All you need to know about Longford’s Dead of Night spectacular finale 

Parking directions, accessibility for the Fire & Shadows Procession

 Press Release: Friday, 24 October 2025

It’s all systems go for the spectacular finale of the 20th Longford Dead of Night Festival on Halloween night in Longford Town.

The Fire and Shadows Procession will kick off at 7.30pm on Friday evening 31 October, taking off from Connolly Barracks and performing its way up Bridge Street, Main Street, Ballymahon Street and finishing up with a Halloween party on the Market Square.

This event is funded by Fáilte Ireland, Longford County Council and the Night-Time Economy Task Force in the Department of Arts, Sport, Culture and Media.  

This is the third year of a three-year pilot from Fáilte Ireland.

Road closures will kick in around the route in advance at approximately 7pm, led by An Garda Síochána.

The theme of the parade is Morrígan’s Revenge and it will feature music, drumming, dance, fire, dramatic performance as well as plenty of mischief and mayhem.

The Halloween party in the Market Square will include exciting performances from Celtic drumming sensations The Tribal Chieftains, Longford’ fire-dancing specialists Babylon’s Inferno, The LEDJs and more.

Event Management

An Garda Síochána will be onsite managing all temporary closures. People attending are asked to park in the off-street car parks and then to line the route from around 7pm in order to get the best vantage point.

Main Street and Bridge Street will be temporarily closed to facilitate the parade passing through from approximately 7pm and once it passes, Gardaí will reopen the streets.

From Market Square to PV Fallon’s on Ballymahon Street will also be closed to all traffic from approximately 7pm, limiting access to car parks at Market Square and Weaver’s Hall.

The Market Square Taxi rank will be temporarily relocated to the Longford Arms Hotel on Richmond Street for the duration of the road closure.

Longford County Council appreciates everyone’s cooperation and understanding in order to make for a safely run event.

The accessible viewing point will be located in front of Supermacs/AIB on Main Street with limited space available. Please note this event may contain visual, auditory and movement sensory triggers, including bright flashing lights and fire, persistent loud noises, live bands performing, drumming and rapid movement.

The parade is creatively led by Longford Arts Service in partnership with local artists and community groups under the stewardship of Creative Director Tommy Casby.

The team behind the event at Longford County Council includes the support of Longford Community Safety Partnership, Longford Civil Defence, Longford Municipal District, Longford Night-Time Economy and Longford Tourism as well as Health and Safety team, An Garda Síochána and Longford Fire Service.

Elsewhere around County Longford, the Ballymahon Samhain Market and Family Fun Day will be underway at Skelly’s Bar and Restaurant on Main Street, Ballymahon from 9am to 2pm.

Also, the After Dark Ball with Rhythm & Sticks Fancy Dress Party Night takes place in The Longford Arms Ballroom from 9pm on Halloween Night.

Come join us in Longford Town for a spectacular event filled with music, dance, and community spirit as we celebrate Samhain and Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands as the true Home of Halloween!

Some top tips for visiting Longford on Halloween Night:

9. The closest accessible car park to the Accessible Viewing area is the Longford Town Centre car park at Tesco. 
10. Dress appropriately for Irish weather: as with all outdoor events in Ireland, there’s always the chance of four seasons in one evening, so lots of warm layers and waterproofs are always recommended, just in case!
11. On-street parking restrictions on Main Street will be in place from earlier on Friday evening, however, road closures will only take full effect within the hour of the parade start time.
12. Stage building will take place on Market Square earlier in the day, which may have a brief temporary impact on traffic flow around the square. In the interest of health and safety, please follow the directions of Gardaí and event stewards at all times.
13. The parade will set off from Connolly Barracks, proceed down Main Street, and continue straight onto Ballymahon Street before turning right onto the Market Square at the Earl Street side to the finish point there. This means there is plenty of space for everyone to gather safely along the route to get a good view. Please spread out, be safe, and remember to follow the directions of the event stewards and Gardaí at all times. 
14. Intending Irish Rail passengers, Expressway and Local Link bus service users are advised to check with their service providers prior to travel on Friday evening between 7pm and 9.30pm for any alternative arrangements that may be in place to facilitate the necessary road closures for the parade.
15. Health and Safety: Dead of Night Festival stewards will be identifiable by high-visibility clothing.
16. For updates, follow Longford Tourism on social media.
17. The Dead of Night Festival Fire and Shadows Procession in Longford town is a family-friendly event designed to ensure that everyone enjoys this community celebration in a safe and pleasant way, respecting our town, our environment and each other.