Dublin Event Guide 392: Final Weekend of Christmas Markets, Winter Solstice Celebrations + MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

A weekly car boot sale, one of less than a handful that is still reliably taking place, has up to 200 cars/sellers. The stadium is just a few minutes walk from the Red LUAS line stop and numerous bus stops. For traders the Car Boot Sale opens at 06:30 for buyers from 08:00. If you are interested in selling, check the details and register on their website.

The Winter Solstice takes place on Sunday and this is a really big event in Newgrange. Thousands of people hope every year that they are the lucky ones who will get a spot in the Newgrange monument to witness the sun shining through the roof box and crawling towards the centre of the tomb. For the 2014 ticket draw 30,532 (!!) applications were submitted and only a total of 100 people will be invited, 20 each day from 18-23 December.

If you are not one of the 100, you still have a chance to experience the dramatic sunrise on this important day, albeit in a somewhat less spectacular way:

In Sean Moore Park in Sandymount, a standing stone is lined up with the James Joyce monument to point to the Winter sunrise. The sun will appear from 08:38 on 21 Dec, but – like in Newgrange – you can also go there from the 18-23 Dec and still see more or less the same.

A Christmas Festival will take place at Christ Church Cathedral on Saturday.

Christ Church Cathedral will be opening its doors to visitors completely free of charge at the festival. What better time to visit this wonderful historic monument than at Christmas?

The crypt and grounds will be filled with Irish food and craft stalls. Santa Claus is back in his 12th century crypt grotto and will welcome children and will give them a gift (Visit to Santa: EUR 12.50). And music will be performed: Live samba music in aid of the Simon Community and a very special Christmas lunchtime concert given by the Young Dublin Symphonia (13:15-14:15).

The cathedral and crypt will be decorated with traditional trees, candles, garlands and a crib.

If you want, you can upgrade your visit by doing a guided tour of cathedral and belfry (including a bell ringing experience) for EUR 4.

The weekly Honest2goodness food market in Glasnevin has fresh meat, vegetables, fish, baked goods, and wines. It is open from 09:30-16:00. It is behind Lidl in the Industrial Estate just after the Glasnevin Cemetary coming from the City Centre.

Parkrun Ireland is organising free weekly runs in parks. It is a timed run over 5km and participation is completely free, but registration before your first parkrun is required.

The SuperNatural Food Market is taking place every Saturday from 09:30-15:30 in St. Andrews Resource Centre in Pearse Street, Dublin 2.

The Green Door Market is a new indoor food/Farmer’s Market that takes place just a few doors down from the Dublin Food Co-op at Newmarket in Dublin 8. Admission is free.

Opening hours are Thu-Fri 12:00-19:00 and Sat 09:30-16:00.

The Belgard Weekend Market is an indoor market with stalls with handcraft (incl. designer jewellery, aran jumpers and wool, christening robes and shawls, cards and cross stitch), household items, bric and brac, furniture, flowers, make-up, clothes, shoes, showers, upholstery, toys, kitchens, cafe, army memorabilia, collectors items, sweets, handbags books, blinds, party shop, tools and more.

It is open every Saturday and Sunday and is located in the Glen Abbey complex (opposite Jacobs) on Belgard Road.

The yearly Christmas Family events at Farmleigh House continue for another weekend:

10:00-17:00 Christmas Food & Craft Market > Farmyard
10:00-17:00 Festive Crib > Outdoors
12:00-12:30 + 13:45-14:15 + 15:30-16:00 Christmas Puppet Show featuring Frosty the Snowman & Rudolf the Reindeer
12:45-13:30 + 14:30-15:15 + 16:15-17:00 Storytelling for Children with Niall De Burca > The Old Kitchen
13:30-15:30 Christmas Carol Singing with Ulysses Chamber Choir > Ballroom
14:00-16:00 Festive Barbershop Melodies with The Mellowchords > Outdoors

Admission is free.

Christmas Kingdom is a new Christmas event by Dublin City Council.

There is lots of entertainment for kids, but most attractions are not free (e.g. a Christmas circus, the North Pole play area, a festive train, face painters, balloons and children entertainments.

The free element of Christmas Kindom is a Live Crib and a market area consisting of 14 stalls selling food and crafts.

Initially it will open every weekend Fri 14:00-20:00 & Sat/Sun from 10:00 to 20:00. From 19-23 Dec the market will be open daily from 10:00-20:00 and will then continue until 04 Jan.

The Drumcondra Village Market is an arts and crafts fair in the centre of Drumcondra. Admission is free.

Jamestown Flea Market + Car Boot Sale takes place every Sat+Sun from 10:00-17:00. You can reach it from Tyrconnell Road and from Kylemore Road and it is within 3 min from Black Horse stop on the red Luas line. There is free parking.

The Merchants Market on East Wall Road is a weekly indoors flea market on Saturdays and Sundays with more than 80 stalls in a big industrial hall. There is everything from furniture and antiques to paintings and mirrors, electronics and hot food to bicycles and buns. It is just a few minutes walk away from the Point Theatre/O2 (walk in the direction of the Port Tunnel).

A new market (flea/vintage/etc) with two cafés has opened in the same location in Thomas Street where the Ferocious Mingle Market was before their move to Camden Street.

The new market in 72 Thomas Street is called Stable Market and it is open from Thursday until Sunday from 10:00-18:00 every day. It seems there is neither a website nor a Facebook Page yet.

The Temple Bar Markets (Food Market on Meeting House Square, Book Market on Temple Bar Square and the Designer Mart near Cow’s Lane) are taking place every Saturday from 10:00-16:30.

Every year there is a crib with live animals outside Mansion House and this institution supported by the Irish Farmers Association is returning to Dawson Street again. It will run from 09-23 Dec.

Dawson Street doesn’t look very pretty this year due to the LUAS works there, but if you focus on the crib and ignore the street behind you you can nearly get into a Christmassy mood. ;-)

The animals don’t stay there for the whole time, but they will be brought back to the farm every evening and then back to the City Centre in the morning.

Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.

