Kentstown mum's haunted Halloween house is a neighbourhood hotspot

A Halloween mad mum from Kentstown has vowed that lockdown will not spoil her community spirit by transforming her front garden into a Halloween neighbourhood hotspot.

Deirdre Preston Byrne or “Vanellope the Vampire Queen” as she wishes to be referred to as has staged an elaborate life size Halloween scene aptly titled “The Nightmare before Christmas” in her front garden of her home that has been getting a lot of attention from stunned passersby stopping to get a glimpse of the spooky set up.

Deirdre (46) married to Liam and mum to daughters Amber (14) and Ruby (12) carefully staged her terrifying takeover to bring a little community spirit to their local area.

The ghoulish garden scene has over one hundred paranormal props centered around her “creepy Christmas Tree” consisting of the “newly dead” skeletons, creepy clowns, flying bats, an inflatable grim reaper and a host of other demonic décor.

The Meath mum explained that the idea was to make up for the lack of trick or treating this year, and to entertain the local children.  She said:

 “We always make a big deal out of Halloween and we were debating whether to do it this year and I said do you know what knocking on doors is gone but Halloween is not, we need to keep the spirit alive more than ever now.

“We thought the Nightmare Before Christmas theme was appropriate for this year because it feels like we are in a real life nightmare with lockdown again.

“We have noticed over the last couple of years that people are stopping and taking pictures so obviously people are enjoying it.

“Parents in the area are bringing around their kids on their daily walk around to show them, we have even had a woman from America take pictures to send home to her son.”

The spine chilling spectacle began three years ago with the unlikely love story between two lonely skeletons but like in all good romantic tales the course of true love didn’t run smoothly according to Deirdre who said:

“The two skeletons seem to always be the main focus of the scene and each year for the last few years there has been a theme.

“The first year it was their wedding and they were sitting at their wedding breakfast at the table.

“The next year she murdered him and he was dead at the table but last year he it was ok because he obviously resurrected because he was fishing with a pond and little evil ducks in the pond.

"The marriage didn't start off too well but they are still together sitting there this year with their covid masks.

“This year it really is the nightmare before Christmas so went for the Christmas tree as the focus for fun.

“The wife is wrapping the present at the table surrounded by lots of knick knacks we have picked up over the years.

“My daughters Amber carved the two pumpkins that are there.

“We have a blow up grim reaper on a motor bike and Winnie the Witch and a pirate hanging from the window with lots of other things.”

Despite the unsightly and seemingly neurotic skeletons being the main attraction, they don’t have names something Deirdre hopes she will get help with this Halloween:

“We have never named them so maybe that’s something we do could this year, if anyone has any suggestions they can let us know.”

The mum of two is hoping that she might even start a trend with her creative community endeavor by coming up with ways local children can still celebrate Halloween saying:

“I just hope it brings a smile to people’s faces, from what I have seen so far it has really lifted spirits in the area.

“It goes to show that despite the restrictions we can still celebrate Halloween you just have to think outside of the box.”

“ I think it would be a really good idea is for people to draw Halloween pictures of a pumpkin or a witch or something similar and put it in the window of their house and let the kids have a look on their walk and if they spot something in the window, the parents could give them a few sweets.

“It could be like a treasure hunt and still give them some Halloween excitement.”