Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

28 lovely photos of Christmas in Dublin over the last 20 years

It’s simply magical.

AH, THOSE WERE the days.

1. The days of selling turkeys in Dublin back in 1984

PastedImage-27167 Eamonn Farrell, Rollingnews.ie Eamonn Farrell, Rollingnews.ie

Excellent graffiti work.

2. It wasn’t at all unlike Black Friday in the sales

ach Eamonn Farrell, Rollingnews.ie Eamonn Farrell, Rollingnews.ie

3. But others preferred to shop out of a boot

aleo Eamonn Farrell, Rollingnews.ie Eamonn Farrell, Rollingnews.ie

4. These lads busking in 97 are what Christmas is all about

aroll1 Eamon Farrel, Rollingnews.ie Eamon Farrel, Rollingnews.ie

5. This guy ‘shopping’ in Arnotts still sums up Dubliners to this day

aclio Leon Farrell, Rollingnews.ie Leon Farrell, Rollingnews.ie

6. And this one

ashops1 Leon Farrell, Rollingnews.ie Leon Farrell, Rollingnews.ie

7. Jervis’ decorations were very different twenty years ago

ajervis Leon Farrell, Photocall Ireland! Leon Farrell, Photocall Ireland!

8. As was the Panto

apnt EAMONN FARRELL, Rollingnews.ie EAMONN FARRELL, Rollingnews.ie

9. The window of the Porterhouse in 1998 could easily fit in today

Except instead of stags, it’d be no twelve pubs.

PastedImage-29860 Leon Farrell Leon Farrell

10. The airport welcomes haven’t changed

PastedImage-61380 Leon Farrell Leon Farrell

11. Bertie singing carols in 1998 pretty much sums up the year

PastedImage-69222

12. Is that not reminding you of the Celtic tiger? In 1999, models launched a 1995 Blanc de Noir Champagne exclusive to Brown Thomas for the millennium

PastedImage-17896 Graham Hughes Graham Hughes

Wudja be able.

13. Kids still hated waiting in Brown Thomas for their mams in 1999

PastedImage-86966 Graham Hughes Graham Hughes

14. Arnotts sales were the greatest

Check out the old Penneys bag! Giz those Fruit of the Loom jumpers!

PastedImage-78242 Graham Hughes Graham Hughes

15. The Brown Thomas Santa has only improved

PastedImage-90784 Graham Hughes Graham Hughes

16. Grafton Street in 1998 was just as festive

PastedImage-18704 Eamonn Farrell Eamonn Farrell

17. Remember little Jack Gleeson as Tiny Tim in a Christmas Carol in the Gate Theatre in 2001?

PastedImage-633 Gareth Chaney, Rollingnews.ie Gareth Chaney, Rollingnews.ie

18. Roches was the highlight of Henry Street

PastedImage-41089 LEON FARRELL, Rollingnews.ie LEON FARRELL, Rollingnews.ie

19. Oh how far we’ve come since 2001

PastedImage-38018 Gareth Chaney, Rollingnews.ie Gareth Chaney, Rollingnews.ie

20. The Clerys Santa in 2002 is giving us all sorts of nostalgic emotions

PastedImage-28243 Gareth Chaney, Rollingnews.ie Gareth Chaney, Rollingnews.ie

21. People were still mad for Penneys in 2002

PastedImage-44700 Gareth Chaney, Rollingnews.ie Gareth Chaney, Rollingnews.ie

22. Dublin airport’s cigarette-like Christmas decorations of 2002 won’t be forgotten quickly

PastedImage-32387 Gareth Chaney, Rollingnews.ie Gareth Chaney, Rollingnews.ie

23. We won’t know what to do without the Clery’s sales this year

PastedImage-43714 Gareth Chaney, Rollingnews.ie Gareth Chaney, Rollingnews.ie

24. The forty foot swim is still going strong

PastedImage-93435 LEON FARRELL, Rollingnews.ie LEON FARRELL, Rollingnews.ie

25. Remember when Joe Duffy hit the streets to sing a song with Brendan O Carroll in 2002?

PastedImage-18559 Gareth Chaney, Rollingnews.ie Gareth Chaney, Rollingnews.ie

26. Never forget the Roches Stores Christmas windows

PastedImage-53628 RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

27. Sure town was only buzzing come 2005

PastedImage-47384 LEON FARRELL, Rollingnews.ie LEON FARRELL, Rollingnews.ie

Almost TWELVE YEARS AGO lads.

28. Ah, Christmas in Dublin just can’t be beaten

PastedImage-70187 Chris Maddaloni, Rollingnews.ie Chris Maddaloni, Rollingnews.ie

DailyEdge is on Snapchat! Tap the button below to add!

Written by Nicola Byrne and posted on DailyEdge.ie

[image alt="" src="http://cdn.thejournal.ie/media/2016/12/img2-thejournal-561.png" width="600" height="115" credit-url="" credit-source="" credit-via="" credit-via-url="" wp-id="wp-image-3147645" class="alignnone" /end]

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
25 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute headbeagle
    Favourite headbeagle
    Report
    Dec 24th 2016, 11:50 PM

    Thanks for the photos from the last 20 years. And from 1984……

    123
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gary McG
    Favourite Gary McG
    Report
    Dec 24th 2016, 11:31 PM

    Clerys lads, it’s Clerys.

    65
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dead Mousche
    Favourite Dead Mousche
    Report
    Dec 24th 2016, 11:44 PM

    Happy Christmas to all the readers and to the Journal staff….we don’t always agree but we’re all in it together!

