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seasonal · Wednesday 21 October 2026 · Various 
Origins of Samhain Tour, Rathcroghan
At Rathcroghan Visitor Centre · Rathcroghan Visitor Centre, Tulsk, Castlerea, Co. Roscommon
At Rathcroghan Visitor Centre · Rathcroghan Visitor Centre, Tulsk, Castlerea, Co. Roscommon
Rathcroghan Visitor Centre in Tulsk runs its Origins of Samhain tour from Monday to Friday between 21 October and 1 November 2026, excluding the October bank holiday Monday. The tour takes visitors to Oweynagat, known as the Cave of the Cats, which local tradition holds is the birthplace of Samhain, the ancient Irish festival that gave rise to modern Halloween. Rathcroghan itself is billed as the ancient capital of Connacht, and this is the visitor centre’s main seasonal offering built around that connection.
A guide leads small groups out to the entrance of Oweynagat as part of the tour, explaining the site’s mythology and its links to Samhain and the wider Rathcroghan complex of royal and ceremonial sites scattered across the surrounding farmland. The tour visits the site and entrance of the cave only and does not go inside it, so this is a walking, storytelling experience above ground rather than a cave exploration. Given the site’s exposed, rural setting, appropriate outdoor footwear and weather-suitable clothing are recommended, and conditions underfoot near the cave entrance can be muddy and uneven. The tour runs weather-dependent, with full refunds offered if it has to be cancelled, and places are limited, so early booking is advised once the booking system opens.
Rathcroghan Visitor Centre is on the N5 at Tulsk, between Castlerea and Strokestown, with Bus Éireann services along the N5 corridor stopping in Tulsk. Parking is available on site at the visitor centre.
The wider Rathcroghan landscape, including the Rathcroghan mound itself, is worth exploring beyond the tour, and Tulsk has a small selection of local amenities for a stop before or after. There is more to see in Tulsk and across Co. Roscommon.
Heading to Rathcroghan Visitor Centre in Tulsk? Roscommon has plenty more to see. Read the Tulsk area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.