Christmas Market

ben.schlomo

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

Do people have to be so cynical.
I believe it as to me many of these stalls have no spirit of xmas only a spirit of overcharging.
It says a lot really when most of the stalls would not give a poor 5 year old something for his sisters birthday.

Thats how you run a business alright, many businesses in town give away free stuff? Being a miser im sure youd know?

_Whimsical_

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

Do people have to be so cynical.
I believe it as to me many of these stalls have no spirit of xmas only a spirit of overcharging.
It says a lot really when most of the stalls would not give a poor 5 year old something for his sisters birthday.

In fairness I think the story here is that someone did something very nice for a kid but really it would be madness to expect that kind of treatment and unfair to think badly of anyone who didn't offer the kid something. Everyone has to make a living at the end of the day.

Patrickheg wrote: »

I find it hard to believe that story. Would a mother really get a 5 year old child's hopes up and send them into a collection of shops with 22c and stand behind them several times as they try to buy something only to rejected each time at each stalls? Sounds cruel to me

Yup I have to say it reflects pretty weirdly on the parent. Even that they didn't insist on paying was strange,I certainly would,and I'd be even more eager than usual to do it if someone was very kind. It might not be true but at the same time I wouldn't presume the story was a plant because that unfairly prejudice people against the stall owner when he might be very nice.

Sorry I posted it now.

beardybrewer

This thread just can't stay on track.

You're ruining Christmas!

JohnCleary

I still can't understand the mentality of some people here.

OK, it's a Christmas Market, right? We all understand that much? The problem starts then, though... because people see the word 'Christmas' in the title, some seem to think that it's some sort of free-for-all, lets-give-everything-away-for-free, we're-only-here-to-spread-the-joys-of-christmas event.

This is business, simple as. You can call it anything you want but the people at these stalls are there to sell product for profit and make a living, just like any other business. Why can't people understand this?

As I said before, it's not like these stall-owners are sitting on a high chair, laughing down at the peasants throwing their money at them. These folks are standing up for up to 12 hours a day in the freezing cold, just to make a living. If they were down the Dole office you'd be giving out too.

If you can't afford / don't like the prices at the market, DON'T BUY ANYTHING, VOTE WITH YOUR FEET. You can still walk through and get a nice buzz of the place and possibly entertain yourself... FOR FREE!

This is akin to bitching about the prices of items in Brown Thomas, except in that instance you'd simply vote with your feet and not enter the premesis. But with the market it's all b1tch b1tch b1tch... I don't get it


PS. Just incase anyone tries to stick their heels in; I have no affiliation to the market except that I visit it on the weekends, get locked on the mulled wine and then slobber a hot dog and wedges down my gob

WallyGUFC

You get locked off mulled wine? :P

JohnCleary

WallyGUFC wrote: »

You get locked off mulled wine? :P

AH answer: "I'm a ladyyyyy"

Serious answer: They lob a generous amount of rum into the things, 4 or 5 of them and you're feeling it

amiable

It may be a case of vote with your feet but people also are entitled to highlight if they feel like things are expensive

mikom

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

There's a nice little story on Galway Business Association fb tonight from the Galway Market. The Christmas spirit alive and well here although I thought it was unfair to highlight businesses that didn't hand over stuff for free,after all the child could've been given a fiver. Still it was nice of the man who did help the kid out!




The Market is featured on Nationwide on RTE tonight too.

Tis the season for social media marketing..... Fa la la la la, la la la la.

http://news.sky.com/story/1178028/john-lewis-finds-five-year-old-bauble-breaker

Business's would never use sentiment to promote themselves....... Nah.

seosamh1980

So, last week I was at the market and wanted the pork roll thing from the Adare place, there was a sign saying "due to technical difficulties we have no pork". That sucked, so off I went to another stall. Today I went there to get it again, I was starving, it was early lunchtime. Got there to find that stand closed, with not so much as a sign up saying their opening hours or why they weren't open (on a Friday lunchtime in the first week of December at a Christmas Market why would you be closed??). I was pretty disappointed, I was really looking forward to it! I went and got something else again, if there had at least been a sign indicating that they would be opening at some stage I might've waited but I was too hungry to wait indefinitely.

I passed by in the car as I was leaving the city at 2pm and it was open :rolleyes: Where's the sense in that? What is their guideline for opening hours like, if they're missing lunchtime? And would it kill them to even put a sign up saying why they're closed if it's unusual?

Chimney cake however is still delicious, and the guys at that stand are very friendly and chatty.

Zapperzy

Hat heaven if your into hats! Got myself a lovely purple wooly one with earflaps from the lovely guy at the entrance bus station side. Got some for gifts too. Very reasonably priced at €8.

There's another stall just down with hats, gloves, christmas jumpers and key rings, some lovely character hats (minion hat caught my eye!), got myself a monkey keyring that looks like it's made out of a yarn ball.

The pastries in the french bakery are to die for, tasted the cookies and chocolate tarts, have some macaroons to taste yet!

Overall quite enjoyed it, nice atmosphere, well worth a visit

SlipperyPeople

Where are these churros guys? Had a look around earlier and couldn't find them

Seaneh

hungoverbunny wrote: »

Where are these churros guys? Had a look around earlier and couldn't find them

woah, woah, woah, woah... hold on now a second.