At the Blackrock Market in the centre of Blackrock, you’ll find 50 stalls selling collectibles, antiques, handmade goods, books, food & there’s free popcorn, ballons & facepainting for the kids.
Open on Saturdays and Bank Holidays: 11:00-17:30, and Sundays: 12:00-17:30.

The BLOCK T Weekend Christmas Markets returns and will run from Fri-Sun for three weekends from 05 Dec-21Dec.

Located in Smithfield right beside the Red LUAS, you will find there affordable and unique art, handmade crafts & jewellery, records, posters and much more. Artists, designers and creative people from in and around Dublin will be selling their wide range of unique, ‘arty’ and creative gift ideas.

DJs and live entertainers will distract you at times and caoffe and other supplies are also available.

The Opening Hours are Fri 17:00-21:00, Sat+Sun 11:00-19:00

After a super long Christmas Market in Dun Laoghaire last year that reached into January, this year the market is significantly shorter and also only open at weekends. A dramatic change from 2013!

The opening times are every day from 11:00-19:00 and the market is open on these 13 days

Sat+Sun 29-30 Nov / Fri-Sun 05-07 Dec / Fri-Sun 12-14 Dec / Fri-Tues 19-23 Dec

The special events during the Christmas Period are
+ Sat 20 Dec: Lantern Procession & Festival Fireworks

Liliput Stores and their friends run a Christmas Market in a workshop premises on Arbour Hill. The market runs on Sat+Sun from 11:00-17:00 and you can expect an array of independently crafted food & design.

Admission is free.

The National Gallery has an extensive programme of free talks, public tours and Art Documentary screenings focusing on highlights of the European and Irish Collection every day of the week. Check their website for details.

BLOOD is the title of the new Science Gallery exhibition that will run from 24 Oct – 25 Jan.

25 exhibits explore the symbolic, scientific and strange nature of blood and there are certainly some “out there” contributions. For example the video and relics from a bio-art performance where an artist had a blood transfusion form a horse. Or a spoof brand that uses bloodstain-formed fashion accessories addressing the stigma about men strual blood.

But there are quirky things as well, like the Jukebox that will guess your age by taking your pulse rate and playing a song from your teenage years. And there are some practical aspects: You can take a test that will determine your blood type and you can find out what happens to to donated blood in Ireland.

An interesting exhibition, but different than what you have seen before in the Science Gallery and that is reflected by the recommendation that the exhibition is only suitable for over 15 year olds.

If you are ok with the focus on this red substance that makes some of us a bit queasy when we think about it, you should definitely go to the exhibition (and bring an open mind ;-) ). But if blood makes your knees wobbly, then it might not be for you.

Admission to the exhibition is free

Every day until 22 December a Festive Family Fun Fair will take place on Wolfe Tone Square.

There will be vintage amusement rides like a vintage style chairoplane, a mini carousel, a helter skelter slide and game stalls. Food stalls with crepes, grilled food, a chocolate fountain, hot drinks, sweets and steak sandwiches will keep the parents happy.

Admission to the Fun Fair is free, but I would expect that the amusements/rides are not free. Can someone please check and let me know (dublineventguide@gmail.com). Thanks! It also doesn’t say until what time in the evening that Fun Fair is open. Maybe it’s a secret. so be careful when you ask! :-D

The weekly Ha’penny Flea Market is an indoor market in the Grand Social Pub, which offers vintage Men and Women’s clothing, contemporary crafts, books, DVDs, vinyl records, vintage and handmade jewellery, vintage hair styles, art, photography and much more. Grand Social’s Bar and Gourmet Coffee options are available.

A Mandarin Language tour takes place in the Chester Beatty Library, but they didn’t share the starting time on their website!!! So, that means that tour might or might not take place. I only used 12:00 as a random-ish time place holder. Please check with the Library on 01-4070750 if you want to go to this intercultural tour.

At the MART Christmas Market you will be able to buy Art, Design, Craft, Knits/Fashion, Jewellery (all made by seller) and more. And you will also get Mulled Wine.

The market will run for thirteen days: On 06-07 December and then every day from 11 Dec until 21 Dec. Operning hours are 12:00-19:00

www.mart.ie/christmas-market/

From 13 November until 23 December Dublin’s first ever City Centre Christmas Market takes place on one side of St. Stephen’s Green in the form of a lon row of wooden huts. Approx. 60 traders will be at the market selling handcrafted items, art, Christmas presents, food products etc. and there will also be food and drinks stands.

Admission is free.

Archive at Lunchtime screenings take place Saturdays (Double Bill), Mondays and Wednesdays. The programme is changing weekly now (instead of monthly as in the past). To find out what film(s) will be screened go to www.ifi.ie/whatson/now-showing-coming-soon/ and look for “Archive at Lunchtime” on the right. Admission is free.

“These Are a Few of My Favourite Things” is the title of a Walking Tour that Emily Gallagher will run every Saturday. It will be an Alternative Arts and Culture Trail and she will bring you to “Dublin’s Best Cafes, Bars, Markets, Unusual Stores, Galleries, Theatres, Arts Spaces, and more! And hear some tales you’ve never heard before!”

Meeting point is at the Spire. The tours are free but donations are welcome and booking is required via egaldog@gmail.com or 085-2725095

A Drop-in Qigong session will take place on the Roof Top Garden of Chester Beatty Library with Ching Xu.

“With views of Dublin Castle and the city skyline the roof garden of the Chester Beatty Library provides an oasis of peace, a place to rest for a while and enjoy its tranquillity. Qigong is a traditional Chinese form of meditation coordinating slow flowing movement, deep rhythmic breathing, and a calm state of mind. Join us for a gentle 30 minute Qigong practice outdoors (weather permitting) or indoors in the third floor lobby. These are drop-in sessions and do not require booking. Suitable for all ages. Limited to 15, first-come, first-served.”

The final event of the Dun Laoghaire Christmas Festival is a Lantern Procession, followed by Festival Fireworks.

The Lantern Procession starts at 16:00 at People’s Park and the route is Park Road, Upr. Georges Street, Marine Road, Queens Road, ending on the East Pier.

At 17:00 the Fireworks display will start. It will be seen from all points near the seafront in Dun Laoghaire, but probably the best spots are on the East Pier or on Newtownsmith Green.

