Plan your Christmas Vacation in Ireland here. Experience Authentic Irish Charm
IRISH CHRISTMAS TRAVEL SPECIALS
12 Irish Christmas Traditions
#1 Irish Christmas Markets
Visiting a Christmas market in Ireland is not just about shopping—it's about immersing yourself in the holiday spirit. They combine local craftsmanship, food, and entertainment with a magical holiday experience. Markets often include activities like ice skating, Santa’s grottos, or kiddie rides. Markets are adorned with fairy lights, Christmas trees, and festive garlands. Stalls often feature Irish-made crafts like pottery, jewelry, and textiles—perfect for unique gifts. Enjoy Irish treats like mince pies, spiced cider, roasted chestnuts, and hearty stews. # Irish crafts, #food stalls, #mulled wine, #local craft vendors #Lynott Tours Popular Locations: • Dublin: Christmas markets at the Docklands or in city squares. • Galway: One of Ireland's largest and most famous markets. • Belfast: Renowned for its European-style Christmas market.
12 Irish Christmas Traditions
#2 Lighting a Candle in the Window
Lighting a Candle in the Window is a longstanding Irish Christmas tradition symbolizing welcome, hope, and faith. The candle traditionally welcomes Mary and Joseph, symbolizing a place of refuge for travelers in need. This tradition exemplifies Irish warmth and the spirit of Christmas, blending faith with cultural heritage. It also signals to friends, family, and even strangers that hospitality is offered. #Irish Welcome #Irish hospitality
#3 Decorating with Holly and Ivy
Decorating with Holly and Ivy is an age-old Irish Christmas tradition with deep historical and cultural roots. These evergreens are both practical and symbolic, adding natural beauty and festive spirit to homes. Holly: Its sharp leaves are said to represent the crown of thorns, while the red berries symbolize Christ’s blood. Ivy: As a climbing plant, it symbolizes faithfulness and support, reflecting the bond between people and God. These plants were incorporated into Christian traditions but were originally associated with pagan winter solstice celebrations, symbolizing eternal life. #Evergreen #nature #symbolism #festive #tradition #Lynotttours
#4 Irish Christmas Cake
Irish Christmas Cake is a festive dessert, steeped in tradition and typically prepared weeks in advance of Christmas to allow its flavors to develop fully. It is rich, dense, and full of symbolism, making it a key part of Irish Christmas celebrations. Like our fruitcakes, the Irish Christmas cake is made with dried fruits (raisins, currants, sultanas), candied peel, nuts, and warming spices (cinnamon, nutmeg). Whiskey or brandy is often added, both to flavor the cake and to preserve it. After baking, the cake is "fed" regularly with whiskey or brandy by making small holes in it and drizzling the alcohol in. #Fruitcake, # festive dessert #Lynotttours
Irish Christmas Traditions
#5 Irish Christmas Greetings
Irish Christmas Greetings are a wonderful way to share festive joy and celebrate Irish heritage during the holiday season. They often incorporate Irish (Gaelic) phrases as well as traditional English sentiments. Common Irish Christmas Greetings:
"Nollaig Shona Duit" Meaning: "Happy Christmas to you" (used when addressing one person).
"Nollaig Shona Daoibh" Meaning: "Happy Christmas to you all" (used for groups).
"Beannachtaí na Nollag" Meaning: "Christmas blessings."#Nollaig Shona #Irish language #Lynotttours
Irish Christmas Traditions
#6 Irish Christmas Dinner
The main course is typically a perfectly roasted turkey, sometimes accompanied by glazed ham. Both are often basted with butter and herbs to enhance flavor. Irish stuffing often includes sausage meat, breadcrumbs, onions, and herbs like sage and thyme. Some variations incorporate dried fruits for a sweet touch. No Irish meal is complete without potatoes. Multiple potato dishes are served, including roast potatoes, creamy mashed potatoes, and sometimes colcannon (mashed potatoes with cabbage or kale) Common sides include roasted root vegetables like carrots and parsnips, Brussels sprouts, and red cabbage. For dessert, a rich pudding made with dried fruits, spices, and soaked in whiskey or brandy is served, often flambéed at the table and accompanied by custard or cream. The meal is paired with Irish whiskey, mulled wine, or stout, along with tea or coffee to finish. These small mince pie pastries, filled with a spiced fruit mixture, are a beloved addition, either served during or after the meal
#Roast turkey # stuffing #Christmas pudding.
Christmas the way it should
be.
Make your unique Christmas Celebration in Ireland.
