Why doesnt Dublin have a proper christmas market?

wakka12

Like a large scale central one, not that depressing one out in the ifsc. I know theres a few little pop up events around the city too like the RDS one but
for such a popular city to visit and one that really takes christmas seriously it seems like a big gap in the market. Birmingham and manchester and belfast all have really nice markets, galway too, as do the majority of mainland nothern european cities. Why not Dublin? That one that set up at stephens green a few years back was really nice, something along those lines

Id love if there was a really atmospheric and lively market to pop into in the city over the course of december to get me in the christmas mood

VG31

wakka12 wrote: »

That one that set up at stephens green a few years back was really nice, something along those lines

That market was terrible. Loads of people crammed into a very narrow space and the stands all sold much the same things.

L1011

Because we don't have a suitable central open space for one. If College Green ever gets done we will

Seanieke

Because if we did it would be crazy expensive and no one would go.
Usually go to European Christmas markets, did Edinburgh this year. Nice setting but £5 for something you'd pay €1 in Budapest.

imme

Surely there's a company that does them pre packaged like the Irish pub fit outs.

These are a central European phenomenon. Why should Dublin have a pastiche market with no particular tradition associated with it.

'Oh look Dublin is the same as everywhere else!!'

mikemac2

wakka12 wrote: »

That one that set up at stephens green a few years back was really nice, something along those lines

That was terrible. A long narrow space and people crammed in tight. If you tried to stand a little outside with your glass the security told you to get back in

Gone now and not missed

shopper2011

imme wrote:

'Oh look Dublin is the same as everywhere else!!'

+1 we dont need to copy another european city.
But our own pub culture is dying a slow death with nothing to replace it.

MightyMunster

It was down in docklands after that,where Octoberfest is on. was a bit small but better than nothing. Only lasted a year or two. Was mostly food if I remember

irishguy

Both Galway and Belfast have done very nice jobs of this and both attract significant amounts of tourists that would not otherwise have gone there at that time.
Dublin is really missing out on a significant amount of tourist revenue by not doing this. If they used the Iveagh gardens/ Trinity College/Merrion Square, a few smaller stalls dotted around the town and put significant investment into it i.e. large Ice skating Rink, big wheel, free live festive music,paid, outdoor/tented concerts, decent lights display, light up buildings more around the city and multiple stalls. They would definitely make a good ROI and make the city better for everyone who lives here.

The key is to make a large investment into it and continue it over a number of years to build up a reputation around Europe, doing it at a small scale won't really work, as we have seen with the previous attempts.

The biggest obstacles I see would be Dublin does get a good bit of rain during Dec, less cold crisp evenings for events like other locations and there could already be fairly high hotel occupation rates in Dec, until more are built.

lawred2

wakka12 wrote: »

Like a large scale central one, not that depressing one out in the ifsc. I know theres a few little pop up events around the city too like the RDS one but
for such a popular city to visit and one that really takes christmas seriously it seems like a big gap in the market. Birmingham and manchester and belfast all have really nice markets, galway too, as do the majority of mainland nothern european cities. Why not Dublin? That one that set up at stephens green a few years back was really nice, something along those lines

Id love if there was a really atmospheric and lively market to pop into in the city over the course of december to get me in the christmas mood

Lack of a suitable plaza

Something that DCC are trying to actually do down by Trinity but keeps getting blocked

monty_python

Henry street. 🀣

imme

irishguy wrote: »

Both Galway and Belfast have done very nice jobs of this and both attract significant amounts of tourists that would not otherwise have gone there at that time.
Dublin is really missing out on a significant amount of tourist revenue by not doing this. If they used the Iveagh gardens/ Trinity College/Merrion Square, a few smaller stalls dotted around the town and put significant investment into it i.e. large Ice skating Rink, big wheel, free live festive music,paid, outdoor/tented concerts, decent lights display, light up buildings more around the city and multiple stalls. They would definitely make a good ROI and make the city better for everyone who lives here.

The key is to make a large investment into it and continue it over a number of years to build up a reputation around Europe, doing it at a small scale won't really work, as we have seen with the previous attempts.

The biggest obstacles I see would be Dublin does get a good bit of rain during Dec, less cold crisp evenings for events like other locations and there could already be fairly high hotel occupation rates in Dec, until more are built.

Have you checked out hotel prices in Dublin.

'come to Dublin for an overpriced hotel and shop in an overpriced market'. It's selling it's self, failte Ireland needn't do any marketing at all. Problem solved.