Admission is free and for more information check the website below.

(Please note, that lanterns are not allowed to be proper lanterns! Which means that they can’t be “lit by a candle or made of flammable material”. Yes, the second part of that sentence doesn’t make sense at all because paper is flammable material. I guess what they are trying to say is that any fire risk has to be avoided. But an LED light in a paper Lantern would most likely be totally acceptable.)

[I remember when I grew up and we had yearly processions and us kids had long open fire torches (a stick with parafin soaked cloth wrapped around it) that had at least 40cm long flames. Nobody ever got hurt and no adult ever freaked out. Awww, good old times!]

The Dublin Food Co-op is inviting their friends to a Winter Solstice Celebration with Dancing, Storytelling and Vegetarian Potluck. Admission is free. (This is an alcohol-free event.)

Cornucopia Café & Restaurant host live music three evenings a week (Thurs, Fri and Sat). The restaurant is a Wholefood & Vegetarian Restaurant and is open until 22:15.
+ Every second Thursday N.C Lawlor, a songwriter, session player and troubadour plays a mix of country, bluegrass & blues from 19:30-21:30.
+ Every Friday (19:30-21:30) Junshi Murakami plays Irish Harp.
+ Every Saturday (19:30-21:30) Nollaig Mann plays a collection of popular and jazz classics.

The Brass Band of the trade union “Communications and Workers Union” will perform their Christmas Concert in the Unitarian Church. Admission is free. Donations for the Dublin Unitarian Church Organ Restoration Fund are welcome.

Robert Coyle will bring his One-man Comedy show to Accents Cafe. Admission is free.

This is a weekly Saturday night live music event event in the basement Wine Cave of KC Peaches wholefood restaurant/café. Food will be served until 22:00 and wine, minerals & music will be available until later. Admission is free and a donation into a hat at the end of the evening is appreciated.

The Devils Jukebox is live music from 20:00-23:00 and DJs with Alternative, Punk, Rock, Metal & Garage after that. Every Saturday! Admission is free.

Youth Mass will play in Whelan’s and admission is free.

Blues & Soul Band “Left, Right & Centre” will play in Arthur’s Pub and admission is free.

The Stillorgan Orchard has live music every Friday and Saturday. Many of the performers are established and very good bands. The upcoming gigs are detailed on the website below. Admission is always free.

Deja Boo will play in Whelan’s and admission is free.

The two bands Dogs and Voxx are performing in the Night Owl slot in Whelan’s and admission is free if you arrive before 22:30 or if you sign up for the guest list.

The Winter Solstice takes place on Sunday and this is a really big event in Newgrange. Thousands of people hope every year that they are the lucky ones who will get a spot in the Newgrange monument to witness the sun shining through the roof box and crawling towards the centre of the tomb. For the 2014 ticket draw 30,532 (!!) applications were submitted and only a total of 100 people will be invited, 20 each day from 18-23 December.

If you are not one of the 100, you still have a chance to experience the dramatic sunrise on this important day, albeit in a somewhat less spectacular way:

In Sean Moore Park in Sandymount, a standing stone is lined up with the James Joyce monument to point to the Winter sunrise. The sun will appear from 08:38 on 21 Dec, but – like in Newgrange – you can also go there from the 18-23 Dec and still see more or less the same.

The Belgard Weekend Market is an indoor market with stalls with handcraft (incl. designer jewellery, aran jumpers and wool, christening robes and shawls, cards and cross stitch), household items, bric and brac, furniture, flowers, make-up, clothes, shoes, showers, upholstery, toys, kitchens, cafe, army memorabilia, collectors items, sweets, handbags books, blinds, party shop, tools and more.

It is open every Saturday and Sunday and is located in the Glen Abbey complex (opposite Jacobs) on Belgard Road.

The yearly Christmas Family events at Farmleigh House finish with this:

10:00-17:00 Christmas Food & Craft Market > Farmyard
10:00-17:00 Festive Crib > Outdoors
12:00-16:00 Festive Barbershop Melodies with The Mellowchords > Outdoors
12:00-12:30 + 13:45-14:15 + 15:30-16:00 Christmas Puppet Show featuring Frosty the Snowman & Rudolf the Reindeer
12:45-13:30 + 14:30-15:15 + 16:15-17:00 Storytelling for Children with Niall De Burca > The Old Kitchen
13:00-16:00 Horse & Carriage Rides > Outdoors
13:30-15:30 Christmas Carol Singing with Capella > Ballroom

Admission is free.

Christmas Kingdom is a new Christmas event by Dublin City Council.

There is lots of entertainment for kids, but most attractions are not free (e.g. a Christmas circus, the North Pole play area, a festive train, face painters, balloons and children entertainments.

The free element of Christmas Kindom is a Live Crib and a market area consisting of 14 stalls selling food and crafts.

Initially it will open every weekend Fri 14:00-20:00 & Sat/Sun from 10:00 to 20:00. From 19-23 Dec the market will be open daily from 10:00-20:00 and will then continue until 04 Jan.

Jamestown Flea Market + Car Boot Sale takes place every Sat+Sun from 10:00-17:00. You can reach it from Tyrconnell Road and from Kylemore Road and it is within 3 min from Black Horse stop on the red Luas line. There is free parking.

The Merchants Market on East Wall Road is a weekly indoors flea market on Saturdays and Sundays with more than 80 stalls in a big industrial hall. There is everything from furniture and antiques to paintings and mirrors, electronics and hot food to bicycles and buns. It is just a few minutes walk away from the Point Theatre/O2 (walk in the direction of the Port Tunnel).

Every Sunday, the Merrion Square Open Air Art Gallery takes place. Up to 200 artists exhibit their paintings on the railings on three sides (West, North and East) of Merrion Square and you can just enjoy the exhibition or even buy.

A new market (flea/vintage/etc) with two cafés has opened in the same location in Thomas Street where the Ferocious Mingle Market was before their move to Camden Street.

The new market in 72 Thomas Street is called Stable Market and it is open from Thursday until Sunday from 10:00-18:00 every day. It seems there is neither a website nor a Facebook Page yet.

