Halloween hoax repeat? Gardaí in Limerick warn about “false” Christmas fair ad

An Garda Síochána in Limerick have issued a warning about social media posts that are soliciting vendors for a Christmas fair at Limerick Racecourse in December.

The Christmas fair, however, is not planned, prompting the official warning from Gardaí.

"We’ve become aware that this false advertisement for a Christmas Fair and Market to be held on December 7th and 8th at Limerick Racecourse is in wide circulation online and in messaging apps," An Garda Síochána in Limerick said on Thursday, November 14.

"Please be advised this Christmas Fair is not planned and we’re asking that you do not engage with or circulate this false advertisement online.

"If you or anyone that you know has encountered an issue related to the false advertisement, don’t hesitate to contact us in Roxboro Road Garda Station on 061 214 340."

An Garda Síochána Limerick shared a screenshot of the message about the "false" Christmas fair advertisement they say is in circulation:

Indeed, signs point to the post being a scam. A quick search on Facebook for the phrase “stall holders wanted for christmas fair” returns a number of posts with the nearly the same language and differing locations, many being in the UK.

While Gardai in Limerick were able to issue a warning before the fake event was due to take place, the same can't be said for a similar situation in Dublin last month.

On October 31 - Halloween - massive crowds formed on O'Connell Street in hopes of watching a Halloween parade.

The parade, however, did not exist.

On Halloween evening, a Google search of  "Dublin Halloween parade" returned a top result for a website called MySpiritHalloween.com.

A post, dated October 30, on the site said in part: "The Dublin Halloween Parade follows a well-planned route that ensures maximum visibility and excitement. It typically starts at Parnell Square, proceeds down O’Connell Street, and concludes at Temple Bar.

 "The parade usually begins in the late afternoon, with festivities continuing into the evening. To get the most out of the experience, arriving early to secure a good viewing spot is recommended, as the parade attracts large crowds and popular sections fill up quickly."

However, smaller text interspersed throughout the lengthy post said "Dublin Halloween Parade is cancelled!" It is unclear when the cancellation message was added to the post.

Discussing the fake site, Marty Meany wrote on the tech website Goosed.ie: "The website likely uses AI to create content quickly and cheaply where opportunities are found. Unfortunately for Dubliners, Dublin was picked this year."

Thankfully, unlike the fake Christmas fair advertisements in Limerick, the information about the Dublin Halloween parade did not include requests for money.

Meanwhile, Limerick.ie has provided a list of official Christmas markets and events coming to the county in the coming weeks.