Fáilte Ireland’s Púca Festival

04. Puca Festival Local Launch 2025 1 scaled 1

The world-famous Púca Festival, developed by Fáilte Ireland, in partnership with Meath County Council returned to its roots for Halloween 2025, celebrating the birthplace of Halloween. Taking place across the vibrant festival hubs of Trim and Athboy, Co. Meath from Thursday, 30th October to Sunday, 2nd November, festivalgoers enjoyed four unforgettable nights filled with music, fire, food, folklore, and immersive experiences set in Ireland’s Ancient East.  

The most recent Púca Festival featured two unmissable events that marked its opening and closing – Athboy’s Samhain Fire Ceremony and Trim’s Púca Procession – each offering a unique and authentic celebration of Ireland’s ancient Samhain traditions. On Friday, 31st October, the Lighting of the Samhain Fire at Tlachtga (Hill of Ward), Athboy honoured the origins of Halloween with a powerful ceremony and fiery spectacle, followed by music and celebration at the Fair Green. The journey continued as Trim came alive for the Púca Procession: Gathering of the Spirits – a free, open-air celebration blending outdoor theatre, street performance, and traditional Irish music.   

An array of workshops, tours, music and comedy ran over the weekend, offering plenty to explore. Highlights included the Samhain Circus in Fairgreen, Athboy, Sorchas Na Samhain, and Beyond the Veil – The Púca Trail at the Harvest Market, Porchfields, Trim, and the Projections on Trim Castle, a free event that brings the ancient fortress to life. 

 

The 2025 programme included The 2 Johnnies, Block Rockin’ Beats and Groove Armada, Blindboy, Kíla, Jason Byrne, Emma Doran, Young Hot Guys and Davina Devine.

Plan your 2026 visit on www.pucafestival.com or contact the team puca@harrispr.ie.

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Viktoriia Hurska

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Vika joined Harris PR following her selection as the recipient of the 2025/26 Harris PR Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Bursary, developed in partnership with the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII) and the Open Doors Initiative. Originally from Ukraine and displaced by war, Vika came to Ireland in 2022 and brings over eight years of experience in communications including a wealth of strategic insight, creativity, and international perspective.

 

As part of the Bursary, Viktoriia is completing the PRII Diploma in Public Relations, combining academic study with hands-on agency experience at Harris PR, where she supports clients in the retail, health & wellness, festivals and NFP sectors.

Eve McSweeney

ACCOUNT MANAGER

Eve is a skilled communications specialist who joined Harris PR in 2026 bringing extensive experience in strategic PR across the business, technology, and consumer sectors.

 

Eve previously spent over four years at tech-focused communications agency Beachhut PR, where she delivered strategic positioning, executive profiling, and global media relations for high-growth companies and multinational brands, often translating jargon heavy language into clear messaging. Her experience spans fintech, automotive, e-commerce, Web3, med-tech, supply chain, and enviro-tech industries.

 

She plays a key role in shaping and delivering integrated communications strategies, working closely with clients to build strong narratives, deliver insight-led storytelling, and drive meaningful media engagement.

Emma Geraghty

ACCOUNT MANAGER

Emma started her career in Internal Communications before undertaking a Masters in Public Relations and Strategic Communications. She moved on to become a Public Relations Manager in a fast-paced retail environment for over two years before joining Harris PR in 2025.

 

Experienced in delivering and executing PR campaigns across corporate, consumer and sustainability communications, whilst nurturing brand reputation, Emma manages clients in the health & wellness, retail, festivals and NFP sectors. A true media relations pro, her passion lies in storytelling and identifying news angles that will generate positive coverage while landing key messages.

Niamh McCarrick

DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR

With over 20 years’ experience, both agency and in-house, Niamh is a versatile and passionate PR expert who joined the Harris PR team in 2020.

 

During the course of her career she has worked with a broad range of corporate entities and consumer brands from industries spanning retail, telecoms, and FMCG, and has been the recipient of a number of PRCA awards in recognition of her work. She later served on the judging panel for the annual industry awards for several years.

Niamh specialises in strategy, planning, media relations and influencer management at Harris PR, and is the account lead for a number of brands in the retail, food & beverage, health & wellness and travel & tourism sectors.

Sonia Harris Pope

FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR

Sonia established Harris PR in 2009, following a decade in agency PR and three years as a journalist with the Sunday Independent.  Her vision is to provide a truly people centric service, delivering standout creative work that moves the dial, while acting as an extension of client teams

 

While taking an active role in client work, alongside running the business, Sonia is responsible for strategic counsel, creative oversight and KPI delivery.  She has advised multinationals, start-ups, NFPs, and more over the course of her career and is deeply committed to advancing the PR industry by investing in talent and building an agency culture rooted in fairness and inclusivity.

 

Sonia is committed to advancing DEI in the PR Industry, and recently commissioned research and prepared the first benchmark report and toolkit for employers on the state of DEI in PR Ireland.  An active member of the PRII, and co-founder of the DEI PR Bursary now in its third year, Sonia has recently joined the board of the PRCA, and is committed to driving more inclusive hiring and workplace practices throughout the industry.