Christmas at the Castle - magical experience to take place in historic surroundings of Dublin Castle

The Office of Public Works (OPW) is pleased to announce a magical new experience for Christmas 2019 taking place in the historical surroundings of Dublin Castle.

Christmas at the Castle, presented in collaboration with Dublin City Council (DCC), is a unique festive event running from 12 - 22 December. Set in the heart of the nation’s capital, Christmas at the Castle will have something for everyone, with a boutique open air Christmas Market, evening carol singing, a Neapolitan crib and complimentary evening access to the traditionally decorated State apartments among some of the festive offerings.

The historic courtyard of Dublin Castle will be filled with over 30 traditional alpine market stalls featuring an array of decorative crafts and inspiring gift ideas along with mouth-watering festive treats. Visitors to Christmas at the Castle, which has free admission, can indulge in traditional fare being sold by artisan producers and soak up the festive atmosphere with evening carol singing provided by local choirs. There will be 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.

For the duration of Christmas at the Castle, the OPW will be providing complimentary evening access to the State Apartments from 6 - 8pm, which will be festively decorated for the Christmas season. After exploring the Castle’s beautifully decorated interiors, families can visit the gothic revival Chapel Royal, the setting for the Castle’s handmade Neapolitan Baroque crib.

Announcing the details of Christmas at the Castle, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Paul McAuliffe, said:

Minister for the OPW and Flood Relief, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, said:

Christmas at the Castle runs from 12 - 22 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

The OPW is also pleased to announce a special programme of events at Dublin Castle to celebrate the festive season.

Christmas Evenings at the Castle, which runs on 3, 5, 6, 16, 18 and 19 December

The much-loved Christmas evenings return this year. Escape the hustle and bustle of the city centre for a choral performance in the Chapel Royal followed by an opportunity to view the Neapolitan Crib and festively decorated State Apartments. Guests will also be invited to attend a reception in the Gothic Room.

Suitable for Adults.

Time: 6.30pm

Ticket Cost: €20

A Christmas Adventure at the Castle, 14 December - Special Santa Tour

Calling all children under 10! Dublin Castle’s Christmas fairy has arrived to take you on a magical adventure through the State Apartments. The Castle elves have told us Santa might even turn up!

The Christmas Adventure at the Castle will be an immersive journey for children. Written by Caoimhe Creed, this is a festive experience like no other in one of Dublin’s most iconic buildings.

Times: 11am, 1.30pm and 3.30pm

Adults: €10

Children: Free

Booking is essential. Please go to www.dublincastle.ie.

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 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 and Grill House

Traditional German-style distinctive swing grill – a grill suspended over hot coals to create a distinctive smokey taste for traditional sausages and burgers.

Beanery 76

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.

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 and wall hangings
• skincare (artisan and handmade gifts)
• stained glass
• clothing
• pet gift products
• children's toys and décor
• artisan edible gifting (cheese and hampers, herbal infusions, Christmas orientated condiments such as chutneys and brandy butter)

Michelle Hannon 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.

Oileann 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.

Ogowna 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.

Living Earth Photography

This photography collection creatively captures the wonder, emotion and unique beauty of the Irish landscape. All photography is printed on professional grade papers and front mounted within conservation grade acid-free mounts and frames are custom made professionally from natural wood.

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 Studios

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.

Jill and Gill

Jill and Gill is a brand of award winning Irish illustrators and printmakers working across fashion, design and fine art. Our apparel is made with respect, is uniquely illustrated and is hand printed here in Dublin.

The Truffle Fairy

Multi Award winning handmade Irish fine chocolate truffles, bars and many other chocolate products. Truffle Fairy use only the highest quality, locally sourced and organic ingredients when available to make their products including gift sets for the festive season.

**Bedford Hall - 14 - 15 December: A further (approx.) 15 vendors will also be housed indoors over the weekend of 14 - 15 December.