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.

Ho Ho Ho, Christmas in the Village!

What a beautiful day everyone had on Sunday, 27th November, when Shankill Main Street was turned into a winter wonderland for the second edition of the already long-awaited Christmas in the Village festival.

Supported by DLR County Council and Shankill Business Group, the event was a wonderful celebration of the Christmas spirit and the result of local initiative and hard work.

A wide range of surprises, from Santa’s Grotto, the Petting Farm and the Festive Market Stalls to the Kids' Zone and live music took place from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m., marked midway by Santa's appearance driven by who else but John Brady, owner of Brady's Pub. While waiting for Santa, everyone went around the market stalls to buy Christmas gifts. The already well-known Shankill calendars, which are done every year by the award-winning Shankill Tidy Towns team and feature photos sent by the village's professional and amateur photographers, were on sale as well.

Here is a special photo we took with the permission of the Shankill Tidy Towns team. We are proud to share it with everyone and to say a big congratulations to them for their amazing work in the village, which this year brought them the overall prize winner of the 2016 Tidy Districts Competition.

All the children were extremely excited to meet with some famous Star Wars characters as well as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, who made many friends in the street and brought lots of smiles and hi-fives.

At 3:30 p.m. Santa showed up in the village and was welcomed by everyone as the rightful bringer of joy, gifts and childhood memories.

  

A huge thank you and well done to the organisers.
Now the Christmas spirit has officially arrived in the village!

The Christmas Story in Trees at St. James's Church, Crinken

From the 4th to the 6th December this year, St. James's Church invites everyone to participate in their enchanting Christmas Tree Festival. 

This year’s festival, framed as part of the church’s 175th anniversary celebrations, beautifully brings the story of Christ’s birth to life through more than 40 uniquely-decorated Christmas trees and carefully chosen Scripture verses. 

Source: https://www.facebook.com/crinkenchurch

As you enter the church, a friendly volunteer welcomes you and hands you a brochure, which outlines the meaning behind each tree. You can then wander through the space, discovering how the Christmas story unfolds: each tree represents a different moment, accompanied by a relevant Bible verse. The variety is truly striking from natural fir trees to imaginative creations made from books and other recycled materials. Together, the trees form what the organisers call the “Journey to Bethlehem.”

The festival isn’t just about visual beauty; it reflects a real sense of community. Local schools, community groups, and businesses have all contributed, putting their creativity and care into each design. The result is a harmonious blend of faith and local spirit.

 

Before you leave, you are invited to enjoy some refreshments in the church hall, chatting with others and sharing your impressions. And, if you wish, you can return for the Carols by Candlelight service, held next Sunday at 6:30p.m.

Although admission is free, donations are welcome and all proceeds will support The Storehouse, a food-bank project serving people in need this Christmas. It’s a heartfelt way to celebrate both the season and the community.

Christmas Cheer in the Village

There is nothing more beautiful than seeing a community coming together in preparation for Christmas. The colours and the joy of the season are unique every year.

Today, everybody gathered in the village for the three events that marked the beginning of the Christmas celebrations in Shankill.

 

Christmas in the Village

Although the weather was cold and rainy, the atmosphere was great on Shankill Main Street, where from 1 pm to 6 pm everyone could browse the festive stalls selling glittering gifts, cards, decorations, and crafts and warm up with mulled wine, crepes, doughnuts, mince pies and other treats.

The children could take a ride on the carousels besides Brady's Pub and also try out the obstacle course. Santa made a very special visit to Shankill bringing gifts for all the children present in the village. Street performers, jugglers and live music performed by the Bray Gospel Choir and Tumbleweed made the day even brighter and happier for everybody.

Swan Winter Craft Fair

This event was organised by SWAN (Supporting Women & Networking in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown) and took place in Stonebridge Community Facility. Lots of businesses and crafters sold their items ranging from handknitted gifts to stocking fillers for dogs and cakes.

St. Anne's Parish Christmas Fair

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. everyone could drop in to St. Anne's Resource Centre to warm up with hot food and drinks and have some pancakes and mince pies. The organisers also included a Wheel of Fortune and lots handcrafted items and cakes for sale.

To add to the overall seasonal joy, everyone could enter lots of raffles at each of the three locations with prizes from hampers and vouchers to meals, cameras and money prizes.