Every year there is a crib with live animals outside Mansion House and this institution supported by the Irish Farmers Association is returning to Dawson Street again. It will run from 09-23 Dec.

Dawson Street doesn’t look very pretty this year due to the LUAS works there, but if you focus on the crib and ignore the street behind you you can nearly get into a Christmassy mood. ;-)

The animals don’t stay there for the whole time, but they will be brought back to the farm every evening and then back to the City Centre in the morning.

Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.

The BLOCK T Weekend Christmas Markets returns and will run from Fri-Sun for three weekends from 05 Dec-21Dec.

Located in Smithfield right beside the Red LUAS, you will find there affordable and unique art, handmade crafts & jewellery, records, posters and much more. Artists, designers and creative people from in and around Dublin will be selling their wide range of unique, ‘arty’ and creative gift ideas.

DJs and live entertainers will distract you at times and caoffe and other supplies are also available.

The Opening Hours are Fri 17:00-21:00, Sat+Sun 11:00-19:00

The Brocante Market will take place on Sunday and will be Christmas themed.

It is a collection of antiques, furniture, vintage jewellery, collectables and curiosities from the past and present, second-hand, refurbished, antique and hand-crafted stuff for your house and garden.

If you are an interior designer or just have and eye for style and are looking for a special piece or maybe a bargain then this is the market for you. The market is held every 3rd Sunday of the month.

After a super long Christmas Market in Dun Laoghaire last year that reached into January, this year the market is significantly shorter and also only open at weekends. A dramatic change from 2013!

The opening times are every day from 11:00-19:00 and the market is open on these 13 days

Sat+Sun 29-30 Nov / Fri-Sun 05-07 Dec / Fri-Sun 12-14 Dec / Fri-Tues 19-23 Dec

A weekly market with lots of food, but also many other products (art & crafts, books, etc) takes place every Sunday in the beautiful People’s Park in Dun Laoghaire. It is a very popular market and with around 50 vendors also one of the bigger markets.

Liliput Stores and their friends run a Christmas Market in a workshop premises on Arbour Hill. The market runs on Sat+Sun from 11:00-17:00 and you can expect an array of independently crafted food & design.

Admission is free.

The well known Palestrina Choir sing every Sunday at the mass in St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral. They sing complete masterworks by Mozart, Haydn, Dvorak, Palestrina, de Victoria, usually accompanied by Prof. Gerard Gillen on the organ, who often also plays a solo piece.

The National Gallery has an extensive programme of free talks, public tours and Art Documentary screenings focusing on highlights of the European and Irish Collection every day of the week. Check their website for details.

At the Blackrock Market in the centre of Blackrock, you’ll find 50 stalls selling collectibles, antiques, handmade goods, books, food & there’s free popcorn, ballons & facepainting for the kids.
Open on Sundays: 12:00-17:30. Open on Saturdays and Bank Holidays: 11:00-17:30.

BLOOD is the title of the new Science Gallery exhibition that will run from 24 Oct – 25 Jan.

25 exhibits explore the symbolic, scientific and strange nature of blood and there are certainly some “out there” contributions. For example the video and relics from a bio-art performance where an artist had a blood transfusion form a horse. Or a spoof brand that uses bloodstain-formed fashion accessories addressing the stigma about men strual blood.

But there are quirky things as well, like the Jukebox that will guess your age by taking your pulse rate and playing a song from your teenage years. And there are some practical aspects: You can take a test that will determine your blood type and you can find out what happens to to donated blood in Ireland.

An interesting exhibition, but different than what you have seen before in the Science Gallery and that is reflected by the recommendation that the exhibition is only suitable for over 15 year olds.

If you are ok with the focus on this red substance that makes some of us a bit queasy when we think about it, you should definitely go to the exhibition (and bring an open mind ;-) ). But if blood makes your knees wobbly, then it might not be for you.

Admission to the exhibition is free

Every day until 22 December a Festive Family Fun Fair will take place on Wolfe Tone Square.

There will be vintage amusement rides like a vintage style chairoplane, a mini carousel, a helter skelter slide and game stalls. Food stalls with crepes, grilled food, a chocolate fountain, hot drinks, sweets and steak sandwiches will keep the parents happy.

Admission to the Fun Fair is free, but I would expect that the amusements/rides are not free. Can someone please check and let me know (dublineventguide@gmail.com). Thanks! It also doesn’t say until what time in the evening that Fun Fair is open. Maybe it’s a secret. so be careful when you ask! :-D

At the MART Christmas Market you will be able to buy Art, Design, Craft, Knits/Fashion, Jewellery (all made by seller) and more. And you will also get Mulled Wine.

The market will run for thirteen days: On 06-07 December and then every day from 11 Dec until 21 Dec. Operning hours are 12:00-19:00

www.mart.ie/christmas-market/

An indoor market in Coolock with over 40 traders with a wide range of goods and a café on site as well.

From 13 November until 23 December Dublin’s first ever City Centre Christmas Market takes place on one side of St. Stephen’s Green in the form of a lon row of wooden huts. Approx. 60 traders will be at the market selling handcrafted items, art, Christmas presents, food products etc. and there will also be food and drinks stands.

Admission is free.

The Sundays at Noon Concert Series continues in the Sculpture Gallery at the Hugh Lane Gallery. This series of free (mainly classical) concerts continues to present the best of Irish and International music and musicians. Concerts run from September to June.

The next concert will feature a “Bach Celebration” with Alison Browner, mezzo soprano and Players from Orchestra of St Cecilia. Directed by Therese Timoney.

Fiona Moloney, an experienced Yoga teacher, who ran for years the weekly “Yoga in the Park” classes in Phoenix Park is back and again, she is doing a great job for Dublin Simon.

On Sunday a Yoga class will take place. Admission is free but donations for Dublin Simon are very much appreciated.

Bring your Yoga mat and a towel and some water and join in. If you can’t or don’t want to stay for the two hours, that’s no problem, just join whenever you can for how long you can.