Dublin already has the craft fair in the rds, called 'Gifted' this year.

You get a lot of quality made products and can generally meet the maker/ developer who is manning the stall.

Peter Flynt

There were Xmas markets in Dublin along St. Stephens Green and in the IFSC a few years back.

They looked the part but were not the best to say the least. The mulled wine (€5 naturally for a small volume) tasted like syrup and the Bratwurst (€7/8, of course) wasn't the best.

You couldn't run proper Xmas markets in Dublin anyway as there's too many scrotes who'd just come along and rob stuff.
Any markets we do run (like in Farmleigh) are just utterly terrible.

Just back from Berlin by the way and their superb Xmas markets

irishguy

imme wrote: »

Have you checked out hotel prices in Dublin.

'come to Dublin for an overpriced hotel and shop in an overpriced market'. It's selling it's self, failte Ireland needn't do any marketing at all. Problem solved.

Dublin already has the craft fair in the rds, called 'Gifted' this year.

You get a lot of quality made products and can generally meet the maker/ developer who is manning the stall.

Agreed Dublin isnt cheap to visit, but you would be surprised at prices this time of year.
Tonight (Last Saturday before christmas) on Hotels.com
Jurys Inn Dublin Christchurch - €145
The Clarence - €110
Maldron Hotel Kevin Street - €95

All decent hotels 4* in city centre. Which would be comparable to Vienna/Amsterdam prices, less than Copenhagen, Strasbourg, London, Zurich. Obviously, eastern Europe would be less expensive than all of these, but all similarly priced/More expensive cities are full of tourists. So I dont think the price would be a massive issue if it was done very well.

markpb

imme wrote: »

Have you checked out hotel prices in Dublin.

'come to Dublin for an overpriced hotel and shop in an overpriced market'. It's selling it's self, failte Ireland needn't do any marketing at all. Problem solved.

Despite the high prices, occupancy rates in Dublin are high so the prices aren't having any effect on demand. If people are coming here anyway, why not offer more?

Peter Flynt

markpb wrote: »

Despite the high prices, occupancy rates in Dublin are high so the prices aren't having any effect on demand. If people are coming here anyway, why not offer more?

Occupancy rates are high because there is a lack of hotel space in Dublin.
Also the reason why the hotels are ripping off their customers.

wakka12

imme wrote: »

Surely there's a company that does them pre packaged like the Irish pub fit outs.

These are a central European phenomenon. Why should Dublin have a pastiche market with no particular tradition associated with it.

'Oh look Dublin is the same as everywhere else!!'

There's room for originality within the concept , a market that is set up in Dublin doesn't have to be German style

Anyway lots of things are borrowed ideas from other cultures , most things you use every day are, there's nothing wrong with it

Carlingford Locked

L1011 wrote: »

Because we don't have a suitable central open space for one. If College Green ever gets done we will

That won't happen, most Dubliners/Irish people would rather have a dual carriageway going through College Green so they could drive to work or drive to do their shopping in town, than a public plaza.
As for copying Europe, the best Winter Market/festival for me is Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. It's absolutely enormous and you could spend days and days in the place. They copied Europe!
But yes this would have to be somewhere with busy footfall to make it worthwhile. I also think the price of permits, insurance, and generally cost of doing business in Ireland would make this unfeasible for most stalls. Plus I think it's an absolute mare trying to get permission to serve booze here, so it's not like you could just have stalls serving up beers and gluewein like you get in Germany.
The Oktoberfest in IFSC is an example of how much of an absolute rip off these things end up being in Ireland.
Actually the one in Edinburgh is really good, so if they can do it why can't we?

pummice

I enjoyed the 'flea' market at the Point Square a few weekends ago. Lots of good quality produce for sale at reasonable prices. Antiques, collectibles, crafts, clothes, art, and lots more. Very well organised. They are looking for a permanent home after being turfed out of D8.

road_high

We have no real tradition of Christmas markets- the closest we had is saucy aul wans on Henry and Moore sts selling fake stuff and knick knacks from China!

salmocab

I always thought moving it in to Stephens green itself would be nice, stalls along the grass so the paths could be fully free for punters, festoon lighting through the trees. Probably need to shut some of it down but a big enough section that stalls weren’t just lined up one after another.

irishguy

salmocab wrote: »

I always thought moving it in to Stephens green itself would be nice, stalls along the grass so the paths could be fully free for punters, festoon lighting through the trees. Probably need to shut some of it down but a big enough section that stalls weren’t just lined up one after another.

