Whether you're born, bred and buttered here, or have just arrived for a change of scene – the mixture of cold nights, hot toddys and stellar craic will only ever leave you wanting more.
We're spoiled rotten in Dublin when it comes to Christmas treats and incredible traditions. Here are some of the best we could think of to get you ready for some seasonal festivities. Get your Filofax out!
1. Stars busking on Grafton Street on Christmas Eve
Anyone from Bono and Glen Hansard to Danny O'Donoghue and The Script can be seen singing their hearts out to the masses in the heart of the city on Christmas Eve each year.
The money goes to Dublin Simon – spreading Christmas cheer to those who are in their presence and to those who are not.
2. The Grafton Street lights
The iconic, unforgettable Nollaig Shona Duit overhead would even make the Grinchiest of Scrooges beam with Christmas cheer.
The Leopardstown Christmas Festival is a not-to-be-missed traditional highlight of the season, spaced over four fantastic days full of everyone's best coats.
4. The 40ft on Christmas Day
Well obviously.
The Christmas Day Swim at the 40ft is something of ritual amongst Dubliners each year. Whether you're partaking in the swim, or simply watching the nutters plunge starkers into the water, it's a great way to work up an appetite before the best dinner of the year.
5. Switching on the Christmas Tree and crib lights on O'Connell Street
Carols by candlelight is an annual Christmas concert which showcases the incredible acoustics of Christchurch cathedral and the spectacular force of its resident choir.
An absolutely whopper night promised, with an insanely talented array of musicians performing everything Christmassy from Jingle Bells to O Holy Night – and mulled wine and mince pies served during the interval.
All for charity too. How could you not?
10. The Live Crib at The Mansion House
The Mansion House on Dawson Street hosts each year a traditional nativity scene set complete with baby Jesus and live animals in a specially constructed life size stable.
The animals are brought to the crib every morning and are returned to a farm on the south of the city in the evening.
Window decorations New York City would be proud of.
13. And of course, The Gaiety
As they say themselves, it's 'no ordinary panto'.
The Gaiety Panto is a Christmas tradition amongst Dubliners, promising a mesmerising experience to all those who enjoy a good story and a laugh. We loved it, and you probably will too.
If you thought traffic was very slow this morning, it was because of this. A Luas power outage caused significant disruption for Dublin city commuters on Wednesday morning (10 December). Due to the power fault, there is no tram service operating on the red line between Smithfield and Connolly / The Point and on the […]
It comes just a few months after their final farewell gigs. This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission on any sales generated from it. The Wolfe Tones have announced their return to the stage with two massive Dublin gigs. That’s right, the Dublin-formed group who played their final farewell shows in June […]
If you thought traffic was very slow this morning, it was because of this. A Luas power outage caused significant disruption for Dublin city commuters on Wednesday morning (10 December). Due to the power fault, there is no tram service operating on the red line between Smithfield and Connolly / The Point and on the […]
It comes just a few months after their final farewell gigs. This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission on any sales generated from it. The Wolfe Tones have announced their return to the stage with two massive Dublin gigs. That’s right, the Dublin-formed group who played their final farewell shows in June […]
If you thought traffic was very slow this morning, it was because of this. A Luas power outage caused significant disruption for Dublin city commuters on Wednesday morning (10 December). Due to the power fault, there is no tram service operating on the red line between Smithfield and Connolly / The Point and on the […]
It comes just a few months after their final farewell gigs. This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission on any sales generated from it. The Wolfe Tones have announced their return to the stage with two massive Dublin gigs. That’s right, the Dublin-formed group who played their final farewell shows in June […]
F-Spine operations began last month. Residents in Finglas have raised concerns about F-Spine bus changes. Such concerns were raised at a public meeting on the BusConnects Finglas routes which took place last night. F-Spine operations began last month and were immediately met with complaints and controversy. Locals criticised daily cancellations, frequency cuts on the 23, […]
F-Spine operations began last month. Residents in Finglas have raised concerns about F-Spine bus changes. Such concerns were raised at a public meeting on the BusConnects Finglas routes which took place last night. F-Spine operations began last month and were immediately met with complaints and controversy. Locals criticised daily cancellations, frequency cuts on the 23, […]
Looking for a sp00k this Halloween, you won’t need to stray too far from the capital It’s perhaps unsurprising that was first settled around the 7th century and has gathered a few scary stories and haunted spots in that time. Through the years Dublin has been the setting of all manner of crimes, from graphic […]
Comedian and actress Rosie O’Donnell became an unexpected hero last night in Dublin, performing the Heimlich manoeuvre with her friend Kiki and her cousin on a 90-year-old woman who was choking during dinner at the Dylan Hotel. O’Donnell, currently in Dublin preparing for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, recounted the dramatic incident in an audio message, […]
Robin Gill: The Irish chef behind acclaimed London restaurants returns to Dublin for a burger pop-up collab with Dash Burger This Saturday at Hen’s Teeth from 17:00 Robin Gill’s voice carries the easy lilt of someone who grew up within earshot of Dublin Bay, though his culinary career has largely unfolded across the Irish Sea. […]