October Holiday (IRL)

October Holiday (IRL) Quick Facts

AKA Name:	Lá Saoire i mí Dheireadh Fómhair, Lá Saoire i mí Dheireadh Fómhair
Hashtags:	#OctoberWeekendInIreland
2019 Date:	28 October 2019
2020 Date:	26 October 2020

2019 Holidays & Dates

		EU Country Common Holidays
		EU Country National Holidays

October Holiday (IRL) in 2019

October Holiday (IRL) History

The October Holiday was introduced for the purposes of the Holidays (Employees) Act of 1973- to give people a day off from work. As it takes place on the last Monday of October, the day sometimes coincides with Halloween. In Ireland, the tradition of ‘Halloween’ dates back to the 18th century, it evolved from the ancient Celtic festival called Samhain. The Celts believed that the night was a time of transition, when a veil that usually separates worlds is lowered. All the spirits of those who did since the last Oíche Shamhan (Night of Samhain) moved into the next life.

Today there are markets, parties and festivals across the country and the world much like St Patrick’s Day, another Irish festival that goes global. This year the October Holiday is observed the day after the end of Western European Summer Time, when the clocks go back an hour- 31 October.

Top Tweets for October Holiday

.@CorkAirport is set for one of its busiest weekends of the year, with more than 45,000 passengers expected to travel through Ireland’s second largest and best connected international airport this October Bank Holiday Weekend. Read more here: https://t.co/m4VrPXQ0CU https://t.co/JCC9GwfkMr
— Cork Airport (@CorkAirport) October 19, 2018

Looking for something to do on Bank Holiday Saturday 26 October? Join Geological Survey Ireland @Dept_CCAE with our friends in @DublinDeadZoo @NMIreland for an afternoon of fossils and the amazing geological story of Ireland. https://t.co/KsLcFFsaqm
— Geological Survey IE (@GeolSurvIE) October 25, 2018

For up-to-date public transport information and details on road closures planned for this Oct Bank Holiday weekend due to the Dublin Marathon please visit Transport for Ireland at https://t.co/6UhIieWD8I. https://t.co/1vLrF7dSvq
— TransportForIreland (@TFIupdates) October 25, 2018

October Holiday Facts & Quotes

Halloween, from the Celtic festival of Samhain originated in County Meath, Ireland over 2,000 years ago.
Fire was extinguished and relit from a New Year Samhain fire during the ancient festival.
Michael O’Leary was the Labour Minister who made the October Holiday into law in 1977.
Jack O’Lentern dates to the 18th century, an Irish blacksmith was supposedly refused entry to heaven having been found colluding with the Devil. Condemned to wander the earth with only a coal burning inside a turnip. By putting a 'Lantern themselves in a window they would ward the spirit away'. Irish migrants to America carried on the tradition, but swapped turnips for pumpkins due to supply issues.
Things aren't as they seem. - Irish Proverbs.

October Holiday Top Events and Things to Do

Celebrate Samhain or Halloween by getting dressed up and embracing chaos for the night! This ancient festival and its 18th century descendant sometimes coincides with the Bank Holiday.
Take a trip to the Giant’s Causeway. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is made of 40,000 polygonal basalt rock columns. They form a set of gigantic stepping stones.
Visit one of Ireland’s areas of outstanding natural beauty. The Cliffs of Moher Tower sits 214 meters above the Atlantic Ocean and provides a bird's eye view of nearby sights.
Read a book by an Irish author. The country has more great writers per capita than any other. Our suggestions include:
1) Ulyssess by James Joyce
2) The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
3) Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
Watch an Irish film. Ireland has produced many popular classics. Our suggestions include:
1) The Guard(2011)
2) In Bruges (2008)
3) Calvary (2014)