One look at the walls of Trim Castle is enough to understand their evocative power. Narrow openings, the bulk of the keep and uneven stonework create a setting that night can make almost unreal. For Halloween 2026, the Púca festival has announced a free audiovisual installation that will use these walls as its canvas. In this County Meath town, medieval heritage will meet figures from Irish folklore: a reason to leave Dublin for an evening, or to extend a stay in the Boyne Valley.
At Trim Castle, Halloween is projected onto stone
A free installation announced for Púca 2026
The official Púca festival programme, scheduled from 29 October to 1 November 2026 in Trim and Athboy, presents Projections on Trim Castle as an installation combining image and sound around myths and the supernatural. It is listed among the free events. The castle thus becomes a storytelling surface, with its silhouette and contours lending another dimension to the images.
At this stage, the exact times and evenings on which the projections will be shown have not been confirmed in the detailed information available when we checked. The festival’s overall dates should therefore not be understood as a guarantee that there will be projections every evening. Before choosing your date, check the organisers’ latest announcements.
A monument also worth seeing by daylight
Heritage Ireland describes Trim Castle as Ireland’s largest Anglo-Norman fortification. Hugh de Lacy and his successors spent 30 years building it. Its three-storey, cruciform keep, with 20 sides, gives a sense of the site’s defensive ambition.
Seeing the building before nightfall makes it easier to appreciate its volumes and to distinguish what the spectacle will transform. This dialogue between architecture and contemporary creation is what makes the event so compelling: the walls are not an interchangeable screen, but an active part of the experience.
The Púca Procession also makes its way through Trim
An event set for Friday 30 October
Another event to consider for your evening: the Púca Procession is scheduled to take place in Trim on 30 October 2026 at 18:00 local time. Entry is free and no ticket is required. The organisers are planning a procession animated by music, percussion, fire and characters inspired by folklore. The time remains subject to change.
The festival brings the world of Samhain to life through contemporary creations. For visitors, the opportunity lies less in seeking an exact reconstruction of an ancient rite than in discovering how these stories continue to inspire artists. Between the procession and the projections, the town itself becomes a performance space.
Planning an evening in Trim from Dublin
Check your return journey before choosing your outbound one
The official travel page announces dedicated festival coaches from several towns and cities, including Dublin, as well as a shuttle between Trim and Athboy. When we checked, the final timetable for the latter was still listed as forthcoming. Regular Bus Éireann services are another option, to be checked directly with the operator for your chosen date.
For an evening outing, start with the return journey: the last departure, pick-up point and whether booking is required. If you are combining several events or wish to stay after a concert, staying overnight may make the evening easier. Bring a waterproof jacket, warm layers and footwear suitable for walking and waiting outdoors.
A castle closure to bear in mind
Heritage Ireland has announced the closure of Trim Castle for works from 1 November 2026 to 1 April 2027. If you want to combine the festival with a visit to the monument, choose a date before November and check access with the site. This closure applies to heritage visits; on its own, it does not mean that an outdoor festival event has been cancelled.
Visits to the keep and Púca events operate under separate arrangements. The keep’s stairs are described in particular as steep and narrow, with very limited access for people with disabilities. For performances, consult the festival’s accessibility information and the map of areas open to the public. Finally, free admission to the projections and procession does not automatically extend to every concert in the programme.
Information checked on 6 October 2026 with Púca Festival and Heritage Ireland. Programme and access arrangements may change. Featured photo: Trim Castle in January 2022, Olliebailie / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Image cropped, resized and compressed, and published under the same licence. This archive view does not show the festival projections.
