Longford's Samhain: Fire and Shadows Procession 31 October 2025

Longford's Samhain: Fire and Shadows Procession

31 October @ 7pm
 

Step into Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands this Halloween and experience Longford at its best. The Fire & Shadows Procession, the spectacular finale of the Dead of Night Festival, lights up the streets in a dazzling collision of fire, folklore, and imagination. 

On Friday 31 October, the streets of Longford Town will blaze to life with the Fire & Shadows Procession: Morrígan’s Revenge, the spectacular finale of the Dead of Night Festival and one of the flagship events of the new Ireland Home of Halloween  

 As the clock strikes 7.30pm, drums thunder and flares rise as the procession begins its journey  from Connolly Barracks and up through Main Street. Central is the Morrígan, the fearsome Raven Queen of Celtic mythology. A goddess of war, fate, and transformation, she returns to avenge the death of Dagda, the great god of fertility. With her Tuatha Dé Danann army at her side, she summons chaos and shadow, unleashing banshees, wolves, and spectral figures into the night. 

 Longfords Fire & Shadows Procession is a living piece of street theatre, combining fire dancers, flare bearers, samba drummers, stilt walkers, shadow puppetry, and giant lanterns. Each section tells part of the story: the solemn funeral of Dagda, the rise of Morrígan’s army, the hunt of the wolves, the shrieks of the banshees, and the desperate attempts of the witch hunters to hold back the tide of darkness. Audiences line the streets or walk alongside, drawn into the drama as sound, light, and movement collide. 

 At Market Square, the energy reaches its climax. A breathtaking finale of fire, frantic drumming, and mythical spirits fills the night air. Flames leap skyward, shadows dance across the walls, and the crowd becomes part of the story,  celebrating Samhain in its truest form. On-street entertainment continues until 9.30pm, leaving visitors with a memory that lingers long after the last ember fades. 

Join us in Longford this Halloween night, when the Morrígan rises, the fire blazes, and the shadows come alive…. 

 The Fire & Shadows Procession closes the Dead of Night Festival with a bang, while also standing proudly alongside Féile na Samhna at Corlea Trackway and Samhain on Uisneach in Westmeath as part of the first year of a three-year journey to establish the  Ireland Home of Halloween  brand in the Hidden Heartlands. Together, these festivals invite visitors to stay longer, explore deeper, and uncover the hidden - bogs, trackways, waterways and sacred hills - in the very heart of Ireland.