On a mild October evening in Dublin, excitement filled the air as hundreds flocked to the city center, eagerly awaiting a promised Halloween parade on O’Connell Street. However, as the hour for the parade approached, the realization dawned: the festivities were nonexistent.
Despite the throngs of spectators anticipating floats and performers, local police took to social media around 8 p.m. to inform the crowd that no parade had ever been scheduled, urging those gathered to "disperse safely."
The cause of the confusion was traced back to MySpiritHalloween.com, a website boasting various Halloween event listings, costume ideas, and tips. Among its offerings, a listing for a Dublin parade with specific details had misled many.
Site owner Nazir Ali later claimed the incident was unintentional, characterizing the misleading information as an unfortunate error rather than a deliberate act of deception. The mix-up prompted widespread discussion about the influence of online information and the importance of verifying event details, particularly in the age of social media engagement.
