Dubliners were left perplexed last night after hundreds of people gathered in the city center for a parade which turned out to be non-existent.

Crowds of Halloween revelers gathered in Dublin city center in search of a parade on Thursday evening, after a website published an article claiming there would be a spectacle in the capital.

The city was thrown into chaos as hundreds of people filled the streets after seeing a post on the My Spirit Halloween website, which falsely advertised a Macnas Halloween parade on O’Connell Street from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. hours.

According to the Independentthe rumor was produced by an AI-generated website based in Pakistan – which now appears to have disappeared from Google.

In publishing news of the parade, the AI ​​website claimed that the parade would start on Parnell Street, pass through O’Connell Street and end at Christchurch Cathedral.

Dubliners were left perplexed last night after Halloween punters gathered in the city center for a parade which turned out to be non-existent.

The city was thrown into chaos as hundreds of people filled the streets after seeing a My Spirit Halloween website falsely advertising a Macnas Halloween parade from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Photos and clips on social media revealed a sea of ​​people lining O’Connell Street – but no parade ever arrived.

An eyewitness as told in the hoax parade Dublin live: “The bus drivers were going crazy with all the people on the road.”

“The Gardai have announced that there will be no Halloween parade. There were people everywhere, and the bus and tram drivers were going crazy, constantly honking their horns to get through.

Peter Farrelly, watching from the window of a nearby building, revealed bands of hopeful people gathered in the streets.

Peter told The Independent: “It was funny. We still smile now. It took about an hour from the start for people to

“Gardaí were trying to clear the street. Last night was also Diwali, so a lot of people were also on the streets.

Another clip showed the roads teeming with people, as local buses struggled to make their way through the crowds.

Social media posts revealed a sea of ​​people lining O’Connell Street – but no parade ever arrived

Taking to Facebook to dispel rumors about the city’s parade, Gardai wrote on Facebook: “Please note that contrary to information circulating online, there are no planned Halloween parades in Dublin city center tonight or this evening.

“All those currently gathered on O’Connell Street, awaiting such a parade, are asked to disperse safely.

“If you need our help or assistance, we are on the ground along O’Connell Street and surrounding areas throughout this evening and tonight – please feel free to stop and speak to us. ”

Sinn Fein councilor Janice Boylan commented on the event saying: “This appears to be an online scam. It’s really sad to see people getting scammed. Everyone is trying to have a fun and safe Halloween.

However, the company never announced its return to Dublin this year, despite rumors circulating on Facebook.

“Having a parade to attend seemed really good. I know a very large number of people came. It’s a shame that there are people out there trying to scam people.

Galway arts company Macnas has held Halloween parades in previous years.

Last year the company organized two Galway City and Dublin City – their first parades in four years following the Covid pandemic.

However, the company never announced its return to Dublin this year, despite rumors circulating online.

Amused social media users took to the comments to share their views on this strange spectacle.

One of them asked: “If they all came, surely it’s not for nothing?” Why didn’t they just march themselves?

A second scare-seeker wrote: “Maybe the Halloween parade happened. Ghosts exist on wavelengths beyond human vision. It was probably quite a parade before their eyes.

A third joked: “April Fool’s Day came early”, while another called it “the Irish version of the Fyre Festival”.