Lord of the Dance
What the Irish love most about being home for Christmas - you share your favourite moments
Life & Style

What the Irish love most about being home for Christmas - you share your favourite moments

Walking down Grafton Street on Christmas Eve and stopping to watch the celebs out busking.

Michelle Nic Fhionnáin

Walking down Moore Street, mammy's cups of tea, oddly being dragged to do the Mass thing, home cooking, catching up with family and being spoiled and the no rushing around. People saying hello when walk past you on the street. Twelve pubs of Christmas. Seeing friends. Just being home in general.

Nicola Miley

Getting off an ungodly early flight to Shannon on December 23 and the mammy drags you around the Crescent Shopping Centre in Limerick for "the last few bits".

Caroline Floskins Quane

Getting home and a night out with the girls and hearing Fairytale of New York.

Laura Skeffs

Arriving at the airport with the Christmas music and seeing your family waiting with a big sign saying 'welcome home'.

Cait Ni Shiochain

As small as as it is I love going home to the open fire and meeting in my local.

Ann McGivern

I remember opening our suitcases on returning, and having the smell of turf fires released into our home in London. Lovely.

Dermot O'Grady

Rocking in home after the manic travel home. The genuine excitement to have all the family and neighbours round the place, many also travelling home, and the catching up in the local.

Katie Evans

Irish Christmases mean running into relatives you only see at Christmas and the odd funeral. (Picture: iStock) Christmas brings the family together (Picture: iStock)

We couldn't believe how Father Christmas had our presents at granny's house...

Ann Marie Frain

Mam has the fire burning even if I land and arrive late into the evening. All my favourite foods in the fridge, and a baked ham (hang) ready for sandwiches  with loads of mustard and its either a cuppa tea or a Bulmers waiting for me  - depending on the time of day. But most of all the feeling of being home with my family.

Ciara Murphy

Home every Christmas look forward to open fire, mammy's home made brown bread and soup, proper fry up with white pudding. You can't beat it.

Ann Marie Nic Geartailt

Clean crisp fresh air, ramore beach and a tayto/cornbeef/luncheon blaa. In London for a few years and have just moved to Dubai. Still crave all those things...and of course my family.

Misslinds O'Reilly

All night hooley with booze in the kitchen and going to bed at 6am on Christmas morning...the best Christmas ever. Kettle always on the go.

Karen McDermott

Horse and pony jumping at my aunty/uncle's in Wexford for a few days with my never ending list of cousins. Fond memories of Club Orange, Tayto crisps and then on to creamy Guinness.

David Lovett

tayto sandwich Tayto - a joy to come home to

Waking up in my childhood bedroom and looking out at the sea. Coming downstairs to the smell of coffee and Christmas tree. Meeting old friends in the pub. Walking home from the pub in the snow.

Labhaoise Ni Bhreislean

Dublin Airport on Christmas Eve was like no other airport in the world. Crowds of people waiting for their loved ones and the amazing Christmas lights outside with Failte Abhaile spelt out. My mum or dad would always have a fry up ready with Superquinn sausages.

Catherine O'Toole

Carol signers in Dublin Airport. They always make me cry!

Orlagh McDonagh

An Irish Christmas for me is family and all the shouting, laughing, singing, food, good tablecloths, candles in all the windows, Midnight Mass I could go on and on. I have not been home on a Christmas Day for 30 years but I still miss my mother's kitchen and the gatherings of family and friends and the smell of that turkey.

Anna Marie Sherlock