We should fear the living, not the dead, on Halloween

The other night I was awoken the by flashing lights of a fire engine parked outside my house. I initially thought that a neighbour's property had gone up in flames so was relieved to learn from a fireman that they were dealing with a blaze in an unoccupied Martello tower across the road.

It was quickly brought under control by the experienced fire-fighters. It looked liked an act of wanton vandalism. After all, a vacant historic building such as this is hardly going to be hit by an electrical fault in the middle of the night.

The madness that is Halloween had started early, it seemed. Despite the best efforts of local authorities to remove stockpiled bonfire material in the run up to October 31, certain teenagers somehow always find a way to ruin the seasonal rituals for the rest of us. It's likely that football pitches and local green spaces throughout Dublin will bear the scars of unauthorised bonfires when we wake up on Saturday morning.

What should be a fun night for families and young children can be a fraught with danger. Hospital A&Es tend to be overrun at this time of year with Halloween related injuries sustained through drink-fuelled violence, fireworks and bonfires. Unspeakable acts of cruelty against animals have been committed by low-life thugs during the pagan festival, a sorry reminder of the need to keep our pets indoors over the next few days.

Unfortunately, like St Patrick's Day, Halloween has long been hijacked by out-of-control teenagers intent on causing mayhem in the name of celebration. It's a bit of an Irish thing, really. Any special occasion in this country is often used as an excuse to drink to excess and engage in reckless, anti-social behaviour.

This Friday, it's vital that we supervise our children as they innocently head out trick-or-treating. In particular, we need to keep tabs on our teenagers. A recklessly stacked bonfire or mishandled firework can instantly change their lives forever. One thing's for sure: our overstretched, under resourced emergency services will have their work cut out for them.

Amid the chaos, there will be community-based Halloween events throughout Dublin providing safe havens from the darker side of the festivities. If we take proper precautions and point our kids in the right direction, there is no reason why the night can't be an enjoyable and safe experience for all.

It's a sad fact that Halloween, for all its spooky connotations, has become a night where we should be more afraid of the living than the dead.