Dublin is magical at Christmas time. Glittering lights festoon the city’s streets bringing festive cheer to all.
This year I’ll be in Ireland for Christmas, and what better way is there to celebrate than by sharing some photos of Dublin’s Fair City, adorned in all her Christmas glory.
Dublin’s Christmas light show may not be as extensive as in other cities around the world, but to my Irish eyes my hometown’s Christmas lighting extravaganza is spectacular.
Christmas lights illuminate the darkest month of the year.
The sun sets around 4.30 pm on Irish Christmas evenings, but Dublin’s Christmas lights bring cheer to these dull and dreary days.
At night Moore Street vendors’ stalls lay vacant, beneath glittering, illuminated garlands.
In the early morning hours they greet Dublin’s long time retail entrepreneurs in style.
A Christmas crib sits in all its splendor in front of the GPO on O’Connell Street. The baby Jesus will take His place of honor amongst the shepherds and Wise Kings on Christmas Eve.
It’s wonderful how Dublin City Council still recognizes the true reason for the season, and continues to include a manger scene as part of the city’s decorations.
A brilliant, glowing Christmas tree sits in the middle of O’Connell Street.
It stands in all its luminous glory between Clerys shop and the GPO, the site of the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin.
And Clery’s clock, the most famous meeting place in Dublin, looks resplendent beneath this lustrous burnished bow.
Red and gold trees perch high above pedestrians along the GPO arcade.
Once our north side light tour was complete we headed to the south side to see Grafton Street’s illuminations.
Giant flickering chandeliers shine and glow along this famous Dublin wonderland.
Bewley’s Oriental Cafe is tastefully decorated in gleaming blues.
Brown Thomas is all aglow, clad in thousands of shimmering lights.
And Dublin’s famous Georgian doors require no lighting – a simple holly wreath provides a lovely, festive feel to these amazing architectural gems.
A Christmas market has opened along St. Stephen’s Green. I love how this European tradition is now part and parcel of a Dublin Christmas.
Giant snowflakes are all aglow on a Grafton Street store.
And the St. Stephen’s Green Shopping Center looks magnificent too.
And so, I hope this little tour of Dublin’s Christmas light show will kindle happy memories of Christmas in Ireland, for those of you who find yourselves far away from home this year.
And for all my readers, I hope this post finds you celebrating the peace and joy of the Christmas season.
Nollaig Shona Daoibh
Merry Christmas
Irish American Mom
Here are some more of my Irish Christmas Recipes:
Christmas or Plum Pudding
Yule Log
Irish Cream Truffles
My fiance is irish n can speak some Gaelic how do you actually pronounce merry Christmas in irish..he says sometimes it’s totally different from how it looks or is spelled…thank you for yr website I am trying to do traditional Irish meals n decor n holidays n this helps me..
Hi Kim – Nollaig = “nullig” / shona = hun-a / duit = d-itch
I hope this helps. Your fiance is correct about Irish pronunciation. It’s completely different to how it might be pronounced in English. My name is also pronounced totally differently to how it looks. I tell everyone my name rhymes with parade.
Hope your traditional Irish Christmas celebration was a great success. Enjoy the rest of the holidays.
Mairéad
Have a very Merry Christmas and enjoy your visit!
Thanks Jan, and a very happy Christmas to you too.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Mairead, hope you and your family had a Merry Christmas and have a very Happy New Year. Thank you for all you do to bring Ireland to us.
Peggy
Peggy – Thanks so much. And a very Happy New Year to you too.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Delighted you were able to spend Christmas in Dublin. I loved the photos of the festivities in my Dublin. They brought it all home to me again. There is really nothing to compare to an Irish Christmas. The ambience of the Christmas Trees in the bay windows around the square in Terenure, and other places. I think of the magnificent choir in St. Teresa’s in Clarendon Street, and the fact that Handel’s Messiah was first performed in Fishamble Street by Handel himself. Have not been able to spend Christmas there for a very long time due to jobs and school schedules and illnesses in the family over the years. However, we have been able to visit in the Summers. Our children love the Christmas Pudding and the lovely fruit cake with almond paste and royal icing. Nostalgic at this time of the year, but happily so. Thank you for the lovely post.
Maureen – Thanks for sharing your beautiful memories of Christmas time in Dublin many years ago. There is something magical about Christmas trees in bay windows. Glad these pictures were happily nostalgic for you.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Thanks for sharing these information with us. All images are so nice.
Thanks for checking out my photos.
All the best,
Mairéad