What is the Main Christmas Market in Dublin?

kingtut

MrMorooka wrote: »

What exactly are the expectations for a Christmas market? What kind of stuff should it sell, like what are you seeing in Prague that is what you want?

For me I don't expect the Irish markets to be like the Prague ones but what I do expect from an irish market here are plenty of stalls, nice little log cabins, good variety of food/drink stalls (not just a burger place every 5/6 stalls apart!). Some music either live or on a CD blaring out of speakers....

In general something that will create a bit of atmosphere and make you want to come over with a "oooo what's happening over there, let's take a look attitude".

listermint

If you are looking for a better all round 'christmas fair' I suggest going to the Craft Fair

http://www.nationalcraftsfair.ie/

its on in the RDS was there 2 years back and got some nice handmade stuff. Its didnt come across like the money grabs that ive seen in the city centre with generic frankfurther and burger guy etc.

Id recommend it.

Dodge

Don't see how you can say an event that costs €10 is less of a money grab than a free event

I'd guess the vast majority of people who visited the I Believe thing spent absolutely nothing on it

kingtut

Dodge wrote: »

Don't see how you can say an event that costs €10 is less of a money grab than a free event

With the admin fee it's €11.20 per ticket!! :eek::eek::eek:

listermint

Dodge wrote: »

Don't see how you can say an event that costs €10 is less of a money grab than a free event

I'd guess the vast majority of people who visited the I Believe thing spent absolutely nothing on it

Because ive been to both, and ive judged the quality of them. (i have no affliation with any of them)

But the sheds nonsense with free entry , crap mulled wine , frankfurthers for 6-7 Euro and crap burgers is not my idea of a market.


Organisers need to up their game.


and as for the RDS there is always free tickets etc on facebook and what not.

Dodge

I wasn't suggesting it was a great experience. I'm arguing it isn't a money grab as there's clearly no obligation to spend money (and as far as I could see most people didn't)

CelticRambler

I've gone around Dublin at Christmas a few times over the last few years. Haven't yet found any "Christmas Market" to match any of the advertising! :pac: Same as the many posters above - it takes a lot more than a loose collection of stalls with bits of pine tree and a plastic banner saying "Christmas Market" to make a Christmas market worth visiting. You get more atmosphere in Brown Thomas (and the prices are probably cheaper!

Waterford/Winterval gets good press, and it's well ahead of Dublin, but it's still a pale imitation of the real continental Advent markets.

Lovely Bloke

I enjoyed Winterval last year actually, although it wasn't a patch on the continental offerings.

Thargor

Why does it have to be this licensed crap with all the same vendors from every other festival though? They should mark out an area of the Phoenix Park or Stephens Green, mark out 50-60 plots and let people make submissions to be judged on merit, charity outlets and local craftsmen etc get given their stall free, retailers can pay a fee. If it became a tradition it would pay for itself easily.

Lux23

The Christmas Flea market will be on in the John Player factory on the South Circular Road from 11-13th December. This is just a skip and a jump from me so I am looking forward to it.

CelticRambler

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

I enjoyed Winterval last year actually, although it wasn't a patch on the continental offerings.

Winterval works because they can take over the whole Viking Triangle and make the best use of the "natural" atmosphere of the buildings/squares/river frontage. That's what the continentals do, and that's what's missing from Dublin.

In Vienna, they take over the whole of the equivalent of St. Stephen's Green, but with the backdrop of their history town hall; in Antwerp the market covers most of the city centre (at least three of the city's plazas) with, again, a backdrop of amazing buildings. It's the same all across northern Europe.

In Dublin, ye keep building soul-less shopping centres and doing away with the historic "performance" spaces that are needed for this kind of thing. Smithfield would be a great location, if it didn't have to double up as a waiting-room for the courts ...

the groutch

Iveagh Gardens would have worked well, have it a bit like the Taste of Summer thing, just a bit less D4 loike.

Cienciano

I'm in Brussels at the moment. Difference with the Dublin one is unreal, I'd be embarrassed to bring someone to the Dublin one

ProudDUB

CelticRambler wrote: »

In Dublin, ye keep building soul-less shopping centres and doing away with the historic "performance" spaces that are needed for this kind of thing. Smithfield would be a great location, if it didn't have to double up as a waiting-room for the courts ...

Dublin has plenty of spots that would do for this. There are plenty of places that have not been "done away with" and never will be....Merrion Square, St Stephens Green, & Iveagh Gardens for example.

