Feature Image; 2023 Samhain Festival, Longford
Rooted in Ireland’s rich tapestry of folklore, mythology and oral storytelling, Irish horror is having a moment, with eerie tales and spine-chilling films captivating audiences across the globe. As the Home of Halloween, Ireland’s tradition of Samhain – the festival to celebrate the autumn.
In a land steeped in tales of banshees, fairy forts, puca’s, and restless spirits, it’s no surprise that horror finds fertile ground. Today, a fresh generation of storytellers is tapping into this legacy, riding a wave of audience fascination with Ireland’s ability to capture the unknown on screen.
Lee Cronin’s The Hole in the Ground premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2019 and announced an impressive new talent. The supernatural horror was filmed on location in Counties Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow, using the natural greens and browns of Ireland’s woodlands to create atmosphere, along with the stunning Irish coastal town of Bray featuring in the film. Subsequently Cronin has shown he is one of the most exciting voices in horror with Evil Dead Rise in 2023, and audiences are in for another treat with Lee Cronin’s The Mummy due on screens in 2026. A reboot of the 1932 classic, The Mummy was filmed in Dublin and according to Cronin himself he has been “digging deep into the earth to raise something very ancient and very frightening.”
Kate Dolan’s feature debut You Are Not My Mother roared onto screens in 2021 picking up numerous awards. Dolan has stated that she was inspired to make the film by Irish folklore and the Samhain traditions of lighting bonfires to ward away evil spirits. Dolan’s atmospheric rendering of Dublin also led to her directing a number of episodes of Season 2 of The Tourist which was filmed in Ireland. No wonder she was selected to direct the M3GAN spin off SOULM8TE which will be in cinemas later this year.
Bantry House and Gardens, Co Cork
Only a select number of films to score 100% on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, and Damien McCarthy’s 2024 horror Oddity can boast that accolade. Like his debut feature Caveat, Oddity was filmed on location in Bantry House, West Cork. originally built in the 18th century, the impressive stately home provided the perfect rural and remote location with a sense of otherworldliness oozing from the stunning ivy covered house and extensive gardens overlooking Bantry Bay, which is open for people to visit and and functions as a B&B. McCarthy’s new film Hokum starring Severance’s Adam Scott was also filmed in Bantry, telling the story of a horror novelist who comes to the West Cork town to spread his parents’ ashes – unaware the location he chooses is rumoured to be haunted.
Humour and moments of levity have gone hand in hand with horror since its inception, and the Irish black humour and scenic landscapes present a perfect foil for some of the scarier moments. Recent black comedy Obituary, Season 2 of which is out was filmed in the Northwest of Ireland around County Donegal in Bundoran and Ballyshannon. “We needed a seaside vibe, but also a place that was big enough for a serial killing obituarist to hide”, said Executive Producer Paddy Hayes. The West Cork towns of Glandore and Union Hall were also used to contrast the mystical goings on in the Netflix series Bodkin, as well as featuring a fictionalised Samhain festival celebration on screen, along with bonfires and ancient rituals and costume.
Of course, we couldn’t include a list of the supernatural without including Tim Burton’s Wednesday, Season 2 of which was shot entirely in Ireland. One of the key cast, Joanna Lumley, who plays Hester Wednesday’s grandmother attested: “there is a spirit in Ireland which very much embraces the whole of this ‘Wednesday’ shoot.” This spirit can be found on screen though the filming locations, from the imposing Powerscourt Estate and waterfall in Wicklow that doubles as Hester’s House, to the enchanting neo-gothic Charleville Castle in Tullamore, County Offaly that provides the backdrop for part of Nevermore Academy. Season 3 of the popular series has just been announced, and we can’t wait to see Ireland back on screens. “It’s no coincidence that Dracula author Bram Stoker hailed from Dublin, and his stories were inspired by the stories of Irish folklore,” said Wednesday showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar.
From ancient Samhain rituals to Netflix’s biggest hits, Ireland’s landscapes and legends are fuelling a new golden age of horror.
Fill Your Heart With Ireland, the Home of Halloween!