If you regularly or occasionally buy books online, you can help the Dublin Event Guide hugely even without having to pay cent directly. In fact you even save money this way:

Buy your books from The Book Depository and get better prices and free (!!) delivery for all orders independent from the volume and when you click on the picture here before you buy, then 5% of what normally The Book Depository would get, they give back to the Dublin Event Guide. Everybody wins!

www.bookdepository.com?a_aid=dubevg

If you prefer Amazon to buy your books (for free postage you need to order a minimum of GBP 25), then use this Amazon link to help the Dublin Event Guide. Thanks!

The “Dublin Sketchers” is an informal group of (hobby) artists who go somewhere different in Dublin every Sunday (e.g. National Museum, Maritime Museum, Dublin Flea Market, Farmleigh, Botanic Gardens, Dublin Castle, Science Gallery, …), sketch for one to two hours and then meet up for coffee afterwards and discuss their sketches.

There are some hugely talented people among them and it is a great idea to meet up with others who have the same hobby. Find out on their website below or on their Facebook Page where they will meet and join them if you do some sketching/drawing yourself. I know that the Dublin Sketchers often use the Dublin Event Guide to find interesting free events and I am delighted to be able to help!

Afternoon Jazz in Café en Seine. The Stella Bass Jazz Trio play every Sunday from 14:00-16:00 in Café en Seine in Dawson Street. Admission is free. A video is here www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8aKqtOB5S8

Sunday Sketching for the whole family takes place every Sunday and admission is free.

During these workshops we explore paintings, sculpture and some of the architectural features of Charlemont House through discussion and drawing.

No booking is required although numbers may be limited.

Explore how ancient people marked the mid-winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere with a tour of the Prehistoric Ireland exhibition. View grave goods from the Neolithic passage tombs at Newgrange and Knowth Co. Meath and discover the skills used to create some of our most famous monuments and artefacts.

Admission is free and no booking required, but places are limited to the first 20 people. Suitable for ages 12+

Come to the Family Drawing Sundays in the RHA. All children are welcome to use the RHA Art Cart, in the RHA Atrium. Admission is free. For further information, contact Ruth Carroll on 01 6612558 or via ruth@rhagallery.ie

A light installation at Clarke Square in Collins Barracks will illuminate the “Pebbledash House” in the square for just one hour with a Christmas and Hanukkah ‘Living Room’ Light installation. Keren Rosenberg will perform contemporary dance.

Admission is free.

Unlike the three branches of the National Museum, the National Print Museum is normally not free, but every Sunday there is a free public tour for the next few weeks. Every visit begins with a short audio-visual presentation where the audience can observe active retired printers providing practical demonstrations of machines from the Museum’s collection.

A Christmas Carol Service with the Palestrina Choir and St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral Girls’ Choir will take place in the St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral (Director is Blánaid Murphy. Organist is Professor Gerard Gillen)

Admission is free.

Brian Keary is a classically trained guitar player who also has experience of different styles / genres of music ranging from ragtime and folk to baroque and contemporary. He will perform in Sweeney’s (Ground Floor) on Sunday afternoon.

House Dublin is a restaurant and bar in Leeson Street. On Sundays the Nova Collective is playing in their Glass House from 17:00-19:00. Expect Jazz and Latin Bossa Nova. Admission is free.

The “City Of Dublin Winter Solstice Celebration Festival 2014” takes place on Sunday and is a family friendly event, bringing together traditional storytelling, poetry and céilí, as well as craft making and it culminates in a parade and Winter Solstice Fire Ceremony on Smithfield Square.

The event starts at 17:00 Collins Barracks’ Riding School Hall. Then the Winter Solstice Fire will be lit at 18:00 on Clarke Square in Collins Barracks. And the parade assembles there at 18:15.

The parade then goes from the Museum via Ellis Quay and Arran Quay to Smithfield Square, where the Fire Ceremony will be from 18:45-19:15.

The wedding and party band The LJJ Band play every Sunday evening in Café en Seine. Admission is free.

The Sweeney’s Dixeland Jazzmen play their weekly gig on the ground floor in Sweeney’s. Admission is free.

Saucy Sundays is a weekly free live music afternoon and evening in the Grand Social. The line-up and links to all bands/performers are available via the Saucy Sundays Facebook Page (see link below).

This week’s Saucy Sundays is going ahead and is the Saucy Sunday Christmas party. The line-up is

Greg Clifford, Sign A, Tommy Moore, Sample Answer, Megacone, Warehouse

www.facebook.com/events/305520772977922/

This weekly Latin Music event will take place every Sunday. You will be able to dance salsa, bachata, merengue, cumbia and reggeaton. Live music, food tasting and free admission, what more could you want?

The Gardiner Street Gospel Choir Mass is back after the summer break and invites you to a Mass in St. Francis Xavier Church at the top of Gardiner Street near the junction with Dorset Street every Sunday at 19:30.

The Gardiner Street Gospel Choir, one of the best known gospel choirs in Ireland will give you a chance to experience a mass with a difference. It is uplifting and inspiring and everybody is welcome independent from your level of religiousness.

Disclaimer: I am involved with the Gardiner Street Gospel Choir, so the description above MIGHT not be totally unbiased. But just take it from me, they are brilliant! ;-)

The Dublin Gospel Choir will sing at a concert in aid of the Capuchin Day Centre on Sunday. The concert will start at 20:00 after the 19:00 mass in the same church.

Admission is free and no tickets are required. Donations are very much appreciated and will go directly to the Capuchin Day Centre.

3-piece rock band “Me In The Park” are playing in Whelan’s and admission is free.

NOT TAKING PLACE TONIGHT!

The weekly Sunday Roast is a free event in the Mercantile where live music is combined with free roast potatoes.

The last one for 2014 took place on 14 Dec and you will now have to wait until next year to the next Sunday Roast. 2 weeks without will be tough ;-), but I am sure Kieron and team will make up for it in early January.

Every Sunday this singer-songwriter night takes place in the Bleeding Horse in Camden St. from 8.30pm. It is an Open mic night and performers can just turn up and put their name on the list for that night.

At the Jawbone Gig night in Sin É, Acoustic Folk & Blues will be performed every Sunday. Admission is free. For the line-up check here www.facebook.com/pages/Jawbone-Dublin-Acoustic-Folk-Blues-Commune/724102984268967

The Comedy Crunch is a free Stand Up comedy downstairs in Stag’s Head, Dame Lane from 21:00 every week on Sun+Mon. Every week different comedians entertain and on top of that there is some free ice cream. The line-up can be found via the Comedy Crunch Facebook Page (see link below).

