Hoax: thousands turn out for Dublin’s ghost Halloween parade
A large crowd of several thousand people gathered on O’Connell Street in Dublin on Thursday evening, eagerly awaiting a Halloween parade that ultimately did not take place. The event was promoted on the website myspirithalloween.com, which claimed a festive parade would run from 7 PM to 10 PM, starting at Parnell Square and concluding at Temple Bar.
The hoax parade was falsely attributed to the Galway arts ensemble Macnas, known for its vibrant Halloween celebrations in Dublin in previous years. However, as the evening progressed, it became clear that no such event was scheduled for this year, leaving many attendees disappointed. Social media images captured the scene, showing hundreds of people lined up along the street, anticipating the festivities.
As the reality of the situation set in, Gardaí were forced to intervene, urging the crowd to disperse safely from the city center. The incident highlights the potential for misinformation to create chaos, as many were drawn to the city by the promise of a lively Halloween celebration. Authorities are now investigating the origins of the misleading information that led to the gathering, emphasizing the need for caution when relying on online sources for event details.
As several people onine noted, pranks such as this can turn dangerous when no crowd control measures are in place.
(Michael Leahy. Source: Irish Central et al Photo: Selim Karadayı / Pexels)