Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

How did hundreds of people end up at a Halloween parade in Dublin that never existed?

Gardaí requested that people leave the area safely after hundreds turned up to the event.

HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE lined the footpaths on O’Connell Street in Dublin last night in anticipation of a Halloween parade that had been promoted online, but the parade never materialised.  

The fake event, posted to a Halloween themed website and circulated to thousands online, was supposed to start on the north side of the city and make its way down to Temple Bar. However, no such parade was planned.

Eventually, gardaí requested that people leave the area safely.

The initial impression of the fake event was that it was an elaborate prank. However, it actually appears to have been promoted by people based in Pakistan. 

The website said that the parade would follow a “well-planned route” and begin at Parnell Square at 7pm, before moving south down O’Connell Street. 

It encouraged people to arrive early to secure a good viewing spot. 

The event was promoted on a website called My Spirit Halloween, which has a long list of other events, a number of which are supposedly in Ireland.

While the site claims to be based in Illinois in the United States, its Facebook says its administrators are in Pakistan. 

fake events site The events page on the website

The promotion for the event was initially posted on the website on 30 October, the day before Halloween.

Pakistan FB page The Facebook page associated with the website shows the admins are in Pakistan Screenshot Screenshot

Dublin has held Halloween parades in the past but there was none scheduled for this year.

Some people promoted the fake event on TikTok and used footage of parades from previous years to do so. This may have been done without the TikTok users knowing the event was not real. 

MixCollage-01-Nov-2024-11-07-AM-9221 Screenshots of two TikTok videos promiting the fake event

One TikTok video was viewed tens of thousands of times.

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
It is vital that we surface facts from noise. Articles like this one brings you clarity, transparency and balance so you can make well-informed decisions. We set up FactCheck in 2016 to proactively expose false or misleading information, but to continue to deliver on this mission we need your support. Over 5,000 readers like you support us. If you can, please consider setting up a monthly payment or making a once-off donation to keep news free to everyone.

Close
55 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

    Leave a commentcancel

     
    JournalTv
    News in 60 seconds