Spend the holidays in Ireland. Ireland does Christmas a little bit differently from the rest of the world: we call the Epiphany on 6 January “Little Christmas” or “Women’s Christmas” (as the women got to go out and have fun while the men stayed at home); we place candles in our windows on Christmas Eve; and we say “Happy Christmas” in English, and “Nollaig Shona Duit” in Irish. How fancy! Like the sound of that? We’ve got some very Irish traditions that’ll get you into the Christmas spirit…
Magical Escorted Christmas Tour of Ireland 2024
Ireland Dublin Christmas Castle vacation package 2024
All I Want for Christmas
24th– 28th December
4 nights - Christmas in Ireland Early booking is ESSENTIAL for this vacation.
INCLUDES: 4 nights at Clontarf Castle-
Christmas Eve
Enjoy citrus spiced mulled wine on arrival in the glorious setting of the Atrium lobby Sumptuous four course dinner in the majestic
Christmas Day
Artisan castle breakfast accompanied by chilled champagne
***
Traditional Christmas Day buffet lunch in the regal Great Hall
***
Evening light fayre served in the Indigo Lounge
***
Unwind & celebrate a wonderful Christmas Day in Knights Bar as the evening draws to a close with light entertainment*
St Stephens Day
St. Stephen’s artisan castle breakfast
One additional night to unwind and explore.
Breakfast
- Value-Added Tax (V.A.T.) and service charges.
The lights and that certain something in the air combine to
provide a memorable experience. Ireland Christmas Travel. Rate based on
departure date from USA. Other dates are available at varying costs.
RATES including car, accommodations, flights
Rate per person in USD, Sharing a twin room
Ask for 2024 rates
Call 1-800-221-2474 9AM - 6PM Mon-Fri Eastern Time
Please Email Us For Information
Anyone interested in folk and traditional music will also be glad to know that December is a brilliant time to be in Ireland. Fairy lights, crackling fires and creamy pints are perfect scene-setters for an evening of music in a traditional Irish pub.
According to Esquire magazine, “There are few drinks as instantly delightful as hot Irish whiskey punch”. Made with whiskey, lemon, cloves and a touch of brown sugar (if you need it), it warms you up from the inside out. Traditionally, the hot whiskey is consumed through the coldest months of the year. And there’s nothing like the scent of cloves to get you in the Christmas spirit.
Christmas is in the air everywhere. Church services play a real part in the
celebration of Christmas here. Another endearing quality of Ireland is the time
that the people take out of their usual calendars to devote to Christmas. There
is limited work activity for most people between Christmas and New Year, and
most businesses remain closed for this period.
The spirit of Christmas is so strong, however, that many hotels close during
the holiday period to allow their staff to spend time with family. On Christmas
day in Ireland, most restaurants will be closed. Christmas day is traditionally
a family day, with virtually all public places and shops closed.
| Irish Proverb: A turkey never voted for an early Christmas. |
Anyone interested in folk and traditional music will also be glad to know that December is a brilliant time to be in Ireland. Fairy lights, crackling fires and creamy pints are perfect scene-setters for an evening of music in a traditional Irish pub.
Christmas Specials:
Ireland BB,
Festive Dromoland Castle vacation package 7 nights -
Early booking is ESSENTIAL for this vacation.
- Round trip airfare to Ireland
- Self-drive standard car with unlimited mileage and tax for 7 days. Large cars, minibuses and automatics are available.
- 5 nights accommodations at your choice of 400 farms, town and country homes. Please be aware that not all B&B's are open over Christmas and New Years.
- Full hearty Irish breakfast is served each day. This may include home-baked breads, farm-fresh eggs, cereal, sausage and bacon.
- Value-Added Tax (V.A.T.) and service charges.
After Christmas Treat-One Night B&B at Dromoland Castle, INCLUDING DINNER Dec. 28 (Dromoland not available over Christmas or New Years)
Rate per person in USD, Sharing a twin room
Ask for 2024 rates
| Twelve Days of Christmas Song : Although most people say / sing "four calling birds", the actually birds are "four colley birds" (blackbirds). |
Christmas in Dublin
In Dublin, Christmas day is only the beginning of celebrating with friends that
doesn’t end until the Feast of Epiphany on the 6th of January. Dublin is a
wonderful city to visit at Christmas. The Christmas lights are turned on in
November and from that point on, the big Christmas shopping season will have
commenced in earnest. Unique gifts are only part of the journey as you enhance
your experience with tours of Europe's most picturesque cities. From shopping
on Grafton Street and Henry Street, to listening to the carol singers and
buskers on Grafton Street, and to the wonderful Christmas windows, Dublin City Center has loads to offer.