I was thinking that too as its the best location for one. The main issues I think would be the OPW wouldnt want to ruin the grass and also the health and safety issue with the narrow paths and low metal rails that protect the grass woulnt be conducive to large crowds. I assume thats why there is never any events held there.

Nermal

What exactly IS the point of a Christmas market other than gluhwein and bratwurst? Stalls full of cheap tat?

odyssey06

Nermal wrote: »

What exactly IS the point of a Christmas market other than gluhwein and bratwurst? Stalls full of cheap tat?

The tat in dublin markets aint even cheap...
But grabbing a bratwurst at stephens green was a nice experience.

Birdsong

pummice wrote:

I enjoyed the 'flea' market at the Point Square a few weekends ago. Lots of good quality produce for sale at reasonable prices. Antiques, collectibles, crafts, clothes, art, and lots more. Very well organised. They are looking for a permanent home after being turfed out of D8.

+ 1 enjoyed it myself, lots of variety and some interesting stalls

wakka12

Nermal wrote: »

What exactly IS the point of a Christmas market other than gluhwein and bratwurst? Stalls full of cheap tat?

Obviously itd be nice if there was some good quality things on sale and plenty of variety and reasonably prices but all of that is unlikely in ireland so unforunately yes but personally I just love the atmosphere of christmas markets and timber cabin stalls and the lights and smells of foods and crowds of people in big heavy coats and christmas music

dotsman

wakka12 wrote: »

Like a large scale central one, not that depressing one out in the ifsc.(

What one in the IFSC? There's none this year.

MightyMunster wrote: »

It was down in docklands after that,where Octoberfest is on. was a bit small but better than nothing. Only lasted a year or two. Was mostly food if I remember

The IFSC used to host a good one up to a number of years ago (albeit a bit small) at Georges Dock. Then The Stephen's Green one opened up (not sure if it was organised by the same crowd) and the IFSC one was replaced by a terrible (and tiny) thing (wouldn't even call it a Christmas market).

Thank god, the replacement IFSC one failed and hasn't been around for a few years, and from what I can tell, the Stephen's green one was also pretty poor and also deservedly failed. However, there could/should be a proper one brought back to Georges dock and promoted properly. It was a success a number of years ago, and could be even bigger/better if handled right.

lawred2

One could work in Merrion Square

mobby

The upr and lower yards of Dublin castle i think would be a great location..

s3rtvdbwfj81ch

because, like any outdoor event in Ireland, it would be the same aul shíte sold by the same aul stallholders.

Every single "event", summer or winter, rain, hail or shine, has someone selling those vaguely "south american" thick and colourful woollen clothes, outline drawings of various Irish places or beeswax candles scented with patchouli.

And there's always, always a "falafal man" for the vegetarians, I'm not even vegetarian, but do they not get bored of having to eat poxy falafel everywhere they go? Are there no other vegetarian options?

Overpriced "mulled" wine, shíte coffee or hot chocolate made from a catering tin of sugared cocoa powder.

Then if you do decide to venture down to it, there is barely enough room between the stalls, and you end up getting the shins whacked off you by people pushing buggies (absolutely no offence to people with kids, I pushed a buggy around enough similar events in my time, and undoubtedly send a fair few unsuspecting victims home with bruised forelegs).

See, organisers of events like that in this country care not a jot about the potential customers, and only about the many and varied ways to extract the dosh from your pocket, and lots of it.

P_1

irishguy wrote: »

Both Galway and Belfast have done very nice jobs of this and both attract significant amounts of tourists that would not otherwise have gone there at that time.
Dublin is really missing out on a significant amount of tourist revenue by not doing this. If they used the Iveagh gardens/ Trinity College/Merrion Square, a few smaller stalls dotted around the town and put significant investment into it i.e. large Ice skating Rink, big wheel, free live festive music,paid, outdoor/tented concerts, decent lights display, light up buildings more around the city and multiple stalls. They would definitely make a good ROI and make the city better for everyone who lives here.

The key is to make a large investment into it and continue it over a number of years to build up a reputation around Europe, doing it at a small scale won't really work, as we have seen with the previous attempts.

The biggest obstacles I see would be Dublin does get a good bit of rain during Dec, less cold crisp evenings for events like other locations and there could already be fairly high hotel occupation rates in Dec, until more are built.

Manchester is wetter, hasn't stopped them having decent Christmas markets