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“Christmas comes but once a year”, they say, to which I always reply, “But Christmas Eve comes first!” Not just because of the fact it comes a day earlier, but because it happens to be my favourite day of the year. As some friends and colleagues sleep off the night before and relish their lie-ins (which won’t feel as sweet given that Christmas Eve falls on a Saturday this year), I’m up and out the door, observing my own personal tradition of taking a long walk out into the middle of Dublin Bay or, in other words, along The South Wall. The view from the lighthouse at the end of the pier is stunning at any time of the year, but it’s something special on this pa

Part of the city’s social fabric The Abbey Theatre has long been part of our city’s story. Nestled in the bustle right at the heart of Dublin 1. You’ll find it amidst the comings and goings from Busáras and Connolly station, the Luas clangs past its door and the River Liffey’s squawking seagulls are within earshot too. President Michael D. Higgins regularly attends opening nights, a straight run for him down the quays from his residence at Áras an Uachtaráin in the Phoenix Park. The last time I wandered down that direction, there was a

George’s Street Arcade is Ireland’s first purpose-built shopping centre, and one of Europe’s oldest, having been built in 1881. We popped in to talk to a few of the stallholders. Milo Póil, Man of Aran Fudge I’m here in the Arcade just over two years, my third Christmas! I am the son of The Man of Aran Fudge! It’s my dad who makes all this stuff, he’s being doing it for 20 years now. It’s actually a family recipe. It’s my Grandmother’s recipe, well, the tiger butter flavour anyway. That recipe was made 90+ years ago with only a few changes! This is one of the only permanent stalls of ours. We’ve another on Ínis Óirr, which is

In a picture painted in 1916, Joanne Drum points out a dead body on O’Connell Bridge. In another picture, she spots a group of onlookers gathered high up on the parapet of a building. And in another she notices what’s written on the destination plate of a tram (Terenure) on College Green in 1901. Joanne is Education Officer at the National Gallery on Merrion Square. Joanne Drum: If you look at a picture with somebody standing beside you saying “have you noticed that tiny detail up in the corner?’, sometimes that can really bring it to life and make the whole experience more meaningful. More rich. Dublin.ie: This is the National Gallery of Ireland. But plenty of your pictures have Dublin as their subject, don’t they? Joanne Drum: Look at the work of Jack B Yeats – not only was he working in Dublin but he was painting and drawing and sketching what he saw around him all the time so he was kind of documenting the history of this city. And he was there at such an important time in history. This is a man who not only lived through two world wars but also all the conflict and change that was happening in Ireland at the time as well.

You walk up the side stairs of The International Bar. On Wicklow Street. You stroll into a dark room, pay a tenner and, instantly, you hear laughter. You’ve just made the smart move to go to see Dublin Comedy Improv. Weekly improv at The International Bar Dublin Comedy Improv is just one of the giggle-inducing acts that The International Bar Comedy Club hosts every night of the week. However, the comedy club has only been going since 1998, Dublin Comedy Improv – or DCI, for sho

“I mean if you could bottle it...”. Derek McEndoo is talking about the sound of his favourite church bells. Dublin.ie caught up with him to discuss all things bell ringing and, in particular, we wanted to find out about the bells at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the National Cathedral of Ireland. He just happens to be the Ringing Master at St. Pat’s. Yes, Ringing Master. We’re talking to the right man and he’s been ringing for over fifty years. Derek is very quick to point out that he was a young starter.

Fairview has been a part of suburban Dublin since the 1800s. In the beginning it was a refuge for well-off people seeking solace from the bustling city. The area originally bore the same name as neighbouring Ballybough. But in 1856 a church was dedicated to Our Lady of Fair View, giving the surrounding area the name used today. Walk through Fairview and you’ll feel its unique vibe. It’s like a cross between the Liberties and Clontarf. Trendy bars and eateries sit comfortably alongside hardware stores and charity shops that have been here for years. Families who have been in the area for generations live happily alongside a metropolitan mix of young professionals.

When Justin Timberlake’s parents were there, where was Justin? This is a legitimate question when you look up at the Leo Burdock's Hall Of Fame. Justin’s parents are listed on the wall, while he himself is notably absent. The chipper is renowned for pulling in big names and listing them proudly on its wall. Spandau Ballet, Ray Charles, Ben Kinsley, even Edith Piaf. A possible supergroup? Bruce Springsteen was there just a few months ago. And he’s been before – the Boss is known for his love of fish and chips. They pull in other names too. Local ones, maybe less well known, who come time and time again.

Just outside the city, there’s something extreme going on. Tyres hit gravel and muck at speed. Hearts thump in chests. And adrenaline pumps through veins. To find out more, we spoke to Niall Davis. Introducing Biking.ie Biking.ie offers mountain bike rental, lessons, tours, youth camps and bike maintenance workshops to beginners and experienced bikers. With two locations – one in the Dublin Mountains at Ticknock and one in the Wicklow Mountains at Ballinastoe – Biking.ie is the perfect base for beginners and expert mountain bikers alike. Its hubs can be used as an information point or a meeting place for people starting their spins. They do tea, coffee

Colouring the county one traffic box at a time A series of colourful traffic control boxes has added art to the streets of Dublin city as part of the Dublin Canvas project. It’s probably the first time most of us have even noticed these boxes. Their old dull appearance was nothing to admire. Now works of art, they showcase the artistic talents of people across Dublin. Dublin Canvas is the community street art project behind these pieces. Its main goal is to make the city more beautiful and it has definitely achieved this. David Murtagh, the project’s co-ordinator, gave us some background on the project. From trial run to runaway success Dublin Canva

Glasnevin cemetery is the dead centre of Dublin, with 1.5 million people buried there. In fact, there are more people below ground in Glasnevin than above ground in all of Dublin. This is no ordinary cemetery, with a list of historical figures buried here including Michael Collins, Eamon de Valera, Charles Stewart Parnell and Arthur Griffith. Conor Dodd, Historian at Glasnevin, and Luke Portess, Head of Digital, tell us some of the lesser known, more unusual stories about Glasnevin. Dublin.ie: The cemetery is a working cemetery, with funerals and burials on a daily basis, but there