Much of the social
activity centres around the pubs (as usual!) There are some outdoor activities
on Christmas day, eg. outdoor walks, Christmas day swims for the hardy souls.
Some hotels stay open over Christmas, with a "package" stay and
organized activities. St. Stephen's Day (Boxing Day) has pubs open again, but
only a limited number of shops open. There will be plenty of sporting
activities, including horse racing. Restaurants
will be open, except for Christmas Day. Airports, buses and trains do not
operate on Christmas day, and will have a limited service on 26th. Shops will
generally open about 27th December with sales - hectic for shopaholics.
CHRISTMAS AT THE MERRION, DUBLIN
Arrive on Christmas Eve and check into your luxurious room, complete
with tempting seasonal delights. Anticipate Christmas by the crackling log
fires in our lavishly dressed Drawing Rooms, unwind in the sumptuous Tethra Spa
or relax in the warm ambiance of our Dublin cocktail bar, No 23. At 6pm on
Christmas Eve, all our younger guests are invited to meet with Father Christmas
around the magical Christmas tree in The Front Hall, where each child will
receive a Christmas gift, and Mums and Dads can enjoy a glass of Champagne.
Wake up on Christmas Morning to a celebratory breakfast in the comfort
of your own room or in The Cellar Restaurant. Later, enjoy traditional
Christmas Lunch or Dinner in The Cellar Restaurant followed by a glass of
Merrion mulled wine and mince pies in No 23.
For guests who would prefer to extend their celebrations, on St Stephens Day,
December 26th, The Merrion is offering two Top Level Tickets to the renowned
Leopardstown Christmas Race Festival, complete with coach transfers to and from
the hotel. For those who would prefer to stay indoors, guests can opt for a
sumptuous one-hour treatment per person in The Tethra Spa.
| Messiah, Handel's glorious oratorio,was first performed in Dublin in 1742, and the city celebrates with performances every December. The most ethereal is in the soaring vaults of St. Patrick's Cathedral. |
Please Email Us For Information
CHRISTMAS AT DROMOLAND CASTLE
Enjoy Christmas at Dromoland Castle. (This is priced on a per person sharing basis). Arrival on the 24th December (Christmas Eve) and enjoy a welcome reception with Canapes from 6pm followed by Dinner at 7pm or Dinner at 8.30pm for the last minute shoppers, Christmas Carols and visit from Santa. On Christmas Day enjoy a hearty breakfast, Traditional Christmas Day Lunch. Later that evening enjoy a Light "Pick & Go" Buffet Supper on your lap in front of the log fires or in any of our beautiful public area rooms. Before you leave us on 26th December enjoy another hearty breakfast.
Treat yourself to a 1 nights stay at Dromoland Castle including Accommodation, full Irish breakfast and Table d'Hote dinner and let us help you to celebrate the magical traditions of Christmas at Dromoland Castle. Indulge and unwind at the Spa, relax in deep sofas in front of roaring log fires and festive
decorated surroundings or enjoy falconry, golf or a horse drawn carriage tour. Toast the season in the Cocktail Bar with traditional entertainment,dine in the award winning Earl of Thomond Restaurant,or just soak up and enjoy the nostalgic Christmas atmosphere.
BOOK EARLY TO AVOID
DISAPPOINTMENT
BOOK THIS TODAY! CALL LYNOTT TOURS AT (800) 221-2474
OR Please Email Us For
Information
| An Irish Toast: May peace and plenty be the first to lift the latch on your door, and happiness be guided to your home by the candle of Christmas |
Did you know that the popular Christmas carol, Twelve Days of Christmas, is a remnant from the time when Catholicism was illegal and the gifts listed in the song are hidden references to Catholic dogma? It was used as a memory exercise for those who were secret adherents to Catholicism.
The lighting of candles in Ireland also has a religious significance. Some people would light candles (or one large candle) to signify symbolic hospitality for Mary and Joseph. The candle was a way of saying there was room for Jesus' parents in these homes even if there was none in Bethlehem. Some people even set extra places at their tables as a preparation for unexpected visitors.
Christmas Dinner Christmas dinners in Ireland usually consist of the standard fare; turkey, a ham, stuffing, cranberry sauce, etc. Among the more traditional Irish elements are spiced beef (spiced over several days, cooked, and then pressed) which can be served either hot or cold. The traditional dessert is usually composed of mince pies, Christmas pudding, and brandy or rum sauce.
Nollaig shona duit (Happy Christmas)
Please Email Us For Information or call (800) 221-2474
