Yuletide on the Emerald Isle

From the Tourism Ireland's October 2011 Ezine Ireland...

In the lead up to this year’s festive season, the Emerald Isle’s newest and biggest event is the 7Up Winter Wonderland, a magical Christmas village set in the picturesque grounds of a park in Dublin, the Irish capital.

This festive extravaganza will run – hail, rain or snow – from 1 December  to 8 January 2012 (except Christmas Day). It features Ireland’s largest covered ice rink, a Christmas circus, a giant wheel, top European rides for all ages and tastes, a traditional Christmas market, plus cafes, bars and entertainment. Santa’s Christmas Village is there too, free to enter and excellent fun for all the family.

December is actually a great time to visit Dublin, which is one of the friendliest cities anywhere in the world. Spirits are high, the atmosphere is electric, streets are decked out and heaving. Shoppers bustle along cobbled alleys, stopping for a bit of craic and mingling around the multitude of Christmas markets.
Popular ones are situated in Dublin’s Docklands, Farmleigh House – where Queen Elizabeth II stayed during her recent visit to Ireland – and Fitzwilliam Square, a historic Georgian area in the centre of Dublin. But there are dozens more. 

Foodies will love Taste of Christmas, an annual festive food extravaganza taking place between the 25 and 27 November this year at the architecturally spectacular Dublin Convention Centre. Replete with celebrity chefs, tastings of all descriptions, culinary entertainment and inspirational seasonal menus of everything from traditional classics to cutting-edge cuisine, there is plenty to fire the imagination and the taste buds.

And just two hours away in Belfast, capital of Northern Ireland, the food theme continues as the city puts on its wonderful Christmas Continental Market. The fabulous City Hall gardens are transformed into a bustling alpine village providing a great foodie and shop-around-Europe opportunity in the heart of the town famous for giving the world the Titanic.

Northern Ireland’s craft markets and fairs may also hold the answer to shoppers’ Christmas gift quandaries. The province is renowned for its vibrant craft scene and there are literally hundreds of fairs, markets, exhibitions and workshops taking place in the run up to Christmas. They can be a fantastic help in finding that extra special crafty gift.

To read the full story click here.  Learn more about Sceptre Tour's magnificent Christmas in Dublin and New Years in Dublin, both at the 5 Star Ritz Carlton in Powerscourt to see if Holidays in the Emerald Isle might be worth putting on your Christmas List!