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Press release

Christmas At The Castle Is Officially Opened

The Lord Mayor of Dublin Paul McAuliffe and the Minister for the Office of Public Works (OPW) and Flood Relief, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, have officially opened Christmas At The Castle, the unique festive experience taking place in the historic surroundings of Dublin Castle from the 12th to the 22nd of December. Christmas at the Castle is presented by the OPW in partnership with Dublin City Council.

From today in the historic heart of the capital, Dublin Castle is transformed into a winter wonderland, which will bring to life Christmas traditions new and old. A Christmas tree lined avenue will guide visitors to the upper courtyard of the Castle which has been filled with over 30 traditional alpine chalets selling mouth-watering festive treats, decorative crafts and inspirational gift ideas.

Visitors to Christmas at the Castle, which has free admission and is open from 12 noon to 8pm daily, can indulge in traditional fare being sold by artisan producers and soak up the festive atmosphere with evening carol singing provided by local choirs.

Some of the market culinary offerings include pizza cones - with mobility in mind from Kono Pizza, traditional German-style sausages & burgers from Swing Grill, Churros made to an authentic (secret) Venezuelan recipe from Sweet Churro and award-winning hand-rolled ice cream from Arctic Stone.

Fans of handcraft, meanwhile are sure to find something special as more than 20 craft vendors will be housed in traditional style wooden chalets, offering artisan products produced by Irish artists including Michelle Hannon Ceramics, Woodcraft by BmacD by Brendan Mac Donnell and Oileann Jewellery by Peter Gough.

For the duration of Christmas at the Castle, the OPW is also providing complimentary evening access to the State Apartments from 6-8pm, which have been festively decorated in the style of a Victorian Christmas. Visitors are also invited to take in the handmade Neapolitan Baroque crib in the gothic revival Chapel Royal.

The festive experience is further enhanced with a vintage carousel on site for children while weekend visitors to Christmas at the Castle can avail of horse carriage rides around the Castle grounds and gardens.

Speaking at the launch, the Lord Mayor of Dublin Paul Mc Auliffe said:

"I am delighted to officially open, alongside the Minster for the OPW, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, Christmas at the Castle here in Dublin Castle. There is something for everyone here and I wish to acknowledge the hard work of everyone involved in bringing this magical festive experience to life in Dublin City."

Minister 'Boxer' Moran said:

"This is a gorgeous experience for anyone, young or old, who wishes to get into the Christmas spirit. The OPW and Dublin City Council have transformed the courtyard of Dublin Castle into a magical winter wonderland bring together exceptional vendors who are selling fantastic produce, with entertainment provided by talented local choirs. I would encourage people to visit the State Apartments and I am delighted that we are able to provide complimentary evening access to them for the duration of Christmas at the Castle."

On the weekends of the 14th/15th and 21st/22nd of December, Bedford Hall at Dublin Castle will also host a further selection of vendors. Christmas at the Castle runs from the 12th to the 22nd of December and is open from 12pm to 8pm daily. Admission to the market is free. To find out more go to www.dublincastle.ie.

ENDS

Notes to the Editor:

