The 6 Best Irish Christmas Markets To Get You In The Festive Spirit

Fancy a day trip, anyone?

I want the winter wonderland scenario, but without the hassle of trying to squish all your bits and pieces into the smallest hand luggage bag. No thank you. So, here are the six best Christmas markets in Ireland to put you in that cosy, festive mood.

Galway Christmas Markets

The Galway Christmas Markets is one of the earliest to kick off, from Friday 15th November until Sunday 22nd December. There’s almost too much to fit into one day, from the 32 metre high big wheel and traditional Carousel along with the Après Ski Bar, live music performers, storytelling, the list is endless.

Waterford Winterval

Lighting up for a whole month from November 23d to December 23rd, Winterval in Waterford is like something out of a movie. The winter wonderland has it all, like the outdoor and craft market, the carousel and the big wheel, the ice rink and double decker horse-drawn sleigh, as well as plenty more.

Dublin Christmas Market

There’s plenty of pop up markets in Dublin that get super festive around Christmas time, but Dublin Castle will be alight with Christmas cheer this year. From Thursday December 12th until Sunday December 22th, the historic grounds are set to be transformed into a winter wonderland. The open air market will have over 30 traditional stalls, packed with hand-made crafts, gorgeous gift ideas, and of course, delish food and drinks.

Belfast Christmas Market 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Christmas is all about the food (well for me, anyway). Giant bratwursts, Belgian chocolates, exotic burgers, local goodies and plenty more. Belfast Christmas Markets is the perfect spot for foodies. Basically, the taste of Christmas, from November 16th.

Glow in Cork 

Glow, Cork’s Christmas celebration, will be taking place each weekend from November 29th right up to December 22nd. There’ll be gorgeous Christmas-esque installations in Bishop Lucey Park, a giant ferris wheel and stalls and plenty of entertainment on the Grand Parade.

Photo by: Donncha O Caoimh

Wicklow Christmas Market

The Abbey Grounds in Wicklow are decorated magically for the Christmas markets. Jam-packed with festive craft stalls, artisan foods, festive decorations and much more, they’ve something to put everyone in the Christmas spirit. They’re kicking things off this weekend, and open November 23rd,  24th, 30th, and December  1st, 7th, 8th, 14th & 15th.

Now, the only thing left to do is try fit ’em all in before the man in the red suit arrives.

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