Churros?

IM ON MY WAY!

seosamh1980

Seaneh wrote: »

woah, woah, woah, woah... hold on now a second.

Churros?

IM ON MY WAY!

I looked for these as well as the macarons that were mentioned to be at the market, found neither. People are telling porky pies methinks.

FouxDaFaFa

I didn't notice any churros and I would have remembered them because they are the food of the devil.

There are definitely macaroons though. In a big tent with other baked stuff, beside the tent with the turkish delight and baklava.

seosamh1980

FouxDaFaFa wrote: »

I didn't notice any churros and I would have remembered them because they are the food of the devil.

There are definitely macaroons though. In a big tent with other baked stuff, beside the tent with the turkish delight and baklava.

Nope, you missed my question to you back further. Macarons, not macaroons. They were mentioned twice earlier in the thread, as being back at the corner they were at last year, but they're not.

El_Dangeroso

seosamh1980 wrote: »

Macarons, not macaroons. They were mentioned twice earlier in the thread, as being back at the corner they were at last year, but they're not.

No there are macaroons. These things:



Though macarons, these things:



are often called macaroons too confusingly.

seosamh1980

Yes, I know the difference. I know there's macaroons! I ate some! Somebody mentioned about the macarons stand being there, at the north east side of the square on the corner, where it was last year, but it's not. The french bakery is there with the macaroons, the other guy that had the macarons isn't. Had gotten my hopes up, as well as the talk of churros!

seosamh1980

Mahogany Gaspipe wrote: »

]Is that macroon stall there this year? The smallish one that was on a corner beside the steps on the north east side perhaps. They were pretty tasty.

FouxDaFaFa wrote: »

I'm actually eating one right now. Raspberry for the win!

See? That's why I was asking. Mahogany asked was that stand there again, Foux said yes, raspberry is a legit flavour for macarons, so I asked was it a macaroon or macaron and got no reply. Only to go through the same thing again now!

El_Dangeroso

seosamh1980 wrote: »

Yes, I know the difference. I know there's macaroons! I ate some! Somebody mentioned about the macarons stand being there, at the north east side of the square on the corner, where it was last year, but it's not. The french bakery is there with the macaroons, the other guy that had the macarons isn't. Had gotten my hopes up, as well as the talk of churros!

Ok gotcha, confusion abounds!

FouxDaFaFa

seosamh1980 wrote: »

See? That's why I was asking. Mahogany asked was that stand there again, Foux said yes, raspberry is a legit flavour for macarons, so I asked was it a macaroon or macaron and got no reply. Only to go through the same thing again now!

Sorry to get your hopes up. I didn't see macarons.

cowlove

cowlove wrote: »

Anyone know what time the beer tent closes on the last day (22nd)?

I seem to remember it closing early previous years.

We are heading out for our staff party that night and thinking of heading there to start.

Just a heads up for anyone else who might be thinking of going to the beer tent on the 22nd. It will not be open. I contacted the Christmas market and they said it would not be open for licensing reasons.

beardybrewer

Finally had a chance to head to the market yesterday with the family. We got there around half 10 while it was lovely and quiet. Many of the food stalls weren't opened yet but everything else was open.

We waltzed right in to see Santa but there is a new crowd running it this year. I'm surprised with all the posts no one has mentioned or reviewed the Santa, as that's a big part of the market for us. The Santa himself was good with the kids and looked the part. We were disappointed that no photo was included. Also the setup they had made it hard to get a family picture with Santa. They had no problem with us using our own camera but as we were unprepared I just had my phone and being a dark room it didn't come out too great. That said, the toys they got were actually pretty good compared to previous year's pound shop muck (I explained these were rejects from Santa's factory once they immediately broke). There is no discount doing Santa + train package; it's €5pp so we didn't bother. However the swing and carousel were good fun and reasonably priced.

We also got 6 corn dogs and yer man threw one in for free so everyone was fed and happy. Next time we'll ditch the kids and check out the beer tent.

donfers

newkie wrote: »

Next time we'll ditch the kids and check out the beer tent.

tried that myself and social services were onto me

K.C

Will be in Galway 21st and 22nd. Looking forward to seeing the market again, was great a couple of years ago. I saw a previous post saying the beer tent will be closed on the 22nd.I wonder will other stalls etc be the same?

beardybrewer

Their website has a contact page: http://galwaychristmasmarket.ie/contact/

If you're worried check it out on the 21st.

chickendinner

This is how people in this thread walk around the market

Wompa1

chickendinner wrote: »

This is how people in this thread walk around the market

isn't that how most people in Galway walk around the city in general? take a look the next time you walk down shop street

C.K Dexter Haven

Even worse pile of crap then last year- it really could be something special but there's nothing here of any great significance- the Irish fudge is nice but a lot of nick nacks and food stalls don't make for a good market

ben.schlomo

C.K Dexter Haven wrote: »

Even worse pile of crap then last year- it really could be something special but there's nothing here of any great significance- the Irish fudge is nice but a lot of nick nacks and food stalls don't make for a good market

Been to any abroad? Or any good ones?

amiable

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Been to any abroad? Or any good ones?

I've been to plenty. I was in one in Lamballe in France a few weeks ago. No comparison in my opinion.