Local group threatens to sue Limerick council following Halloween funding dispute

Lumen Theatre sent a cease-and-desist letter to the council after withdrawing from the annual Halloween parade

Lumen will stage its own Halloween festival, Samhain, from October 22 to 26. Picture: Brian Arthur.

The organisers of Limerick's annual Samhain parade have threatened legal action against the local authority following a dispute over funding for the event.

Lumen Theatre has issued a cease-and-desist letter to Limerick City and County Council after withdrawing from this year's Halloween parade, claiming the funding process was mishandled.

The group said last year's Samhain parade attracted more than 20,000 spectators and featured 150 artists and performers.

As a result of Lumen's withdrawal, there will be no city-centre Halloween parade in Limerick this October.

In a letter seen by the Irish Examiner and sent to a number of elected respresentatives as well as council staff, Lumen Theatre issued the council with "formal notice" over the alleged use of imagery without permission.

The council has repeatedly rejected the claim, according to separate correspondence seen by the Irish Examiner.

It maintains it holds the copyright to photographs commissioned for events under its remit, including the St Patrick's Day parade and sporting fixtures at the Gaelic Grounds.

In its letter, Lumen Theatre claims it holds “exclusive rights to all creative imagery, promotional graphics and design assets” under the Irish Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000.

It claims the council has used its “assets” in promoting the Halloween in Limerick programme, and said “confusion about ownership exploits our independent goodwill and breaches copyright law”.

Given a “long history of regional collaboration”, Lumen Theatre offered to resolve the matter “amicably and commercially” under “two strict alternatives”.

It asked the council for an annual licensing fee of €15,000 per year, as well as a retroactive assessment of €150,000 to cover the “unauthorised usage” over the “prior 10-year duration”.

Failing agreement, Lumen Theatre said the letter should be treated as a formal demand to immediately cease and desist from any further unauthorised use.

The company said it was told in April the council would no longer fund the Samhain parade through its existing arrangements and was instead invited to apply through an open competition for a new flagship parade.

Lumen subsequently secured the contract, but claimed the €50,000 budget initially advertised by the council was later reduced by €10,000.

Although it was the sole applicant, the company said a panel initially recommended funding of €40,000, a figure it said was arrived at following a reassessment of the proposal.

Following an open call, funding recommendations were made under a competitive grant scheme by an independent panel of three assessors. The recommendations were then submitted to the council for approval.

Documents indicate Lumen Street Theatre's application was marked down because it did not include the ancillary events that were a mandatory element of the programme.

It is understood the €40,000 originally allocated to Lumen was redistributed among other groups participating in the 2026 Halloween programme after the company declined the funding offer.

Lumen will stage its own Halloween festival, Samhain, from October 22 to 26.

Separate to the funding for the Halloween parade, Lumen said it received an allocation of €3,600 towards its Samhain: Limerick’s Hallowe’en Festival.

It also said it secured a further €25,000 from the Arts Council.

The Rathkeale Together group was awarded €12,500 for Dullahan to Darkness, which incorporates a procession operated by Lumen Theatre.