A macabre marquee in the front garden of Ken Carraher’s home is being filled with ghosts, ghouls and monsters ahead of October 31.
The charity display is a well-known and long-running attraction in Killiney, which he says brings a real sense of community spirit.
Unofficially dubbed the Marquee of Mr Carraher, the display is a must-stop spot for any trick-or-treater.
“Halloween night is absolute mayhem – there will probably be the best part of 2,000 people here on that night alone,” he said.
“We have all the local kids helping to scare people and adults helping out as well, so it’s a whole community thing.”
Mr Carraher, an electrician by profession, said the annual tradition has evolved over 25 years.
The task of putting the house of horrors together is a gruelling one, involving hundreds of hours of work.
All the money goes to Debra Ireland for what people know as butterfly children, who suffer from the skin disease called EB
“We start building the marquee on the second last Friday of September and from then on, it’s every free moment.”
He normally takes four weeks of annual leave for Halloween, starting a fortnight before the big day.
During the two-week lead-in, he puts the final touches together, kitting out the grotto with all kinds of scary-looking characters and props. It takes another two weeks to take it all down again.
Mr Carraher admitted he is “petrified” of the dark and scary movies. So what possessed him to create the display?
It is all for a good cause, as the Halloween showcase – now in its 15th year – doesn’t just raise hell, but also much-needed funds for charity.
“All the money goes to Debra Ireland for what people know as butterfly children, who suffer from the skin disease called EB (epidermolysis bullosa).”
Debra is the national charity for the debilitating skin condition, helping 300 people who live with it.
Under the buzz and whirr of motorised decorations and lights, Mr Carraher paid tribute to the background work of his partner Gail, his children, his friend John and his neighbour Ciara for their help with the project.
He also thanked the local companies that help by donating sweets for an anticipated crowd of 6,000 across the four nights from October 28 to 31.
