Crinken Christmas Market – A Heartwarming Start to the Season

Last Saturday, 22 November (10:00am to 3:00pm), Crinken Church was alive with festive warmth and community spirit at the church’s Christmas Market. It was a lovely reminder that Christmas isn’t just about shopping, but about coming together, enjoying life, and celebrating our shared connections.

From delightful Christmas decorations to handmade clothes and bags, the stalls were wonderfully varied and yes, there were packets of “snowman soup” to buy, too! The market was clearly well organised, and every stall showed real care and craftsmanship. 

             

But more than the items for sale, what stood out was the people. Conversations flowed naturally with vendors and visitors alike. There was a genuine friendliness in the air, as though old neighbours and new faces were meeting simply to enjoy the day.

There’s also good news on the wider festive front: the Crinken Church Christmas Tree Festival is coming back (5-7 December 2025). It’s lovely to think of the festival returning and bringing its festive warmth back with it. You can read about the earlier festival held back in 2015 on this blog: Christmas Cheer in the Village. 

And also coming up soon, the Church is organising a Lantern Workshop and Walk on 13 December at 4pm, a perfect way to add a little more light and magic to the season.

Spending the afternoon at the market left me feeling uplifted. In the rush of the season, it was a beautiful reminder of the true spirit of Christmas, not the gloss or the commercial push, but community, kindness, and togetherness.

Here’s hoping the rest of the season brings more moments like this, and that we keep carrying this genuine Christmas spirit with us in all we do.

Shankill Sparkles: Your Guide to a Magical Christmas in the Village!

 🎄✨ Experience the Magic of Shankill’s Christmas in the Village! ✨🎄

As the festive season approaches, Shankill is set to sparkle with not one but four marvellous Christmas events to mark in your diary.

First up, on Saturday 22 November (10:00am–3:00pm) at Crinken Church, there will be a joyous Arts · Craft · Food Christmas Market—the perfect early-season outing, packed with handmade gifts, delicious treats and community cheer. The festive poster below says it all (source: Facebook - Shankill Open Forum).

Then, looking ahead, the festive season continues on 30 November 2025 with the much-loved Christmas in the Village Festival bringing sparkle, community spirit, and seasonal cheer to the heart of the village. Visitors can look forward to festive market stalls, local crafts, delicious food, and — of course — the chance to visit Santa himself! It’s a wonderful day out for families and a highlight of the local winter calendar.

🎟️ Tickets for Santa visits are available now — secure yours here.

Those interested in booking a stall at this popular community event can find contact details on the poster below (source: Brady's of Shankill Facebook page).

In addition, St. Anne’s Parish will be hosting its own festive event on 30 November, a traditional Christmas fair, offering even more opportunities to support local causes and enjoy the holiday spirit. For more details, visit St. Anne’s Parish Shankill or check the posters below (source: St. Anne's Parish website).

Returning once again is the much-loved Crinken Church Christmas Tree Festival, running from 5th to 7th December 2025. In 2015, the festival has featured over 40 creatively decorated trees, each one decorated by a community group, school or business from the area telling a piece of the Christmas story through a Bible verse.

Whether you’re browsing for that special gift, sampling festive flavours, or simply soaking up the lights and laughter, there’s something for everyone right here in Shankill. Mark your calendars and get ready to celebrate the season locally!

Christmas in the Village 2018

What an absolute cracker of a day at Christmas in the Village 2018 in our lovely little village! On 25 November the village lit up with festive cheer and the turn out was simply fantastic. Everywhere you looked there were smiling faces, twinkling lights, and the hum of people enjoying the start of the Christmas season.

The village was buzzing with stalls of all shapes and sizes. From sweet, sticky doughnuts to hands-on demonstrations of first aid, there was something for everyone. And yes, Santa himself made a special appearance to meet the children, thanks to the good folks at Brady's of Shankill. The children were thrilled, as you can imagine!

 

It wasn’t just about treats and tinsel, though. Some stands brought real heart to the day. The Suicide of Survive stall offered colourful Christmas goodies while also spreading awareness about mental health support – always an important message – and their raffle promised some seriously tempting hampers. Meanwhile, the Shankill & Ballybrack CFR corner gave visitors the chance to learn life-saving CPR techniques, practical skills that could make all the difference. Over at SAGE Shankill kids and adults alike got to craft tiny bee-houses, showing that Christmas is as much about giving back as it is about enjoying ourselves.

These were just a handful of the stands, each one adding to the festive spirit and community warmth that Shankill is famous for. The mix of fun, learning, and charity reminded everyone why we love celebrating together.

The Birds and the Teas

Shankill Football Club

If you missed out this year, make a note for next time. Christmas in the Village keeps growing, getting merrier and more magical each year. It’s the perfect way to kick off the season, connect with neighbours, and soak up a bit of true community spirit.

Autumn in Shankill

Some autumn photos taken at the beginning of November in Shankill.

Lidl under construction

Rathsallagh Estate

Lidl under construction

Shankill Clean Up Day 2018

Storm Emma Brings Real Winter to Shankill

This is the face of Storm Emma in Shankill, Dublin 18.

Heavy falls of snow, cancelled buses and trains, blocked roads, closed businesses and schools, risk of floods, and lots of snow. Shankill was no different from the rest of the places in Ireland that were under red alert this winter between 28 February and 3 March 2018.

However, Storm Emma aka "The Beast from the East", also brought winter cheer in a country which hasn't seen heavy snow in about 8 years.

On 3 March, in the morning, lots of local shops opened again and people could go and buy bread and milk if there was any left. Some local shops looked like this.

Towards the end of the day on 3 March a  few deliveries of bread and milk arrived to some local stores.

The village is coming back to life and lots of people are now cleaning their footpaths, cars and gardens. The local spirit is the one that wins in the end.

Source: Shankill Open Forum (SOF) on Facebook on 03.03.2018

What an adventure Storm Emma has been!

President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, at Shanganagh Park House Community Centre

On the 31st May 2017, the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, visited Shanganagh Park House Community Centre to join local residents and community groups celebrate its 40 years of use as a community centre.

Media links:

• http://www.dlrcoco.ie/en/news/general-news-press-releases/president-ireland-michael-d-higgins-visits-shanganagh-park-house
• http://www.president.ie/en/diary/details/president-attends-the-40th-anniversary-celebrations-of-shanganagh-park-hous
• http://primaryschoolshankill.ie/2017/06/01/uachtaran-na-heireann-shanganagh-park-house/
• https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/images-of-the-day-1.3103206
• https://soundcloud.com/arasanuachtarain/speech-by-president-higgins-at-the-40th-anniversary-celebrations-of-shanganagh-park-house
• https://www.pressreader.com/ireland/irish-independent/20170601/284283890017915