Living in Ireland: Merry Christmas 2016

Here we are.

The eve of Christmas Eve. My kids are busting with excitement!

Today, instead of my usual happy list, I thought I’d show you some of my recent Instagram snaps of Christmas lights around Dublin.

Plus, a few more random gems for good measure.

Seeing Christmas lights makes me so happy. I love how this building in Dublin’s City Centre is lit up in red and green.

In the distance in the below picture is the Ha’penny Bridge  – a famous pedestrian bridge that crosses over the River Liffey in Dublin.

Here’s my girl at the ice skating rink that was set-up near us just for the holidays. She loves to skate – just like her dad.

And that hair…my goodness.

We took the kids to Grafton Street in Dublin to see how the city was lit up for the holidays. Despite being there with thousands of other people, which is normally my worst nightmare, it was a magical night.

Along our walk through the city we saw a special video snow globe. If you stood in the exact right spot in the street, it would look like you were standing in the middle of a snow globe.

Then your mom would lean over at a really weird angle to try and snap a picture of you without actually ending up in the picture herself. That worked marvelously, but the random stranger in the background didn’t get the message. Oh, well.

Below is the famous Temple Bar Pub. We didn’t take the kids in, although that is perfectly legal in Dublin until a certain time at night.

In case you are wondering what kind of delicacies you can buy at Christmas time, well, feast your eyes on this.

No, I did not buy the chicken liver parfait. You’re a little disappointed, aren’t you?

Moving on. I am thankful the days are now getting longer because the below shot of city hall in the town of Dun Laoghaire was taken at 4 p.m. That’s too early for the sun to go down, my friends. Way too early.

This last one is the perfect juxtaposition of old and new in South Dublin.

On the left is St. Michael’s Church. On the right are a couple of shopping centers. On the very bottom of the photo you can see some double-decker buses. Straight ahead about 4 blocks this road dead-ends into the Irish Sea – you can just make it out in the distance.

I wish you all a very happy Christmas. Thank you so much for sharing this little spot of the Internet with me. I’ll be taking some time off from writing until the second week in January to soak up as much family time as I can get while the kids are on a school break!

If you want to know more about our experience of moving to and living in Ireland, check out these posts:

Living in Ireland: Surviving a Snowstorm

Living in Ireland: Life Without a Car

Living in Ireland: Inside My Kitchen

Living in Ireland: Christmas in Retail 2017

Living in Ireland: Storm Ophelia

Living in Ireland: That Time a Tree Came Down

Living in Ireland: Pediatric Emergency Medicine

Living in Ireland: Back After A Month in the United States

Living in Ireland: As Seen On My Commute

Living in Ireland: A Trip to the Hardware Store

Living in Ireland: Spring Flowers In Our Yard

Living in Ireland: Grocery Shopping

Living in Ireland: What to See my Hot Press?

Living in Ireland: Merry Christmas 2016

Living in Ireland: Christmas in Retail

Living in Ireland: Exploring Our New Country

Living in Ireland: Groceries

Moving to Ireland: Grocery Item Look Alikes

Moving to Ireland: Primary School 101

Moving to Ireland: First Week of School

Moving to Ireland: A Day Out and About

Moving to Ireland: The Great Purge

Moving to Ireland: Human Kindness is Overflowing 

Moving to Ireland: House Viewing #1

Moving to Ireland:  House Viewing #2

Moving to Ireland: House Viewing #3

Moving to Ireland: Temp House First Floor

Moving to Ireland: Temp House Second Floor

Moving Tips to Keep You Sane

My #1 Moving Tip

Thinking about visiting Ireland? Read on!

The Cliffs of Moher and the Aran Islands with Kids

Galway with Kids

Our Favorite Irish Castle Tour with Kids

Belfast with Kids

Dublin: Talking Statues

Kissing the Blarney Stone and Blarney Castle