Rogério from the Brazilian dance project “Forró de Lampião” in Dublin tells me: Forró de Lampião is Brazilian music that has the same roots as Samba and there is a whole culture that has developed around “forro”. Every Sunday, free dance classes take place in the Grand Social (new loation!) and if you are interested, just turn up one Sunday.

“Rhythm Rocker at The Globe” is a weekly event on Sunday night in The Globe. Admission is free.

The Pavement Kings play Rockabilly from 21:00 and
DJs Popocorn Peete and Little Dakota follow from 23:00-01:30 with a white variety of styles (Rockabilly, Calypso, Soul, Rock ‘n’ Roll, etc).

Billy Treacy & The Ha’Penny Heads are playing Ballads, Folk, Trad and Classic Country every Sunday. Featuring Guitar, Mandolin, Fiddle and Banjo.

Every Sunday (except at Bank Holiday weekends), the Ragtime, Roots and Country Blues Band “Cool Hand Dukes” play in the Porterhouse near Grafton Street.

The Dublin Blues Cartel will be in Whelan’s again and will perform mostly a version of New Orleans R’n’B with a classic rock twist, sandwiched with swing, Rock’n’Roll, Soul, Funk, Blues and rap of all eras. Admission is free.

Christmas Kingdom is a new Christmas event by Dublin City Council.

There is lots of entertainment for kids, but most attractions are not free (e.g. a Christmas circus, the North Pole play area, a festive train, face painters, balloons and children entertainments.

The free element of Christmas Kindom is a Live Crib and a market area consisting of 14 stalls selling food and crafts.

Initially it will open every weekend Fri 14:00-20:00 & Sat/Sun from 10:00 to 20:00. From 19-23 Dec the market will be open daily from 10:00-20:00 and will then continue until 04 Jan.

Every year there is a crib with live animals outside Mansion House and this institution supported by the Irish Farmers Association is returning to Dawson Street again. It will run from 09-23 Dec.

Dawson Street doesn’t look very pretty this year due to the LUAS works there, but if you focus on the crib and ignore the street behind you you can nearly get into a Christmassy mood. ;-)

The animals don’t stay there for the whole time, but they will be brought back to the farm every evening and then back to the City Centre in the morning.

Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.

After a super long Christmas Market in Dun Laoghaire last year that reached into January, this year the market is significantly shorter and also only open at weekends. A dramatic change from 2013!

The opening times are every day from 11:00-19:00 and the market is open on these 13 days

Sat+Sun 29-30 Nov / Fri-Sun 05-07 Dec / Fri-Sun 12-14 Dec / Fri-Tues 19-23 Dec

The National Gallery has an extensive programme of free talks, public tours and Art Documentary screenings focusing on highlights of the European and Irish Collection every day of the week. Check their website for details.

Every day until 22 December a Festive Family Fun Fair will take place on Wolfe Tone Square.

There will be vintage amusement rides like a vintage style chairoplane, a mini carousel, a helter skelter slide and game stalls. Food stalls with crepes, grilled food, a chocolate fountain, hot drinks, sweets and steak sandwiches will keep the parents happy.

Admission to the Fun Fair is free, but I would expect that the amusements/rides are not free. Can someone please check and let me know (dublineventguide@gmail.com). Thanks! It also doesn’t say until what time in the evening that Fun Fair is open. Maybe it’s a secret. so be careful when you ask! :-D

From 13 November until 23 December Dublin’s first ever City Centre Christmas Market takes place on one side of St. Stephen’s Green in the form of a lon row of wooden huts. Approx. 60 traders will be at the market selling handcrafted items, art, Christmas presents, food products etc. and there will also be food and drinks stands.

Admission is free.

Archive at Lunchtime screenings take place Saturdays (Double Bill), Mondays and Wednesdays. The programme is changing weekly now (instead of monthly as in the past). To find out what film(s) will be screened go to www.ifi.ie/whatson/now-showing-coming-soon/ and look for “Archive at Lunchtime” on the right. Admission is free.

The BLOCK T Christmas Markets opoens the doors for a last time on Monday evening until 01:00.

Located in Smithfield right beside the Red LUAS, you will find there affordable and unique art, handmade crafts & jewellery, records, posters and much more. Artists, designers and creative people from in and around Dublin will be selling their wide range of unique, ‘arty’ and creative gift ideas.

DJs and Santa will be there and Mulled Wine and Chocolate Soup will feed you (what else do you need! :-) )

The Pleasing Features Christmas Paerty will be back in the Workman’s Club with the following line-up:

+ Cloud Culture
+ Spines
+ Fangclub
+Modify

Admission is free.

This is an open mic night with Special Guests every Monday. Arrive, sign in (from 19:00) and play. Admission is free.

Hvmmingbyrd and support Sive and The Evertides will be in Whelan’s for a night of music. Admission is free.

Song Cycle is a weekly Singer/Songriter showcase. The line-up is not always easily findable on the Whelan’s website, but admission is always free.

The Monday Echo is a weekly songwriter and poetry live showcase held on Mondays in the basement of The International Bar. Usually, the show has 3 songwriters and 3 poets who perform for roughly 20 minutes each. Admission is free.
The weekly line-up can be found via the Facebook Page below.

The Comedy Crunch is a free Stand Up comedy event every Sunday and Monday. Every week different comedians entertain and on top of good comedy you will get free ice cream. Admission is free. The line-up can be found via the Comedy Crunch Facebook Page (see link below).

The Crafty Monday Sessions is an Open Mic night for acoustic singer/songwriters and original bands. Admission is free.

Every Monday a Jazz Jam Session will take place in the Grand Social and you are invited to listen or even to participate. Admission is free for musicians and audience.

Instruments are supplied (drums (no cymbals), double bass, guitar amp, bass amp, PA system) and ideas and themes will be proposed prior to the session to the musicians who join the event on Facebook (see Facebook Page below).

The 4-piece band Loose Trad are performing every Monday in Mother Reilly’s. www.loosetrad.com/ Admission is free.

