Get outdoors over the Christmas holidays

As this winter approached, I vowed to get outdoors for at least half an hour a day. The idea was to run, walk or even cycle (Dublin bike journeys counted) during the strongest daylight hours, if possible. Catching some sun rays would be a bonus.

It was a small challenge – I have friends who set themselves the challenge of climbing the highest peak in every Irish county – which I can say I managed most days. And the benefits far outweighed any inconvenience.

So, I challenge readers to get outdoors for at least 30 minutes every day over the holidays. You won’t regret it, and you might even start a healthy habit you can bring with you into 2016.

Guided city walks

Guided city walks are a sociable way to get to know a city better, and many cities such as Galway (galwaytourism.ie) and Limerick (limerickwalkingtours.com) offer visitors various walking experiences.

A new addition to the Dublin walking tour this year is the Dublin Discovery Trails app, which visitors and local people can download and take a themed self-guided walk through Dublin city centre.

Choose between a trail through Dublin’s 1,000-year history, a look at Dublin when it was the second city of the British Empire, an exploration of the city’s war memorials or a walking tour of the significant buildings in the 1916 Rising (visitdublin.com).

Walking-tour operators will also give guided walks around the city over the festive season.

For example, a guided walking tour of north Dublin starts at the Larkin statue on O'Connell Street at 3pm on December 30th (comeheretome.com). The renowned guide Pat Liddy also offers regular guided walking tours (walkingtours.ie)

Take to the hills

Many people enjoy walks in the forests, woodlands and mountains in their area over the Christmas break.

The signage for walking trails has improved hugely in recent years and it's usually fairly easy to follow a designated route displayed on maps at the entrance to many of the Coillte managed forests (coillteoutdoors.ie; irishtrails.ie; theirelandwalkingguide.com).

Others prefer to join guided walks organised by walking clubs or hiking experts. It’s a good idea to check out the calendar of events for local walking clubs in the mountain ranges throughout Ireland.

Meanwhile, here are a few walks planned in counties Dublin and Wicklow after Christmas.

Hilltop Treks is hosting guided hikes in Wicklow over the festive season. These include a two- to three-hour walk in the full moon on December 28th, leaving from the monument in Enniskerry village at 6pm, and a three- to four-hour walk in the Glen of the Downs, leaving Enniskerry at 11am on January 3rd. Newcomers are welcome. The cost is €25 per hike and members of Hill Top Treks go free (hilltoptreks.com).

The Walking Club, which is based in Dublin, also has a number of walks planned over the Christmas period. These include a walk starting at the Bohernabreena Reservoirs on December 27th at noon; a walk from the Glendalough Visitor Centre to the Miners' village and back on December 28th at noon; a walk from Sandymount to Poolbeg on January 1st at noon; a walk in the Glen of the Downs on January 3rd at noon and a walk in Crone Wood, Enniskerry, on January 10th at 10.30am (meetup.com/The-Walking-Club).

Charity and fun runs

Parkruns, of 5k and 10k, are held regularly in about 40 parks across Ireland (parkrun.ie). Organised by volunteers, these runs have become an excellent opportunity for people to test or keep up their fitness levels throughout the year.

However, at Christmas time, the fun element kicks in with many runners dressing up and many clubs raising money for charities in the process. See below for a list of fun runs over the festive season.

The fifth annual 5k Cavan Christmas Dash starts at noon on December 26th in Cavan town. Funds raised will go to Cystic Fibrosis Ireland.(cavanchristmasdash.ie).

The Eyrecourt Mud Run starts at noon on December 26th in Eyrecourt, Co Galway. Beginners are welcome to join this 5k adventure run (facebook.com/Eyrecourtmuckrun).

The annual Shane Brennan 5k Newtownforbes run/walk starts at 1pm/12.45pm on December 26th in Newtownforbes, Co Longford. Funds raised will go to Cystic Fibrosis Ireland ( runireland.com).

The Christmas Cracker Ennis 5k road race starts at noon on December 27th with registration at Lees Road Amenity Park, Ennis, Co Clare (fitmagazine.ie).

The Turkey Burner 5k run in Duncannon starts at noon on December 27th and includes two laps of this Co Wexford coastal village. All proceeds go towards creating a coastal trail between Duncannon and Arthurstown (runireland.com).

The Coole Christmas Challenge is an Athletics Association of Ireland-registered, family-friendly 5k and 10k in Castlepollard, Co Westmeath, on December 27th. Registration on the day is in the Castlepollard GAA hall at 11.30am (carersireland.com).

The Christmas Cracker Road Race in aid of Alone is a 5km run/walk in Santry, north Dublin, starting at 11am on December 27th. You can register at alone.ie or from 9am on the day.

A 5 km fun run in the picturesque village of Ardagh, Co Longford, is on December 28th at 1.15pm (runireland.com).

