club have organised a witch and wizard themed week full of daily run festivities – making for a spellbinding midterm.
Families can get involved in a variety of spooky activities from potion making with the Junior Einstein Science Club to practising wandcraft with the grand sorcerer in wizarding classes. The week also entails witches tea parties for a cuppa from the cauldron and woodland Halloween walks – which may or may not contain tricking and treating.
A two night stay for two adults and two children is priced at €595 per night. This includes breakfast for all the family, full access to the club’s magical Witches and Wizards Halloween programme and an evening meal in one of the K Club’s renowned restaurants, The Palmer or The South Bar and Restaurant. www.kclub.ie
Instagram @thekclubireland
The Wicked Walk at Jurassic Newpark Hotel, Co Kilkenny
Jurassic Newpark – a dino themed, mid-term Halloween extravaganza is certainly something worth roaring about.
Newpark hotel is hosting their Wicked Walk from Saturday 29 October to Sunday 6 November 2022. The walk takes attendees through the hotel’s new prehistoric playground which displays life size dinosaur eggs. The week will include fiendish face painting, an eye-opening Dino talk by the park’s Dino Ranger, Luke O’Connell from Luke’s Deadly Dinosaurs, terrifying ghost stories from the Wicked Witch and other fun and games.
There is the option of visiting the adventure playground to zip through the air on a zip wire, start your Formula 1 career on the go-karts or be enchanted by the fairy trail. The hotel also contains an infinity pool and a spa for those well needed moments alone.
The stylish hotel offers spacious deluxe bedrooms perfect for two adults and two children, luxury superior rooms cater for families with three children and interconnecting rooms for larger families. The mid-term family break for two adults and two children staying in a classic room starts from €648 for two nights with breakfast and one evening meal. jurassicnewpark.com
Instagram @newparkhotelkilkenny
A Spooktacular Stay at The Lodge at Ashford Castle, Co Mayo
The enchanting four star venue at Ashford Castle in Mayo, The Lodge, has recently launched a family package for the October midterm guaranteed to get families into the Halloween spirit.
The mid-term package offers families a pumpkin picking expedition on a guided tour of the hotel’s polytunnels, after which your pumpkin can be carved in the design of your choice. Cosy movie nights are encouraged with the provision of a DVD player for your suite accompanied by popcorn and snacks for the kids (and adults) and cocktails (definitely for the adults.)
Your booking also includes tickets for a serene cruise along Lough Corrib where families can learn about the folklore and history of the lake and surrounding area. The Connemara mountains and Lord Ardilaun’s Obelisk are two of the stunning views to be spectacled on your sail.
The package is for two adults and two children. It includes a two night stay in the stylish Quay Suites with a traditional Irish breakfast each morning and dinner on one evening of your choice in the delicious Wilde’s restaurant. The rates for the Halloween package start from €398 per night. www.thelodgeac.com
Instagram @thelodgeashford
Ghosts and Ghouls at the Manor, Cahernane House Hotel, Co. Kerry
The historic Cahernane House Hotel in Killarney, originally built in 1877, has enough history, folklore and ghost sightings to make it a perfect spooky destination!
If this wasn’t enough they have created a wonderful Halloween package for families from Monday 31 October to Tuesday 1 November. All members of the family will be pleased to find treats in their room upon arrival and get stuck into their spooky stay. Guests will enjoy a relaxing movie night with popcorn the first night and on November 1 a tour of the Killegy graveyard to see where the Herbert’s of Caherne House and Muckross are buried.
On Halloween night, Eddie Lenihan, one of the few traditional seanchaís left working in Ireland will host a night of storytelling in the hotel’s drawing room. Lenihan possesses a large repertoire of mythical and fairy stories which he has collected from all around Ireland. His stories feature figures such as the banshee, demons, saints, monsters and ogres and ghosts, a collection guaranteed to send shivers down your spine.
Located just on the outside the centre of a bustling town of Killarney the charming Victorian hotel sits peacefully on 6.4 acres of verdant grounds, and is adjacent to the Killarney Lakes and Killarney National Park. There is much to explore in the area such as Muckross House and Ross Castle but inside be careful… you may just catch a sighting of the ghost of Gwendolyn Herbert, daughter of Henry Herbert; the original owner!
The package is priced from €250 per adult sharing for bed and breakfast for two nights and includes dinner for the family on one evening of your choice. www.cahernane.com
Halloween Half Term Break at Limerick Strand Hotel, Co Limerick
If looking for an active, magical family adventure The Limerick Strand Hotel is the place to go. It is an ideal location for relishing the charm of Limerick City, exploring the river Shannon and visiting the historic King Johns Castle for a hauntingly good time.
From October 27 to 29 guests of the hotel can take part in the Limerick Halloween Festival, abundant with talks, workshops, educational talks for kids and spooky storytelling. The hotel will be hosting Halloween arts and crafts for the kids to enjoy throughout the week and provide free access to the leisure centre which is home to the 20m indoor heated swimming pool.
Food is of high importance for the hotel and the chefs will showcase their autumnal inspired dishes with locally sourced food. Seasonal cocktails will be curated by their mixologists, plus non-alcoholic ones, how spooky!
A stay includes breakfast daily, as well as discounts for entry to King Johns Castle and Bunratty castle. Guests can also delight in dinner at the delectable River Bar and Restaurant, where kids can dine for free. The rates per night start from €189 per adult and kids stay for free in a family room. www.strandhotellimerick.ie
Instagram @limerickstrandhotel