From the Christmas Day swim to the Late Late Toy Show, we look at the traditions and festivities around Christmas in Ireland.
Christmas Day Swim
Brrrr … whether it’s the beach in Lahinch or the Forty Foot in Sandycove, Dublin, Irish people just want to jump in to the sea in their thousands on Christmas Day. The water in the Irish sea and Atlantic Ocean is usually less than 10 degrees Celsius but this doesn’t stop hoardes of people diving in before their Christmas dinner.
Horse Racing on Saint Stephen’s Day
The Leopardstown Christmas Festival is one of the highlights of the Irish racing and social calendar and this year’s post-Christmas get-togethers at the event (26th to 29th December) look set to be better than ever! There’ll be seven Grade 1 races over the four days, with some of the best horses from Ireland and Britain in action at the top level of National Hunt racing.
 |
Horse Racing on Saint Stephen’s Day
|
Midnight Mass
Midnight Mass remains a huge tradition in Ireland with neighbors and friends who may have not seen each other for a year gathering on Christmas Eve and coming together to celebrate their communities and sing Christmas carols.
The Late Late Toy Show
The Late Late Toy Show on RTE One television is the official start to the Christmas season in Ireland. When presenter Ryan Tubridy dons one of his vast collection of Christmas Jumpers, the nation sits back, lights the fire and opens up the boxes of Roses and the season begins.
|
| The Late Late Toy Show |
Bono Busking on Grafton Street
Only in Ireland would you find a global superstar busking on the street but the sight of Bono appearing on Grafton Street on Christmas Eve is now becoming quite a tradition in Dublin. Joining singer and Oscar-winner Glen Hansard, Bono does his bit by raising money and awareness for the Simon Community and brings the street to a standstill.
As they say, only in Ireland …