Smithfield and the IFSC and the rest of these manufactured, modern locales are inferior sites, as they have zero natural atmosphere of their own. They are also not places where people are normally inclined to congregate anyway. You need that buzz factor, for a good market to thrive imo. All it takes is for someone with a bit of vision & the ability to get all the various stakeholders to pull together in the same direction.

I'm not holding my breath. :rolleyes:

CelticRambler

Stephen's Green maybe, but the problem with those suggestions is you turn it from an "organic" atmosphere into something that is (and has to be) totally stage-managed, probably with an entry charge, and then people have to make an effort to go there instead of weaving through it while they do their ordinary shopping. You might as well just go to the RDS.

Like I said, that's why Winterval works in Waterford: if you want to go to somewhere like Dunnes you've no choice but to pass through the market. In the end, what really "makes" the atmosphere is people (preferably having a good time!). Full disclosure: I speak as a Dublin native with no genetic or familial connections to Waterford! :pac:

mobby

Always thought the yards in Dublin Castle would have made a good location for a Christmas market.

L1011

Was at the Tivoli Gardens one in Copenhagen over the weekend. More variety of stuff and near every stand sold booze but it made Dublin look very cheap!

Lovely Bloke

Booze is expensive in Scandinavia!

jimmii

Flea Market has lost the JP Factory pretty harsh having it pulled so late on.

They are looking for suggestions in the city centre for a 2000sqm spot if anyone has any ideas?

Thargor

jimmii wrote: »

Flea Market has lost the JP Factory pretty harsh having it pulled so late on.

They are looking for suggestions in the city centre for a 2000sqm spot if anyone has any ideas?

Any explanation why?

jimmii

Thargor wrote: »

Any explanation why?

Just that permission was withdrawn.

They are trying to get in touch with Natrium to get Clerys. That seems a bit optimistic.

Cienciano

Here's a part of Brussels market, taken from the big ferris wheel. Market also covered another smaller square, a load of streets and a few big junctions.

jimmii

Yeh but I bet you can't buy a mickey kors bag for a tenner and the one millions for less than half price.

L1011

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

Booze is expensive in Scandinavia!

In pubs / cafes / markets yet

Offo prices are surprisngly cheap in Denmark!

quaalude

jimmii wrote: »

Flea Market has lost the JP Factory pretty harsh having it pulled so late on.

They are looking for suggestions in the city centre for a 2000sqm spot if anyone has any ideas?

Does anyone know anything about this, is it still off? I was looking forward to it.

The Smithfield one that was on at the weekend was really nice, loads of vintage and handmade things, plenty to look at.

jimmii

quaalude wrote: »

Does anyone know anything about this, is it still off? I was looking forward to it.

The Smithfield one that was on at the weekend was really nice, loads of vintage and handmade things, plenty to look at.

Its at the Point Village now. You can find there Facebook page here.

worded

I've given up on Dublin

Two places that are well worth a look - classy
http://www.killruddery.com/killruddery-christmas-farm-markets/

Dunlaoghaire Xmas market
Wooden sheds near the dart station
http://www.dunlaoghaire.ie/christmas-festival/

quaalude

jimmii wrote: »

Its at the Point Village now. You can find there Facebook page here.

Oh great, thanks jimmii!
I was looking forward to seeing the John Player factory, but I'm really glad they found a place.

jimmii

quaalude wrote: »

Oh great, thanks jimmii!
I was looking forward to seeing the John Player factory, but I'm really glad they found a place.

Yeh its good they were able to find somewhere decent at such short notice. Seems very harsh for someone to pull the plug at such short notice where's the Christmas spirit!

ProudDUB

worded wrote: »

I've given up on Dublin

Two places that are well worth a look - classy
http://www.killruddery.com/killruddery-christmas-farm-markets/

Dunlaoghaire Xmas market
Wooden sheds near the dart station
http://www.dunlaoghaire.ie/christmas-festival/

The Killruddery one is well worth a visit. They don't have a ton of gift stalls. The gift end of things is set up in the Orangery, which is quite small. It's just tables, with some knitted goods, jewelry, old photo prints etc etc laid out. It's good quality stuff, no tat, but there isn't a massive amount of it due to the space restrictions.

The best part of it is out in the stables/barn, where they have a farmers market every weekend, not just in the run up to Xmas. There is a brilliant selection of food items on sale. It's well worth a visit, as you can go for a wander in the fabulous grounds afterwards. The only down side, is that in the run up to Xmas, parking on site is restricted to stall holders. So visitors have to park at the old Dell Factory down the road. There is a shuttle bus to take you to/from the big house. It's pretty well run system, but its a pretty miserable experience if its raining, which is was when I was there a couple of years ago.