Christmas at the Castle: Boutique Market Vendors

Food and Drinks

  • Handsome Burger - Award-winners from Galway. Irish beef and vegetarian options including The Bhaji a veggie delight of spinach and chickpea bhaji, tandoori onions, feta cheese, cucumber and mint raita, chillies and handsome chutney all served in a brioche bun
  • Olea Flatbreads - innovative street food, offering warm flatbreads with fillings such as free-range lamb kofta, spicy chickpeas, grilled halloumi, and fresh vegetables and herbs. Olea is based in Portobello, Dublin, and run by Ballymaloe Cookery School graduate Jack Rainey and Holly Traynor
  • Kono Pizza – Pizza – Reinvented! - Pizza cones, created to provide consumers with authentic Italian pizza made from only high-quality ingredients, with mobility in mind! Creatively designed to enable mess-free take away pizza
  • Swing Grill – The Smoke & Grill House – traditional German-style distinctive swing grill – a grill suspended over hot coals to create a distinctive smokey taste for traditional sausages & burgers
  • Beanery76 - Housed in a little French van (originally built as an ambulance in 1973!), Beanery 76 serves barista coffee hot chocolates and festive snacks such as mince pies and candy canes
  • Sweet Churro - Made to an authentic (secret) Venezuelan recipe, Sweet Churro promise to add ‘crunchy clouds of deliciousness’ to any food event. Serving from their own distinctive cabin
  • Arctic Stone – Ireland's first and multi award winning hand-rolled ice cream specialists based in Blackrock. Arctic Stone offer artisan ice cream created to order and customised to each individual taste
  • The Crepe Box – French style creperie, based in Greystones. Offering ‘amazing crepe creations’ using fresh local ingredients
  • The Donut Trike - A regular feature at outdoor events and festivals throughout Ireland, donuts are freshly prepared and served from a quirky and distinctive trike unit
  • The Brew Crew Café - Event barista specialists, the Brew Crew will serve from a distinctive re-imagined horse box. Offering hot drinks including their own recipe non-alcoholic mulled wine
  • Roasted Nuts Operated by Arctic Stone. Roasted nuts on an open fire are one of the most festive foods you can eat!

Craft Vendors

More than 20 Craft Vendors will also be housed in traditional style wooden chalets, offering artisan products produced by Irish artists with the following categories represented:

  • Ceramics
  • Wooden Crafts
  • Jewellery
  • Paintings/Wall hangings
  • Skincare (artisan/handmade gifts)
  • Stained glass
  • Clothing
  • Pet gift products
  • Children’s toys and décor
  • Artisan edible gifting (cheese and hampers, herbal infusions, Christmas orientated condiments; chutneys, brandy butter and so on)

Michelle Hannan Ceramics: An exclusive range of contemporary ceramics, including one-off, sculptural Vessels, decorative bowls, wall pieces, awards and presentation pieces. Each piece is individually handmade using slabs of white stoneware or porcelain clay, which are manipulated and modelled. The work is then decorated combining glass and volcanic glazes.

Oilean Jewellery: Bespoke designs drawing and unique pieces combining very different techniques and metals. These collections are inspired from the landscapes of Ireland, encompassing the beauty of the coastline and rugged mountain ranges.

O'Gowna Sculptures: Exquisitely detailed pieces of sculptures that depict Celtic cultures. These Irish handmade gifts range from bronze sculptures, chess sets, Oghan wall art, wall clocks and Christmas fairy doors.

Woodcraft by BmacD by Brendan Mac Donnell: Specialist in Hand crafted Wood Pens including Twist pens, roller- ball, Fountain pens. Each wood pen is unique as only natural Irish grain wood is utilized. Each pen comes with a Gift Box or Leather pouch and Exotic wood and acrylic on selected styles is available.

Alphabet Jigsaws: Alphabet Jigsaws design and produce original Irish handcrafted wooden jigsaw puzzles for children of all ages. All of our wooden jigsaw puzzles are durable, hand painted in vibrant colours, and wonderfully detailed. We also have a beautiful range of wooden animal magnets for kids.

Wildbird Studio: Stained glass artist specialising in Irish clear glass seeing through to the solder lines at the back. These exquisite products range from prints and cards to wall hangings and bespoke jewellery items.

Bend in the Barrow: Craft producer of handmade soaps, oils and balms. Our ethos since inception in 2012 has been Earth friendly and Vegan. We have always said no to palm oil and plastics and you can take comfort from the fact that we seek to make products that do as little damage as possible to Planet Earth.

Corleggy Cheeses: Artisan raw milk handmade cheeses and hampers. Ranked in the top 2% of world cheeses, after taking a Super Gold accoldate at the World Cheese Awards in San Sebastian.

Other vendors to feature

Vendors featuring in Bedford Hall 14/15 & 21/22 December

Artisan Food

Chocolatey Clare

Paintings/Photography

Clothing/Textiles

Jewellery

Children's Art Pieces

  • Denyse Hanrahan artwork
  • Children’s hanging wall pieces

Books

AT IT AGAIN!

Accessories

Cosmetics

Bridgets Mantle

Candles

Zoe Zoe

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