Christmas Festivals – A reluctant participant reports

Bah Humbug! It's getting increasingly difficult to maintain a stoney defiance to all things Christmassy, but I'm doing my best. I hit the National Concert Hall last week for a shot of Christmas Spirit from the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and a USA biscuit assortment of guests. It did put a dent in my Grinchiness, but as of yet, there hasn't been a hall decked or a length of tinsel hung from a pelmet in Wanderly Wagon.

It’s not that I’m a grumpy aul bastard (although that is likely), it’s just that I hate feeling like I’m being easily manipulated into an annual over-hyped spending frenzy. The festivals that pop up at this time of year are unashamed atttempts to herd people into towns, castle grounds, shopping centres and industrial parks in order separate them from what little cash there might be jangling around in their pockets. There are very few festivals in the country that don’t have some element of commercialisation at their core, but I realised a long time ago that it’s more often the events that manage to sucessfully mask this MO, or don’t consider it at all, that I find most enjoyable and satisfying. A difficult task for Christmas festivals.

Heading into town to watch the twinkly lights and listen to the jingly bells without feeling like an elf has picked your pocket is almost impossible, but there are some festivities that leave you enough change to catch the bus home. Christmas at Dublin Castle is definitely high on Santa’s nice list when it comes to heart-warming festive spirit. Tomorrow night they have a Mozart by Candlelight concert that is free to attend, but you’ll need to book tickets by email from dublincastletickets@opw.ie. They are also running free choir performances, children’s magic shows and storytelling events on a first come, first seat for a bum basis. I’ve ducked down to this event and Wanderly Wagon was very pleased to find out that Forty Coats was leading one of the choirs.

The Dublin Docklands Festival has been running for eight years and they've made it diffiuclt to pass George's Dock at this time of year without getting your nostrils hooked by the smell of mulled wine and oversized German sausages. Be wary of over indulgence at the docks though, it can leave you the wurst for wear. There are choirs performing here for free on Saturday and Sunday afternoon, but if you want to catch Rónán Ó Snodaigh on Sunday night, you'll have to dip into the dwindling change.

Not to be outdone, Cork are celebrating their own seasonal festival in the form of Glow. Bishop Lucey Park has been transformed into Tír Na Nollaig, a christmas jumper brought to life; entry is free. Undoubtedly though, the star attraction in our other capital is the Ferris wheel. More power to you if you manage to bring a gaggle of kids to the park and convince them that they wouldn’t like a spin on the Shandon Eye before heading home.

Galway's Christmas Market is a bit more your standard stalls and gee-gaw affair, but the Belarusian Nuns do lend it a bit of homeliness and character. You can have your fill of mulled wine and sausage here too, but if it's earthiness you're after, the regular Saturday market in Galway is always a safe bet.

While wandering around Winterval in Waterford I was bowled over by Christmas Spirit; nearly got knocked down by a open topped tram and pulled by a pair of sturdy brass and sleigh-bell-bedecked Clydesdales outside Penneys. Choirs, films, Vikings, hurdy-gurdys, cookery demos, illuminations and enough festive cheer to buzz up the most ardent Christmas festival cynic, Winterval is living up to its lofty claim of being Ireland's Chirstmas Festival. You can catch it over the next two weekends. I buckled in Waterford and bought a bauble. Ho, ho, ho, yo!

Happy Christmas, don’t die.