    I have a pint with a local auld lad and he dreads Christmas day every year due to the pubs being closed, his wife died years ago and his sons moved abroad as well….he lives on his own and heads up to his local for a a pint and a chat with the barmen every day…..He told me on Christmas day he gets up….visits the graveyard then just sits at home with a bottle of whisky and waits for the day to be over.

    This is not an anti-religion thing but the fact we’re the only country in Europe where you can’t get a pint on Christmas day is an issue…I wouldn’t go to a pub myself on Christmas day but the option should be there for everyone and we shouldn’t be denied that choice due to religion.

    Screw it….I’m off up to Belfast for a pint tomorrow!

    Happy Christmas.

    54
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Devlin
    Favourite Paul Devlin
    Report
    Dec 24th 2016, 11:49 PM

    You’ll be lucky, Dead Mousche. Unless you go to a hotel or a dodgy loyalist drinking den, you can forget about it

    42
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Colette Mullins
    Favourite Colette Mullins
    Report
    Dec 24th 2016, 11:54 PM

    Very very sad. Thousands of lonely people especially men suffer this everyday of the year because they live in the countryside and taxi s don’t exist and they can’t afford to loose their licence

    33
    See 4 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kieran Stafford
    Favourite Kieran Stafford
    Report
    Dec 24th 2016, 11:58 PM

    Why don’t you take him around for Christmas dinner

    64
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dead Mousche
    Favourite Dead Mousche
    Report
    Dec 25th 2016, 12:04 AM

    Ah…think I’ll take For Connelly to that den you speak of….Tigers Bay is great this time of year!

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Suzie Sunshine
    Favourite Suzie Sunshine
    Report
    Dec 25th 2016, 12:20 AM

    I’d also so are a thought for the elderly women who live alone too .. most don’t have an outlet at all . An elderly lady wouldn’t usually go to the pub alone for a pint .

    44
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Charlie Fogarty
    Favourite Charlie Fogarty
    Report
    Dec 25th 2016, 12:54 AM

    Lovely story Dead. Folks are right though. Bring him round ;)

    Enjoy Belfast. Ye heathen!

    16
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ted Crilly
    Favourite Ted Crilly
    Report
    Dec 25th 2016, 12:04 AM

    Is that pat Hickey in pic 6?

    39
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dean Anderson
    Favourite Dean Anderson
    Report
    Dec 25th 2016, 1:21 AM

    the best Santa in Dublin was Switzers. All the mechanical elves and stuff as you wound youre way around to him and he looked the part &decent pressies too

    31
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Suzie Sunshine
    Favourite Suzie Sunshine
    Report
    Dec 25th 2016, 12:21 AM

    Love looking at the old photos .. brings back some great memories !

    25
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Charlie Fogarty
    Favourite Charlie Fogarty
    Report
    Dec 25th 2016, 12:47 AM

    @Suzie Sunshine:

    Great pics :)

    13
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Suzie Sunshine
    Favourite Suzie Sunshine
    Report
    Dec 25th 2016, 2:26 AM

    Charlie Fogarty , Happy Christmas!

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pado Connor
    Favourite Pado Connor
    Report
    Dec 25th 2016, 12:22 AM

    You do know the shop was spelled Clerys, don’t you?

    21
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Keith D'Arcy
    Favourite Keith D'Arcy
    Report
    Dec 25th 2016, 12:49 AM

    I remember as a child being abandoned in the toy section downstairs in Roches Stores, great times.

    21
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute maevecc
    Favourite maevecc
    Report
    Dec 25th 2016, 2:28 AM

    a LOT of double denim in 2002

    19
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Charlie Fogarty
    Favourite Charlie Fogarty
    Report
    Dec 25th 2016, 1:05 AM

    You need to throw dates on some of these pics. All about where was I rather than where were they.

    Great little collection though. Good stuff Nicola.

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute George McCarthy
    Favourite George McCarthy
    Report
    Dec 25th 2016, 12:41 AM

    Where’s Corks old photos! Up the rebels!

    13
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Charlie Fogarty
    Favourite Charlie Fogarty
    Report
    Dec 25th 2016, 1:12 AM

    @George McCarthy:

    I’d love to see if someone has a link to something similar? Fair shout like.

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute king Tut
    Favourite king Tut
    Report
    Dec 25th 2016, 12:16 AM

    Aristotle O’Knacker and the Swirling Dervish Brothers at number 14, brings back some memories.

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Nick Drake
    Favourite Nick Drake
    Report
    Dec 25th 2016, 9:55 AM

    thejournal.ie just couldn’t help themselves, had throw in a pro abortion photo in there………….

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute William Willis
    Favourite William Willis
    Report
    Dec 25th 2016, 1:47 PM

    I find it tragic that the “old days” were only 10 and 15 or so years ago.
    I don’t want to be old.
    It’s 1974 since I first went to Dublin for Christmas and 1980 since I last was there for Christmas time.
    My 6 years in Dublin were great. Time and distance……those were the days my friend, I thought they’d never end.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Lorcan Quinlan
    Favourite Lorcan Quinlan
    Report
    Dec 25th 2016, 9:05 AM

    Mancy Sonia Rosemary Geraldine Let’s hope that your parents haven’t got their reading glasses on !!

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jake Gundersonn
    Favourite Jake Gundersonn
    Report
    Dec 25th 2016, 12:17 AM

    It’s not magical when you believe it should be changed

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.