Website sparks Halloween confusion

A misleading website based in Pakistan caused confusion in Dublin, where hundreds gathered on O'Connell Street on Thursday, believing they were attending a Halloween parade that never took place.

The situation escalated to the point where the Irish police felt compelled to issue a public statement informing the crowd that no parade was taking place and urging attendees to disperse safely.

According to media reports, details about Halloween events in Ireland and other countries were shared on a website called MySpiritHalloween.com, which misled people into flocking to Dublin's O'Connell Street.

Operated from Pakistan, the website's owner described the incident as a "mistake," asserting that it was neither a joke nor an act of deceit.

In a statement to BBC News NI, the owner expressed deep regret, saying, "We are very embarrassed and ashamed. We apologise for wasting people's time and money".

The owner explained that the confusion arose when a writer published details of last year's event due to "ignorance".

After the article was posted, the event details went viral on TikTok and Instagram, even though the website did not share the article on its own social media accounts.

"We were not informed that the parade was not happening this year. If we had been told before the evening, we would have deleted the article immediately," the owner remarked.

Upon learning about the absence of the parade, the website's owner promptly removed the article.

"Our intentions were good; we tried our best to publish accurate content. This was a mistake, and we are not running away from it," they added.

Filmmaker Bertie Brosnan was among those who arrived at O'Connell Street to broadcast the parade on their social media accounts. Brosnan soon realised there was no parade, noting, "During parades, there are roadblocks, security, and police. But there was nothing there, just a large crowd of people".

The Irish police have stated that no investigation will take place, as "no criminal activity was reported".

They advised the public to verify all online information through reliable and authentic sources.

In their statement, the police added, "Information about large events, including traffic management, transport, and public safety, is often available on the police and Dublin City Council websites".

"I checked the website, and it seemed legitimate. But I was deceived," a frustrated attendee remarked.