Irish mythological creature features on new Halloween stamps from An Post

An Post has released a series of new Halloween stamps featuring a creature from Irish mythology. 

The striking stamp designs by renowned Irish visual artist Aideen Barry and graphic design by Oonagh Young are inspired by the idea of a ‘poisoned pen letter’ and are accompanied by a purple First Day Cover envelope showing a surreal screaming mouth beneath the stamps.  

These are available from selected main post offices and anpost.com/shop (with free delivery), along with free postcards for children to decorate and post with a new spooky postage stamp to family and friends during the mid-term break. 

‘Balor of the Evil Eye’, who according to legend cast his eye across a Donegal glen and poisoned it, is featured on the 'N' (National) stamp. 

It shows Balor's evil eye staring out, weeping tears of toxic, neon-green venom, while the ‘W’ (World) stamp features the landscape of Donegal’s ‘Poisoned Glen’ which to this date retains the name from its infamous past. The glen is filled with a green poison, oozing and steaming. 

An Post Irish Stamps manager, Aileen Mooney, said, "We know that children love decorating postcards and they’ll have plenty of time over mid-term to work on their scariest drawings and post them off with these new spooky stamps to their friends and family in Ireland and abroad." 

'Myths and Legends' is the theme of this year’s EUROPA European Post Office stamp issue, in which all European postal companies produce their own interpretation of a common topic.

Aideen Barry’s striking designs provide a fresh insight into a lesser known, ancient Irish myth.   

She said, "This truly is the dream commission. An Post has a long track record of commissioning artists for our national stamps and I follow in the footsteps of my heroes like Francis Bacon, Evie Hone, Mainie Jellett and Patrick Scott. The stamps tell the story of Balor and Cró Nimhe as Contae Dhún na nGall. Rinne Balor ana dtriobloid sa contae seo. Is duine uafásach e sin.

"The supernatural being or Fomorian is supposed to have looked upon this beautiful land and poisoned it with his toxic stare. Though in actuality it is one of the most gorgeous spots in Europe and I highly recommend you visit it to see it for yourself!”  

An Post has previously issued mythology themed stamps in 1997 and 2012, featuring scenes from well-known stories including Diarmuid and Grainne, The Salmon of Knowledge, The Story of Setanta, Óisin and Niamh and The Children of Lír.