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Things in Galway on Christmas eve?

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  • 22-12-2012 7:50pm
    #1
    allway
    Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭


    Hello,

    Im new to galway, hence, Im spending this christmas on my own in galway. Does anybody have an idea if there are any parties or gathering where i can meet people with same situation? it might help making friends.

    any ideas are much appreciated.


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    #2
    empacher
    Registered Users Posts: 1,864 ✭✭✭empacher


    allway wrote: »
    Hello,

    Im new to galway, hence, Im spending this christmas on my own in galway. Does anybody have an idea if there are any parties or gathering where i can meet people with same situation? it might help making friends.

    any ideas are much appreciated.

    Pubs are open till 12, for me it'll be a rake of dominos pizza, beer, **** movies, with a few of the lads as were working Stephens day


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    #3
    allway
    Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭allway


    do pubs open on Moday?! do you have a recommendation to any of the pubs where you can talk to people? or at least same pathatic type :)


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    #4
    Mrs OBumble
    Registered Users Posts: 25,966 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    empacher wrote: »
    Pubs are open till 12, for me it'll be a rake of dominos pizza, beer, **** movies, with a few of the lads as were working Stephens day

    Ahh, pubs are licensed 'til 12, but lots will close their doors around 8ish on Christmas Eve. My advice would be to choose a good one and get inside well before then.

    OP, it's a friendly place but there won't be many looking to meet new friends that night. The vast majority of people here will have come/gone home for Christmas - people will be in the pubs with their old friends and neighbours. They will actually think that it's strange that you haven't gone "home" (wherever that might be) too.

    Give us some clues about your age and taste in music, and we can suggest pubs.


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    #5
    _Whimsical_
    Registered Users Posts: 7,953 ✭✭✭_Whimsical_


    Maybe there's some charity you could volunteer with for the day? Perhaps meals on wheels or a place providing Christmas dinner to the needy and you could peel potatoes or something (I'm not sure if they'd let you out to the public when they dont know you). You could ring around and find out or someone might know here. I'd say you'd meet quite a few people in a similar situation to yourself as a volunteer somewhere.

    There's usually a charity sponsored swim christmas morning down at the prom. I've heard there's always a friendly festive atmosphere there. You might get chatting to someone who is collecting money or cheering on a friend etc. It would be out of the house for a few hours among people anyways.

    Also a strange one but I hear lots of masses now offer people a room at the back after the servive to go and have a coffee and mingle. If youre at all religious you might plan to go Christmas day anyways. You might find other people at a lose end also doing that. I know the Augustinian does it as I was at a memorial there a few months ago and they actively encouraged mass goers and visitors to come in.


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    #6
    inisboffin
    Registered Users Posts: 4,390 ✭✭✭inisboffin


    The Crane has a session at 6ish. It's a lot of regulars but also a lot of 'orphans' :) A lot of foreign students go there for music and don't always travel home.
    Arus na Gael might have a nice random crowd too but not sure it's open.


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    #7
    bluecode
    Closed Accounts Posts: 794 ✭✭✭bluecode


    Pubs seem to close really early in Galway on Christmas Eve. In Dublin it goes on to the normal hours. Can't understand why they close so early in Galway.

    Don't know it there's anything happening on Christmas day.


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    #8
    allway
    Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭allway


    _Whimsical_ wrote: »
    Maybe there's some charity you could volunteer with for the day? Perhaps meals on wheels or a place providing Christmas dinner to the needy and you could peel potatoes or something (I'm not sure if they'd let you out to the public when they dont know you). You could ring around and find out or someone might know here. I'd say you'd meet quite a few people in a similar situation to yourself as a volunteer somewhere.

    There's usually a charity sponsored swim christmas morning down at the prom. I've heard there's always a friendly festive atmosphere there. You might get chatting to someone who is collecting money or cheering on a friend etc. It would be out of the house for a few hours among people anyways.

    Also a strange one but I hear lots of masses now offer people a room at the back after the servive to go and have a coffee and mingle. If youre at all religious you might plan to go Christmas day anyways. You might find other people at a lose end also doing that. I know the Augustinian does it as I was at a memorial there a few months ago and they actively encouraged mass goers and visitors to come in.

    Thanks Whimsical! Im not from Ireland, I require garda vetting for volunteering, and it takes up to 3 months to get the clearance certificate :) Im in ireland 1 month now


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    #9
    allway
    Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭allway


    Mrs OBumble wrote: »
    Ahh, pubs are licensed 'til 12, but lots will close their doors around 8ish on Christmas Eve. My advice would be to choose a good one and get inside well before then.

    OP, it's a friendly place but there won't be many looking to meet new friends that night. The vast majority of people here will have come/gone home for Christmas - people will be in the pubs with their old friends and neighbours. They will actually think that it's strange that you haven't gone "home" (wherever that might be) too.

    Give us some clues about your age and taste in music, and we can suggest pubs.

    26, no specific music; all welcome!


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    #10
    beardybrewer
    Registered Users Posts: 2,924 ✭✭✭beardybrewer


    allway wrote: »
    26, no specific music; all welcome!

    Go to The Crane. You won't regret it.


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    #11
    RubyGirl
    Registered Users Posts: 1,275 ✭✭✭RubyGirl


    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151255603895889&set=a.389270365888.157537.169411475888&type=1&theater

    Only thing is it's in Gort.


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    #12
    Mrs OBumble
    Registered Users Posts: 25,966 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    _Whimsical_ wrote: »
    Also a strange one but I hear lots of masses now offer people a room at the back after the servive to go and have a coffee and mingle. If youre at all religious you might plan to go Christmas day anyways. You might find other people at a lose end also doing that. I know the Augustinian does it as I was at a memorial there a few months ago and they actively encouraged mass goers and visitors to come in.

    It's not that strange a suggestion ... however it probably won't work in most places: very few Irish churches are build with basic hospitality in mind (eg kitchen capable of serving refreshments to a crowd). AFAIK, the only city churches where you'll find what Whimsical_ describes are the Augustinian, Doughiska, maybe Barna ... and maybe St Nicholas CoI too (I know they have a kitchen by the door, don't know if they use it after services).

    Apart from that, my experience is that visitors aren't actively welcomed by most Catholic churches in Ireland. Some of the evangelical ones are more welcoming, but often they don't actually meet on Christmas day unless it happens to fall on a Sunday.



    OP ... if I was you, I'd head to the Crane, and maybe the Prom on Christmas Day.


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