Patrick Mahony sings songs from Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, Matt Monro and many more every Monday in the Cafe en Seine. Admission is free.

The Pyro Blues Executive play in the Leeson Lounge every Monday and admission is free.

Christmas Kingdom is a new Christmas event by Dublin City Council.

There is lots of entertainment for kids, but most attractions are not free (e.g. a Christmas circus, the North Pole play area, a festive train, face painters, balloons and children entertainments.

The free element of Christmas Kindom is a Live Crib and a market area consisting of 14 stalls selling food and crafts.

Initially it will open every weekend Fri 14:00-20:00 & Sat/Sun from 10:00 to 20:00. From 19-23 Dec the market will be open daily from 10:00-20:00 and will then continue until 04 Jan.

Every year there is a crib with live animals outside Mansion House and this institution supported by the Irish Farmers Association is returning to Dawson Street again. It will run from 09-23 Dec.

Dawson Street doesn’t look very pretty this year due to the LUAS works there, but if you focus on the crib and ignore the street behind you you can nearly get into a Christmassy mood. ;-)

The animals don’t stay there for the whole time, but they will be brought back to the farm every evening and then back to the City Centre in the morning.

Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.

“These Are a Few of My Favourite Things” is the title of a Walking Tour that Emily Gallagher runs on Tuesdays now as well. It will be an Alternative Arts and Culture Trail and she will bring you to “Dublin’s Best Cafes, Bars, Markets, Unusual Stores, Galleries, Theatres, Arts Spaces, and more! And hear some tales you’ve never heard before!”

Meeting point is at the Spire. The tours are free but donations are welcome and booking is required via egaldog@gmail.com or 085-2725095

After a super long Christmas Market in Dun Laoghaire last year that reached into January, this year the market is significantly shorter and also only open at weekends. A dramatic change from 2013!

The opening times are every day from 11:00-19:00 and the market is open on these 13 days

Sat+Sun 29-30 Nov / Fri-Sun 05-07 Dec / Fri-Sun 12-14 Dec / Fri-Tues 19-23 Dec

The National Gallery has an extensive programme of free talks, public tours and Art Documentary screenings focusing on highlights of the European and Irish Collection every day of the week. Check their website for details.

From 13 November until 23 December Dublin’s first ever City Centre Christmas Market takes place on one side of St. Stephen’s Green in the form of a lon row of wooden huts. Approx. 60 traders will be at the market selling handcrafted items, art, Christmas presents, food products etc. and there will also be food and drinks stands.

Admission is free.

Every Tuesday an informal sing along with Ukulele and Toy Musical Instruments takes place in the Stag’s Head. Just bring your instrument and come along. Beginners are welcome. Admission is free and further details (and a big book of songs) are available on the Facebook Page below. The get-together meets in the “snug” in Stag’s Head.

Ben Prevo & friends play saucy Blues & soul every Tuesday

Rumours have it that the Bluegrass Collective will perform in Sin É on Tuesday and there might even be an open Bluegrass Jam! Admission is free.

At “State Magazine’s Midnight Mass” a gig night in aid of Marriage Equality, the line-up is Nanu Nanu, Planet Parade, Slow Skies, Aoife Underwater and special guests.

Admission is free

The Folk Club in Whelan’s will bring you the best in Trad, Ballads, Americana & World Music every Tuesday. The line-up this week is on the Facebook Page below. Admission is free.

The Phoenix Big Band is a 16 piece band playing songs of the 1930s, 1940s and other big band arrangements and they are playing every Tuesday in the Tara Tower Hotel (since 2012!) for adult dancing. If you like to waltz, cha cha or foxtrot, come and enjoy their performance.

Admission is free.

The band plays in the main function room which is occasionally booked, so to confirm that they are playing, please ring the hotel on the day: Phone 01-2694666

A totally unplugged Singer/Songwriter night (no PA, no microphones) with original music is taking place upstairs in Anseo every Tuesday from 21:30.

Please check on the Facebook Page below if the event is going ahead as it seems to get cancelled every now and then and if you want to play a 15-30 min set or just want to play one song make yourself heard via the same Facebook Page.

Admission is free.

Christmas Eve in Dublin means that the shops in the City Centre are packed with last minute buyers (many many men! ;-) ) from early on. Some families have the custom to go to Bewley’s for breakfast and the queues are usually long at Bewley’s in Grafton Street, Others just get their last minute purchases before they go home. Many shops already close around 16:00 and then an eerie calm falls over the city.Some of the shopping centres push it a bit further, but even Dundrum closes already at 18:00 on Christmas eve.

In the evening there are Christmas Eve masses and the pubs are open for a last night before Christmas, but that’s it then. Now Christmas is around the corner and the famous Guinness Christmas ad ( www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVudFaYSjq0 ) captures the atmosphere of the late hours on Christmas eve perfectly.

Many of the regular events will not take place on Christmas eve, so please check before you go to make sure that the event you wanted to enjoy is definitely going ahead.

The National Gallery has an extensive programme of free talks, public tours and Art Documentary screenings focusing on highlights of the European and Irish Collection every day of the week. Check their website for details.

Archive at Lunchtime screenings take place Saturdays (Double Bill), Mondays and Wednesdays. The programme is changing weekly now (instead of monthly as in the past). To find out what film(s) will be screened go to www.ifi.ie/whatson/now-showing-coming-soon/ and look for “Archive at Lunchtime” on the right. Admission is free.

The “Havana International Language Exchange” is taking place every Wed from 16:30-19:30 in Havana Tapas Bar in George’s Street. There are many Spanish speakers and English-speakers are explicitly invited, but everyone else is certainly very welcome too, to meet for a chat to improve your Spanish or English.

The Gardiner Street Gospel Choir sings at the Christmas Eve Mass at 20:00 on Wednesday. It is strongly recommended to come extremely early (not after 19:30) as the church will fill up completely, with standing room only, if you come too late.

The King Kong Club is a weekly music game-show in the Mercantile. Each week 6-7 bands/solo artists play three songs each. At the end of all the performances a clap-off with the King Kong Club Clap-o-Meter takes place and the winner goes through to a semi-final and it all culminates after six months of competition with The Grand Final, held in front of a panel of celebrity judges.

