Popular Samhain celebrations return to Leitrim’s Organic Centre

‘Samhain at the Organic Centre’ will be bigger than ever, with an event designed to be a treat for young and old alike, celebrating Halloween seasonal food and culture.

This year, the centre is delighted to welcome social media sensation Kathrina Ruddock of Scrummy TV, who will host a live demonstration featuring traditional Halloween recipes, including colcannon, barmbrack and boxty.

The audience will also be able to enjoy tastings and recipes.

Visitors can also find out what a fright Halloween can be for the environment at a talk entitled ‘Food and Package waste: The scary side of Halloween!’ with Jack O Sullivan from Zero Waste Alliance Ireland.

Historian Joe Mc Gowan will explore the roots of Halloween in a talk entitled ‘From Samhain to Halloween: Food, Folklore and Forgotten Customs’.

The ever-popular Halloween trail will return for younger visitors and is expected to be more ‘spooktacular’ than ever.

Families can buy their maps from the shop and search for the spooky cats around the grounds of the centre, along with a few other eerie surprises along the way, before returning to the shop to collect their reward.

There will also be sustainable and Halloween-themed crafts for the family with Steve, Seb and Alanna, while autumn food and treats will be served in the Grass Roof Cafe.

Visitors can warm up with hot drinks, hot chocolate, tea and coffees, while music will be provided by the Cleary’s and Mary T.

The centre’s Halloween costume swap shop will also be in operation at the shop throughout the holiday period, encouraging people to ‘Reuse Reduce & Recycle’.

One of the event’s special guests, chef and social media sensation Kathrina Ruddock of Scrummy TV, who will perform the cooking demonstration on the day, is no stranger to the Organic Centre and has a soft spot for the area.

“I’ve visited The Organic Centre in Rossinver before, and it’s such a wonderful place, set in beautiful North Leitrim, where my mum originally came from,” said Kathrina.

“I’m really looking forward to returning, sharing my love of baking and celebrating some of our wonderful Irish food traditions.”

Kathrina loves Halloween and, like many, appreciates how important the role food was in celebrating it, in the rural kitchen and in the games from past and present.

“I grew up enjoying traditional Irish Halloween foods like boxty and barmbrack. They’re both delicious, and I think it’s lovely to keep these traditions alive and pass them on to future generation’

This year’s Samhain at the Organic Centre event is supported by Leitrim Tourism and Failte Ireland.