It’s a dark October night as we walk through a misty tunnel, suddenly from behind we hear a maniacal laugh, turning around just as the smell of petrol hits me in the nostrils and I see a chainsaw-wielding clown hurting towards us and chasing us into the relative safety of the night! Of course, we’re in Irelands only theme park – Tayto Park – for their now annual Halloween celebrations, a decidedly less childish affair than their usual playpark and animal offerings. Opening tonight and running until Halloween, the Parks offers up their biggest rides – The Cú Chulainn Coaster, Air Racer, Rotator, Windstar & Endeavour as well as the terrifying 5D horror movie: Fun House Express as well as a trip to the MORBID MANOR. The massive wooden coaster itself is an absolute treat in the dark, much more visceral during the night. Throughout the night keep your wits about you as costumed ghouls, clowns, zombie brides and all sorts that wouldn’t look out of place on the set of ‘Thriller’ make sure to alert you to their presence in the most immediate of fashions!
Once you’re done with the rides you meander through a seemingly deserted kiddies section before stumbling across the CARNEVIL. A demented ringmaster ushers you into his 4 stage circus themed freak show, through a massive fanged killer clowns mouth. Here the demented performers like to get very up close and personal with you as you attempt to go through without shouting for your mummy!
Finally, it’s time for the main show, the MORBID MANOR! You can hear the screams from outside and as you enter the darkness you start to wonder just what exactly possessed you to enter this hell house? Speaking of possessions, there’s this one room that will have you wishing you’d spent more attention to The Exorcist… but I’ll not give away too much of what goes on inside the Morbid Manor, suffice to say it’s pretty flipping scary! It seems to be never-ending and it gets darker and more terrifying as you go on, the music and smells adding to the tension and leaving you with an enormous feeling of relief when you come out the other side and ready for a justifiable stiff drink in the bar just after.
This being Tayto Park, of course, they have catered for the younger visitors as well with their Ghost Hunters and added attractions during the day, so if you want something for the little ones too then check that out, it sounds great:
a bewitching interactive children’s adventure where guests will become ghost hunters and enter an old abandoned manor to discover the strange happenings inside.
On entry, children will receive a torch and will make their way through the manor with a ghostly guide to solve a series of clues to gain entry into the next room. Throughout the walkway, the mansion’s ghostly residents will slowly reveal themselves and the mystery behind the manor will be solved.
I must say I really enjoyed my first trip to Tayto Park, the rides are top notch, the roller coaster is world class and today I get to enjoy the crisps I all got on the way out. I lok forward to revisiting with the kids and not having to watch my back quite so much!
