Spine-chilling, spooktacular Samhain story telling event to take place in Ballybofey

The Well Lane in Ballybofey will host an event to mark astrological Samhain on Wednesday evening.

Patrons will hear about the origins of the festival and share spine-chilling ghost stories

Samhain falls exactly halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. This date changes, depending on when the sun is at 15 degrees of Scorpio. 

This year that means the festival falls on Wednesday, November 6.

The origins of Samhain is of great debate. There are the usual theories and there are some more unusual ones. 

Seventeenth century Author Charles Vallency claimed that the celebration of Samhain came to Ireland from the East. Vallency also claimed that Samhain was a deity worshiped by the Phonecians and then so by the Druids.

Samhain, the lord of the dead, was also known as balsab; Bal meaning lord and sab meaning death. Bal can also be connected to the festival of Beltaine.

Worshiping the lord of the dead might not paint the Druids in a favorable light but, like with any culture, race or creed, there are always “good” and “bad” people. 

Hear more on the origins of Samhain and a few ghost stories with Sue Glackin from The Well Lane and Charlie Gallagher from Way of the Stag tomorrow at The Well Lane. 

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Charlie is a folklorist, keeper of the ways and blacksmith and has some amazing stories in his repertoire with many hair-raising personal experiences, up close and personal with the metaphysical.

You will also get to enjoy some native harvest foods and drinks including blackberry wine, kinnegar beer, wild Irish game charcuterie and Irish farmhouse cheeses served with wild hawthorn, sloe, rosehip and rowanberry Condiments.