Dragon of Shandon marks its 20th year with return to city's streets

Cork’s 36-foot dragon returned to the city’s streets on Halloween night to mark its 20th anniversary, leading thousands through the city on Halloween.

Attendees were blessed with good weather for the event, which was live streamed.

Organisers said the parade saw the giant dragon model traverse the city streets: “Escorted by her legion of loyal ghouls, beasts, misfits and spooky creatures to celebrate the ancient tradition of Samhain”.

It went from North Main Street, then turned onto Castle Street before a finale show at the Coal Quay.

The parade featured fire performers Rogu, live music from a brass band and lots of scary costumes from hundreds of participants from different community groups across the city.

The event is run by Cork Community Art Link, the Blackpool-based arts charity, whose volunteers spend months building the dragon and its entourage of skeletons, ghouls and fantastical creatures at The Lido.

Everything is made by hand, and the dragon itself is built entirely from tape. In the weeks beforehand, the group ran free workshops across the city.

Lord Mayor Damian Boylan said: “The Dragon of Shandon shows what Cork people can do when imagination and community spirit come together.

“Behind the spectacle are months of work by artists, volunteers and local communities, led by Cork Community Art Link.

“They deserve enormous credit for creating something so distinctive and so proudly Cork,” said Mr Boylan.

“As Lord Mayor, I want to thank everyone involved for bringing our streets to life and giving families a wonderful shared experience. It’s something the city truly treasures.”

This year’s parade also formed part of the Cultúr 2026 programme tied to Ireland’s EU presidency, with a special ROGU residency bringing fire performance, workshops and creative activity into the build-up, culminating in a major performance as part of the Dragon of Shandon celebrations.

The residency aimed to bring contemporary European street arts together with one of Cork City’s most distinctive cultural traditions, one of the main aims of the Cultúr programme.

The first parade took place in 2006, the brainchild of Cork Community Art Link director William Frode de la Foret, and it has since grown into one of Ireland’s biggest Halloween events.

The parade celebrates Samhain, the ancient Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest season, and organisers say it now draws more than 20,000 people.