Overview
This tour will take you to Ireland’s: -Hidden Heartlands including Carrick-On-Shannon in County Roscommon -Northern Ireland including Derry-Londonderry in County Derry -Ancient East including Trim in County Meath We will start this tour in Carrick-On-Shannon where our day trips will take us to Lough Key and Rathcrogan, Queen Maeve’s ancestral home and burial grounds. We will make our way up to Northern Ireland for the Derry Halloween Festival, a rockin’ time of parades, music, fireworks, costumes and fun. Fans of the DERRY GIRLS won’t want to miss taking a photo near the mural. Our tour will finish in Trim and the Boyne Valley or Brú na Bóinne which boasts a large concentration of ancient Megalithic and Neolithic sites as well as the prominent Anglo-Norman presence. History lovers and Halloweenies will want to be part of this return to the Irish Celtic world for Samhain (pronounced sow-in or sow-ween). Samhain is the time of the year in the old Celtic calendar where the veil between this world and the ‘otherworld’ is at its thinnest. It is the time when family ancestors were honored, feasted and invited in while evil or harmful spirits were warded off. People would wear costumes and masks to disguise themselves to look like an evil or harmful spirit as a way of avoiding the attention of the unfavorable spirits and thusly, protecting themselves. In the U.S., we have continued the tradition of dressing in costumes at Halloween. Experience Halloween like never before when you book with us. What are you waiting for?
Highlights
Samhain Halloween Festival
Samhain was an important night in Ireland's Celtic history. This night celebrates both the fall harvest and the time where the veil is at it's thinnest and we experience the "light half of the year and the dark half of the year" all in one eve. This mystical festival which we know now as Halloween, offers music, storytelling, and fun performances. We will hear from storytellers about the origins of Halloween and Samhain and we will have an opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the ancients as we travel. Bring your costume or as they say in Ireland, your “fancy dress”; because we will be staying in the center of it all. We will be there for Europe's largest Halloween Festival!!
Experience a piece of Irelands Hidden Heartlands
The Hidden Heartlands offer our group a glimpse into the unspoiled beauty of Ireland inner landscapes. We will stay alongside the country’s longest and most famous waterway, the River Shannon. From here, we are not far from the Lough Key, a lake that legends says was formed where men dug the grave for Druid Cé, who died after being wounded in the Second Battle of Mag Tuired and who served the God Nuada. There are over 30 islands within the lake, including Castle Island whose first recorded structure dates to 1184. In County Roscommon, we will visit, Rathcrogan and learn about the orgins of Samhain, in Tulsk, an area full of important archaeological sites; once known as Cruachan, the traditional capital of the Connachta and the legendary Queen Maeve, the Warrior Queen.
Follow in Ancestor’s Footsteps in the Ancient East
Walk in the footsteps of the ancestors while we explore the Brú na Bóinne or Boyne Valley region with its amazing collection of Ancient Megalithic and Neolithic sites, including Newgrange, a site built by Stone Age Farmers around 3100 BC, older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian Pyramids and located along the Boyne River. We will stay in Trim in County Meath, also home to Ireland’s largest Anglo-Norman castle. Needless to say, it has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Walk through a Walled City in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is home to giants, more legends and a few famous people you may know; including CS Lewis and singer, Van Morrison. We will be staying in Derry’s walled city and the home to the largest Halloween Festival in Europe. It’s walls were built 400 years ago by King James I as part of the plantation of Ulster. The walls are fully intact and walkable with its cannons, watchtowers, gates and battlements, you will be transported into history with a Birds Eye view. There are a number of attractions you will want to see by day, like the Peace Bridge, Craft Village and Guildhall, St. Columb’s Cathedral, and the Bogside’s People’s Gallery with its series of impressive building murals. Speaking of which, fans of the DERRY GIRLS, might want to grab a pint at Badgers Bar which is home to a giant mural of the four friends. While we are on the subject of giants, we won’t be far from the Giants Causeway, an incredible array of volcanic basalt rock formations shaped more than 60 million years ago. More modern legend’s tell us that these rocks were shaped by the Giant, Fionn Mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool). Some stories tell of his fight with the Scottish Giant, Benandonner, and how they hurled rocks across the sea at each other. There are also more romantic tales of Finn’s love for a Scottish maiden and how he built the causeway to be closer to his love.
