Visitors were enchanted as a brand-new spectacle was unveiled at Púca Festival 2023 – ‘Samhain Night Between The Years’ which took place in Trim on Saturday, 28th October 2023. Onlookers were immersed in the mystical tale of the veil between worlds through this captivating opening procession, which promised an unforgettable blend of outdoor theatre, street performance, and traditional music.
Opening Procession 2023
Opening Procession: 'Samhain Night Between The Years', Trim
Spectators were enthralled as the traditional story of the veil between worlds was creatively told during the new opening procession which blended outdoor theatre, street performance, and traditional music in a wild celebration of Samhain lore, nature, ancestry, and the looming darkness, transported people into a world where tradition met creativity. ‘Samhain Night Between The Years’ weaved together the rich tapestry of Samhain lore, the essence of nature, the echoes of ancestry, and the imminent darkness.
The theme of wild nature, divilment, and merrymaking captivated spectators, beginning with end of harvest festivities, music, and revelry in celebration of the end of season. As light turned to darkness and the veil thinned, so too did the visions of otherworldly, shape-shifting spirits on their journey through the original home of Halloween. A traditional Irish music score will brought the procession to life, featuring the supreme talents of local Meath musicians playing along live, including musicians, sean-nós singers, ancient horns and a chorus of singers walking with the wild; the Púca otherworldly portal of wild trad musicians and primal dancers.
Organisers are invited spectators to come dressed in a disguise of nature foraged locally, and to bring along a hag stone (a stone with naturally occurring holes, to view mystical creatures), to safely see who is Púca and who is not.
Following this spellbinding procession, the celebration continued at Trim Castle, where the ever-popular Pyro Collective will lit up the night with a breathtaking fire display.