Check the Facebook Page below for the line-up.

“The Song Room” is another open mic event. It takes place in The Globe in George’s Street at 20:30 every Wednesday.

“The Zodiac Sessions” is a regular open mic event from 20:30 in Bruxelles (between Grafton Street and Westbury Hotel) for unsigned musicians. Admission is free and there is a different line-up every week.

Bad Boy Jake are every Wednesday in the Gypsy Rose Rock & Blues Bar playing their rock, blues and American.

Every Wednesday a Singer Songwriter Night will take place in Mother Reilly’s in Rathmines. This is YOUR chance to show everyone what you can do, alternatively you can just listen to the talented Singer/Songwriters. Admission is free.

The Jazz Pigs with a classic multi-brass front line play a mix of Lounge, lively sixties Jazz and driving Funk. Every Wednesday downstairs in 4 Dame Lane. Admission is free.

Traditional Irish Music Session in Hedigan’s (The Brian Boru) in Phibsborough from 21:30 every Wednesday. If you play an instrument you are especially welcome (all levels are welcome).

In most families Christmas Day is very much a family day. The children are up really early because Santa (hopefully) left some presents for them during the night and the kids get up at the earliest possible time to look for them. Since adults are really just bigger kids, many also exchange presents in the morning.

If there weather is ok and you want to get some bit of exercise before the big dinner, go for a walk or even go for the traditional Christmas Swim in the (cold!) sea at the FortyFoot in Sandycove (South of Dun Laoghaire). See some pictures here and a video clip here.

Then there might be visits to friends or relatives, but then in the early (or late) afternoon the traditional Christmas dinner, usually with Turkey, ham and (often hated, but nevertheless regularly served) Brussels Sprouts, will take place in most families. Too much is eaten, too much alcohol is consumed and then some Christmas movies are “consumed”.

For visitors in Dublin, this is a horrible day and I think it’s unforgivable that the Irish Tourism Organisations don’t warn tourists: Visitors in Dublin will not find a single open restaurant (apart from restaurants in some hotels, see below), there is absolutely nothing to do on that day because all sites are closed and only because we are lucky to have a multicultural society that includes people that don’t celebrate Christmas, you will at least find a small number of Spar Shops or Centras that are open and that can sell you some food. All pubs are closed.

If you would like – or need – to have your Christmas dinner in a restaurant, you hopefully checked early: There are SOME hotel restaurants that will serve food on Christmas Day, but they might be booked out or only limit their service to residents or are very expensive. So hopefully you did your homework.

And what to do as a tourist on this day? A looooong walk and a really good book afterwards might be the best suggestion. ;-)

Every year on Chrsitmas Day a Mile Run for the charity GOAL takes place in Phoenix Park, near the Papal Cross. The run is just for fun without official timing or prizes. Bring your friends, run a mile and donate to GOAL before you have your Christmas Dinner.

It seems that you don’t have to register, but just turn up on the day.

On St. Stephen’s Day (NOT Boxing Day!!), the second Christmas Holiday, live goes (nearly) back to normality. Many shops are open again and in some the Sales already start. Pubs and Restaurants do open and even some museums/sites are back open again, others wait one more day until they re-open.

Regular events in Dublin, however, might not be back yet, so please check all regular events you are interested in to see if they take place.

Christmas Kingdom is a new Christmas event by Dublin City Council.

There is lots of entertainment for kids, but most attractions are not free (e.g. a Christmas circus, the North Pole play area, a festive train, face painters, balloons and children entertainments.

The free element of Christmas Kindom is a Live Crib and a market area consisting of 14 stalls selling food and crafts.

Initially it will open every weekend Fri 14:00-20:00 & Sat/Sun from 10:00 to 20:00. From 19-23 Dec the market will be open daily from 10:00-20:00 and will then continue until 04 Jan.

If you regularly or occasionally buy books online, you can help the Dublin Event Guide hugely even without having to pay cent directly. In fact you even save money this way:

Buy your books from The Book Depository and get better prices and free (!!) delivery for all orders independent from the volume and when you click on the picture here before you buy, then 5% of what normally The Book Depository would get, they give back to the Dublin Event Guide. Everybody wins!

www.bookdepository.com?a_aid=dubevg

If you prefer Amazon to buy your books (for free postage you need to order a minimum of GBP 25), then use this Amazon link to help the Dublin Event Guide. Thanks!

Father Ted Day on St. Stephen’s Day is a long-running Bernard Shaw Pub tradition. If you want to see a bit of the Lovely Girls competition, get lost down the tunnel of goats, or simply have a bit of a laugh… and speak to priests.., come to this event.

Admission is free.

Cornucopia Café & Restaurant host live music three evenings a week (Thurs, Fri and Sat). The restaurant is a Wholefood & Vegetarian Restaurant and is open until 22:15.
+ Every second Thursday N.C Lawlor, a songwriter, session player and troubadour plays a mix of country, bluegrass & blues from 19:30-21:30.
+ Every Friday (19:30-21:30) Junshi Murakami plays Irish Harp.
+ Every Saturday (19:30-21:30) Nollaig Mann plays a collection of popular and jazz classics.

The weekly European Folk Dance Workshop/Session takes place in the Tap Bar every Friday.

The dances are French, Greek, Italian, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese folk and traditional dances and everybody interested to join in or to learn is welcome. Admission is free, but donations (suggested: EUR 3) are very welcome

“Electric Fridays with DUB” is a weekly gig/open mic night in the basement of The International Bar. Admission is free.

Musicians, artists, bands who want to play a 25 min set should contact the organisers via the Facebook page below. A PA and some equipment is available.

The Stillorgan Orchard has live music every Friday and Saturday. Many of the performers are established and very good bands. The upcoming gigs are detailed on the website below. Admission is always free.

The line-up:
26 Dec: Dead Ringer
27 Dec: Who’s Eddie

“Ska ‘n’ Reggae” is the theme in the Dive Bar (downstairs in Turks Head) every Friday. The Bionic Rats play live and the DJs Tommy Rash and Fukszy are on the decks until late. Admission is free.