Resolution Run is a 5k road race through the streets of Galway city at 1pm on January 1st. Registration takes place from 10:30am to 12:30pm on the morning of the run in the hall beside the Claddagh church (runireland.com).

The village of Carragh, Co Kildare, is the start and end point for 5k/10k runs on January 1st from 11am. All funds raised go to the Children's University Hospital, Temple Street, Dublin (runireland.com).

Collinstown, Co Westmeath, hosts a New Year 5k or 10k road race at 1pm on January 10th (runireland.com).

Killorgin, Co Kerry, is the venue for one of the last seasonal runs. The Puck Warriors Turkey Burn Off is a 5k run on January 16th, starting at 10am (for women) and 10.03am (for men). Billed as a survival of the fittest event, there are prizes for the first five to complete the course (runireland.com).

OUTDOOR FESTIVALS

Dublin NYF

One of the newest and most diverse festivals, NYF Dublin has something for everyone and most of it is outdoors and free. From 5pm on December 30th, 31st and January 1st, you can see various historic buildings in the city centre flooded with colourful 3D illuminations.

People of all ages can join in the New Year’s Eve Procession of Light (a limited number of NYF lanterns will be available for participants) up Grafton Street to St Stephen’s Green at dusk on December 31st.

At the end of the procession at St Stephen’s Green, participants and performers alike are the invited to join in or watch the world-record-beating attempt to have the largest number of bodhráns playing in one place at once.

And, following that is a new event this year: the Street Fest on St Stephen’s Green South, between Leeson Street and Harcourt Street, where musicians and DJs will play everything from traditional to party music on December 31st.

The NYF Spoken Word festival has built up quite a fan base for its irreverent and energetic mix of Irish wit, poetry and hip hop, merged with lively discussion and debate.

This year’s events include Soundings: Holy Trinity with Dylan Haskins and Lisa Hannigan at House of Lords, Bank of Ireland (December 30th, 7pm); the Lingo Brunch at The Meeting House, Temple Bar (December 30th, noon); Poets vs Rappers (December 30th, 6.15pm) NYF Poetry Slam (December 30th, 9pm) and Lingo Bingo (December 31st, 2pm) at the Workman’s Club; the Ashoka Ireland’s ‘Yes Inclusion: Building An Ireland Where Everyone is Welcome’ in Smock Alley Theatre(December 30th, 1pm) .

Finally, there will be a family friendly poetry event entitled ‘A Guard at the Cross’ in Smock Alley Theatre, Temple Bar (December 31st, noon).

And for people who want to share their hopes and aspirations for 2016, January 1st is designated Resolutions Day with plenty of activities encouraging health and wellbeing (nyfdublin.com).

Wren Boy Festivals

Sandymount in Dublin, Dingle in Co Kerry and Dunleer, Co Louth are the few places that continue to “Hunt the Wren” in December. This pre-Christian festival gives people a chance to dress up in rags and sing folk songs on the streets.

And while the origins of the tradition are often disputed, most accounts refer back to the wren as a pagan symbol of the past year that was sacrificed as part of a ritual to mark the year’s end.

Any money raised nowadays tends to go to charity rather than be pocketed by the Wren Boys for parties at the end of their festivities. In Sandymount Green, Sandymount, Dublin, the Wren Boys celebration starts with poetry readings in Gus Ryan’s Pub at 11am.

And while there is no dead wren on a stick, the performers wear traditional costumes and dance and sing on the streets nonetheless.

The music and dancing runs from noon to 2pm on Sandymount Green. Musicians are welcome to join in and visitors are invited to join in the festivities. This year’s charity is St Vincent De Paul; More details from Pat McEvoy, the master of ceremonies 087 2340065.

In Dingle, Co Kerry, the Wren Boys take to the streets to sing and dance, creating a boisterous celebration enjoyed by locals and visitors alike on December 26th.

In Dunleer, Co Louth, the Wren Boys Festival is held in early December and linked to traditional music competitions in the local schools.

In Northern Ireland, there is a tradition of Mummers or Strawboys, who dress up in masks and straw suits or raggy clothing and play traditional music through the streets.

First Fortnight

Not strictly speaking an outdoor festival, we are including this festival for its timing. The First Fortnight Festival is a mental-health arts festival in the first two weeks of January expressly because it’s a bleak and often cold time of the year.

The aim of the festival is to challenge stigma around mental-health problems. The programme includes live music, spoken word, film, theatre, dance and debates/discussion.

Although centred in Dublin, events will also be held in Galway, Limerick, Cork and Kildare.

One of the first events in this year’s festival is Proclamation– an evening of talk and music on New Year’s Day in Christ Church Cathedral. Held in partnership with Mental Health Ireland, speakers include Diarmuid Gavin, Mary McEvoy, Chris Donoghue and Eoghan McDermott.

The First Fortnight charity also runs the First Fortnight Centre for Creative Therapies, which provides art therapy for adults who are at risk of or who have experienced homelessness (firstfortnight.ie).