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All Hallows Eve – A Celtic Celebration for Fall

October 21, 2024

Explore Ireland: Your Next Travel Adventure is Here

It’s coming up on one of my favorite times of the year, “All Hallows Eve.” Halloween was brought to America by the Irish. It’s a Celtic celebration known as Samhain or roughly translated to summer’s end. People gather to enjoy a bounty of food from the summer crops and prepare for the coming of winter. During this time there is believed to be a thin veil between the living world and the spirit world. Druids used to carve turnips in the shape of terrifying faces to place in windows to ward off the evil spirits. Food and treats were left out to feed the souls roaming from town to town. When the Irish came to America, they brought this tradition which was combined with other fall festivals to create the All Hallow’s Eve we celebrate today.  

#Explore Coastal Ireland

Ballygally Castle hotel is situated in Northern Ireland with a rich history going back to the 17th Century. I had heard there was a residential ghost who inhabited the older part of the castle. So, we journeyed to county Antrim located on Ballygally Bay to see what we could find. Now unfortunately I got my directions wrong and navigated us to Northern Ballygally and since we couldn’t find the hotel, stopped and asked for directions. It turned out there are two Ballygally’s along the Irish Sea. One is Northern Ballygally and the other is Southern Ballygally. They were about 45 minutes apart. So off we went in our rental car in search of the castle. I was secretly glad we were somewhat lost because driving along the Irish Sea coastal route to reach the hotel was breathtakingly gorgeous.

A New Adventure Awaits Around Every Corner

We arrived while it was still light outside on a lovely, cool sunny day for Ireland. It had been a long day of driving so we quickly started to unpack our luggage onto a trolley. My father was approached by an older gentleman inquiring if we were French since I was talking to my daughter in French. He was a pleasant fellow with cherry red checks and a nice welcoming smile. We had a quick conversation about being from California and he went on his way.

Later that evening the family went to the lobby of the hotel for something to eat. We found ourselves right in the middle of an Irish wedding reception. The gentleman whom we had met earlier in the day invited us to join the party which we did. He handed us a glass of wine to toast the newlyweds and then we enjoyed participating in an authentic Irish jig. At some point a betting contest took place on whether we were French or Irish when someone asked where we were from. After telling them we were from California, a pool of money was passed over to the gentleman we met when unpacking our car earlier in the day. It seemed so Irish that the man who won the contest already knew the answer. What fun!

Time to Meet the Grey Lady

The Grey Lady of Ballygally Castle

At 12:45am, the family climbed a bunch of stairs to get to the haunted Grey Ladies bedroom to hear the 1am chime that would summon her ghost. All was quiet and still. When 1 o’clock chimed nothing happened. As my family sat listening to the distant tower chimes, I snapped a picture with my camera light on to surprise them as if they were seeing a ghost. I’m sorry to say that the Grey Lady didn’t appear to us. However, the room was cold and eerie. It had an old musty smell so let’s just say we were happy to get back to our rooms for a good night’s sleep.

What Fun!

Small journey’s become big adventures. We still talk about the Grey Lady today and the enormously popular Ballygally Castle Hotel. It left a lasting impression on me.

Have a Happy Halloween!

One Day and on Our Way

The next morning, we had an enjoyable buffet breakfast in the main castle hall which was filled with suits of armor. Then, we took some pictures around the castle grounds. A long pathway that was well maintained took us into a lovely garden just made for strolling. It was filled with lovely flowers and overgrown trees. I took a short walk to help digest my breakfast before packing up and heading out for our next great destination: Northern Ireland

#Travel Tip

Slow down and let yourself take the time to enjoy being together. Many times, we are in such a rush to see all the sights that fun times might be missed. It took a little longer to explore the Ballygally castle hotel gardens than what was on our itinerary. I always say “adjust as needed” because you can miss great moments by being in a rush. Check out their website for more details: www.ballygallycastlehotel.com.

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