Dún Laoghaire lights up for Christmas

DUN Laoghaire’s first-ever Christmas Festival got
underway last week when the Christmas lights in the town were officially
switched on.

The festival is being organised in conjunction with
the Dún Laoghaire Town BRAND Project, Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company, ALA
Events, Dún Laoghaire Business Association and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County
Council.

The first event of the festival takes place on
Wednesday (November 30) with a special senior citizens day. Older residents in
the area have been invited to an Ecumenical service at St Michael’s Church at
12.30pm, which will be followed by a reception and choral service in County
Hall hosted by An Cathaoirleach, Cllr John Bailey.

Attendees will be given free goodie bags at the
reception, as well as a free ride on the Santa train and a guided tour of the
soon-to-be-reopened Maritime Museum. Local traders will also be running special
offers on the day.

This Saturday (December 3) a full-sized, covered
ice-skating rink plus a kiddies rink will open, and Christmas trees will go on
sale along the Metals.

On Friday (December 9), Dún Laoghaire’s first
continental-style Christmas Market opens along the newly refurbished Metals and
Marine Road.

The market, which runs until December 23, will feature
hand-crafted traditional gifts and decorations, as well as a wide-range of
artisan treats to tempt foodies.

A Winter Wonderland with vintage rides also opens on
December 9 and will continue into the new year, finishing on January 8. A live
crib outside St Michael’s Church will be open from December 10, and a festive
Santa train will run every 20 minutes around the town centre. On Saturday,
December 10 at 6.15pm Dún Laoghaire’s Harbour Plaza will light up with a
spectacular fireworks display supported by Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company, and
the arrival of a very special guest, straight from the North Pole, for a flying
visit to the town – by Harley Davidson!

There are four different free or discounted parking
promotions on offer in Dún Laoghaire throughout December to make a visit more
affordable, including 100 free spaces in the Harbour on Saturdays and Sunday.

The council is also offering a

‘two hours for the
price of one’ promotion valid in Dún Laoghaire’s on-street, e2 per hour zones
from December 15.

Full details of all the parking promotions in Dún
Laoghaire, plus opening times of attractions and prices (for the ice rinks and
for the Santa Train) are available on www.dunlaoghaire.ie.