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Associate Professor Karol Mullaney-Dignam, School of History and Geography, recently opened Arra Historical & Archaeological Society's 2025/26 lecture season with a lecture on Samhain/Halloween. The Arra Historical & Archaeological Society was established in 2017 with the aim of researching and documenting the history, archaeology, and genealogy of the old half-barony of Arra and its surrounding areas. This region includes the present-day civil parishes of Burgessbeg, Castletown Arra (Portroe), Youghalarra, Monsea, and Templeachally. Karol’s lecture discussed Irish folklore surrounding Samhain, the ancient festival that laid the foundations for modern Halloween. Drawing from historical sources, mythology, and regional customs, she explored how this seasonal celebration—that once marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter—was deeply rooted in both pre-Christian ritual and Christian adaptation. It highlighted how Samhain was believed to be a liminal time, when the veil between worlds was believed to thin, allowing spirits and supernatural beings to cross into the human realm. It also examined the evolution of customs like guising, trick-or-treating, divination games, and fortune-telling, as well as tales of the Púca and changeling fears, showing how these have endured and transformed over centuries. Please see below a to coverage by Tipperary Live: There was also a write up in the Tipperary Star newspaper on the event and talk.