Hosts
The Infamous Leask Family will be there to guide you along the way.
The Leask Clan
All our tours are family run. Graeme, Ciaran, and Michelle Leask look forward to guiding you on tour. Slainte!
Schedule
A brief view of the schedule A more detailed itinerary will also be emailed to each guest after booking.
Previous
Next
Dublin International Airport
Day 1: Pick Up
We will designate an exact time and place at the Dublin Airport for pick up on the 26th of October 2026.
All guests will meet their guides and start the Samhain journey with a drive to Carrick-On-Shannon in County Leitrim.
Note: After making your deposit, you will receive a welcome email with all the information you need to get ready for you tour and make your flights. Feel free to email us with questions or flight recommendations.
Carrick On Shannon
Day 1-3: Carrick-On-Shannon, Rathcrogan and More
We will stay 3 nights at our first hotel, The Landmark Hotel, and have an opportunity to visit Rathcrogan and surrounding areas, such areas such as Lough Key and the much photographed, Castle Island.
While in Rathcrogran we will be introduced to the Origins of Samhain with history and tales of the real Halloween, right where it all began. This is also the area where the ancient Warrior Queen Maeve once reigned and was buried.
Derry-Londonderry, County Derry
Days 4-6: Derry-Londonderry & Halloween Festival
We will make our way to Derry-Londonderry to immerse ourselves in the Halloween festival extrordinare! While we are there, we will also check out the Bushmills Distillery and the famous Giants Causeway.
We don’t want to keep you all too busy outside of the city; but we will provide everyone with a Derry Visitors Pass which will give you entry into a number of sites and activities you can visit by day. In the evening, you will want to don your “Fancy Dress” (how the Irish refer to their costumes) and join in the Halloween festivities.
Our hotel, the Bishops Gate Hotel, is conveniently located along the walls of the city, giving you a good opportunity to see the walls come alive with Halloween excitement.
Trim, Ireland
Days 7-10: Trim and the Bru Na Boinne
We are off to Trim in County Meath, where we will hopefully be able to catch the last afternoon of the Harvest Market at the Puca Festival and take in the ancient sites of the Boyne Valley.
We will make our home at the Castle Arch Hotel while in Trim. Our day trips will include a visit to Newgrange, Trim Castle, and more.
Day 10: Airport Drop off
All good things must come to an end but with new friends, a ton of photos, your memories and suitcase in tow, we will drive everyone back to the airport by 9:00am.
note: please do not have your flights leaving before 11:00am
What's included
What's Included
All Accommodations
Ground Transportation
Breakfasts
Attend Derry Halloween Festival
Attend Puca Festival in Trim
Small Group Size
Personal Tour Guides
Visit Newgrange
Rathcrogan Origins of Samhain Tour
Visit Derry Attraction Passes
Giant’s Causeway
Distillery Tour
What's Not Included
Flights
lunches and dinners
You'll Be Staying Here
Bishops Gate Hotel Londonderry
Located in County Derry in Northern Ireland, Bishops Gate Hotel was built in 1899 and is situated at the historic heart of Londonderry along the famous walled city.
24 Bishop Street Londonderry BT48 6PP GB
Castle Arch Hotel
Situated in the heart of one of Ireland's beloved heritage sites, the Castle Arch Hotel is an exceptional experience.
Summerhill Road, Trim, Co. Meath, C15 WD92, Ireland
Image Credit: Arthur Zukayev; "Castle Arch Hotel Meath" by IE ArtZ Photography is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
The Landmark Hotel
A Family run hotel operated in the finest Irish Tradition and a whole lot of love for hospitality and treating their guests to the finest.
Gallery
FAQs
Pick up/Drop off and Making Your Flights
We have designated a single pick up and drop off point at the Dublin Airport for the whole group. The tour starts on October 26, 2026 when we pick up the whole group and will end on November 4, 2026 when we drop everyone off at the Dublin Airport.
We highly recommend that guests try to fly in the day before to give yourself time to adjust to the timezone and ensure you do not miss the pick up time. We have a bit of a drive on the first day which may cause complications, should you miss the pick up.
Stay tuned for exact times.
After booking the tour, you will receive a welcome email with more details on this information as well as what to expect, contact information and tips for packing and preparing for your tour. For more questions and information, email us at info@radiant-moments.com