Temple Bar (formerly known as St. Andrew’s Parish) is one of the oldest districts of Dublin, it dates back to the Middle Ages. Today, it is both the city’s cultural quarter and a major center for nightlife. Temple Bar hosts a lot of festivals that attract locals and tourists from all over the country and abroad. The Bram Stoker Festival is one of Temple Bar’s signature events.
Bram Stoker was born in Clontarf, a coastal suburb on the northside of Dublin. Despite having spent most of his life in London, he is considered one of the most outstanding Dubliners. Stoker’s bibliography is quite extensive, but he is probably best known for his 1987 Gothic novel Dracula. Stocker’s contribution to the world literature is one of the reasons why Dublin was approved as UNESCO’s City of Literature in 2010.
The Bram Stoker Festival was inaugurated to honor the writer’s literary achievements. It is a four-day event filled with exciting activities for people of all ages. The festival’s program includes day events and night events. Day events are more family-friendly, while night events are aimed at lovers of nightlife and horror. The program features parades, exhibitions, fairs, street performances, screenings of feature films and television shows, night tours around Dublin, parties and more.
The Bram Storker Festival is held in late October for several reasons. First of all, this month is closely associated with Halloween (All Saints’ Eve) and Samhain. Today, these holidays are perceived as the celebration of all things spooky just like the Bram Stoker Festival. Secondly, the last Monday in October is the October Bank Holiday in Ireland. The festival is usually scheduled to include the October Holiday so that more people can attend the events on their extra day off work. The event is presented by Project Arts Center and supported by Dublin City Council and Fáilte Ireland (the Natural Tourism Development Authority of Ireland).
Photo: bramstokerfestival.com
