Market values

Stop stalling - Christmas has arrived and with it fairy lights, mulled wine and hand-made gifts. Here are some Christmas markets to get you in the spirit

RANELAGH GOES BOUTIQUE

Launching next Saturday, December 10th and running until the 18th, this one-stop shop at Ranelagh Arts Centre, 26 Main Street, will be selling Irish-made gifts. Buy lighting by Klickity, linen tableware by Jennifer Slattery and candles by Amie Organics. Stocking fillers start from €10. The Christmas Boutique is open from 11am-6pm, with late opening until 7pm on Thursday and Saturday.

FRANCIS STREET GETS FESTIVE

The Antiques Quarter in Dublin 8 will be twinkling with festive cheer from Thursday, December 8th. There will be mulled wine and music, courtesy of students of the Bristol Institute of Modern Music. Niall Mullen has cool cocktail accessories and glassware. There is fine furniture, objets d'art and contemporary art at established names such as Michael Connell Antiques, Martin Farrell Antiques, Lantern Antiques, the Iveagh Gallery and the Cross Gallery. The festival also runs Friday and Saturday, 10am-6pm and Sunday, 1pm-5pm.

PARK LIFE

Phoenix Park and its deer herd puts a fresh face on the Christmas atmosphere. On December 10th, 11th, 17th and 18th, pop in to the grounds of Farmleigh where there will be music, with a barbershop quartet crooning and carolers singing, as well as storytelling and theatre for kids, horse and carriage rides and plenty of stalls selling bites to eat and drink. Tel: 01-8155900, or see Farmleigh.ie.

SEASONAL SEASIDE GREETINGS

Dún Laoghaire's Christmas Festival and Market launches next Friday, December 9th. The event includes a traditional Christmas market with continental-style vendor huts along Marine Road. Hand-crafted gifts, decorations, bags and jewellery will be on sale, as well as a wide range of artisan food. The Pavilion Plaza will have an outdoor ice skating rink (tickets €8-12). Santa's Train will run afternoons and on the weekend and costs €4. There's also a live crib by the church. See dunlaoghaire.ie.

Also in Dún Laoghaire, Susannagh Grogan's silk scarves and Vivien Walsh jewellery are among the items for sale at the Design Corner pop-up shop opposite the entrance to the People's Park. Open 10am-6pm, Monday to Saturday, and 11am-6pm on Sunday, up until December 24th.

GORGEOUS GEORGIAN GLAMOUR

As a setting, Powerscourt Townhouse Centre is a scenestealer. It has been delightfully decorated by its shopkeepers and smells as fragrant as it looks. Visit Mark Grehan's The Garden to order gorgeous wreaths and tabletop decorations. Drop by A Rubanesque for traditional-style tin soldier wrapping paper (€1.50 per sheet) and matching tin soldier ribbon (€3.50 per metre). Christmas carols will be sung on Sundays, December 11th and December 18th. The elegant property's acoustics make this an almost spiritual experience. Enjoy an evening of mulled wine and music on December 15th and puppet shows and workshops for the kids from December 21st to 23rd inclusive. Lunchtime opera takes place on December 16th and 22nd. Call 01-6794144 or see powerscourtcentre.com for more.

DOCKLANDS FESTIVITIES

The Docklands Christmas Market returns to George's Dock, in the IFSC, Dublin 1 and runs from December 8th-23rd. The market's beautifully restored showpiece is its galloping horses carousel and there are other fairground attractions to enjoy too. Carol singers add to the festive atmosphere as do the bands performing Christmas favourites. Shop for craft and Christmas decorations, bring the kids to see Santa and warm up with hot chocolate or traditional mulled wine. Hungry shoppers can indulge in a feast of continental pastries, mince pies and a selection of food stalls cooking up a variety of tempting treats – perfect presents for foodies. The market is open from noon to 8pm daily. Opening time on Saturday and Sunday is 10am.

TIME TRAVEL TO THE VICTORIAN ERA

Travel back in time with a trip to Wicklow Gaol's Victorian Christmas market. The market, in an an olde-world setting, will feature artisan food, craft and other seasonal stalls. Shop for Brooke and Shoals' scented hand-poured candles by Dragon's Den contestant Alison Banton, snuggle up in scarves and cardigans by Shuttle Knit, and decorate your home with dried fruit and herb wreaths from Living Gifts.

For kids, there is a Victorian Christmas Santa experience that includes Dickensian storytelling, with A Christmas Carol and other festive reads being performed by actors. Entry costs €12 per child. The market is free to enter and is open Fridays, 4pm-8pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays, 10am-6pm. For further information, and to book, see wicklowshistoricgaol.com.

TRIBAL BEATS

Galway's Continental Christmas Market returns to Eyre Square and is open daily (10am-10pm, Monday to Saturday and noon-8pm on Sunday). Buy beauty products from Rí Na Mara, made with seaweed harvested locally, teach junior an cupla focail with Babog Baby, a little teddy bear that speaks Irish (€29.99) and check out Leo Gobbato's stall Fayre Enough, selling toasty Tyrolean felt slippers and ski bunny knits for children and adults (from €15).

Visit Lapponia, selling Lapland designs from Finland's far north. Buy 100 per cent wool traditional pullovers (€75), reindeer hides (€85) and Lapland slippers (€12). Along with Christmas crafts, gifts and fashions, the market will also feature a food section, with delicacies from around the world including festive gluhwein, German pretzels, Polish sausage and Belgian macarons. See galwaychristmasmarket.ie.

THE MILKY WAY

The Christmas market at the all-weather Milk Market on Cornmarket Row in Limerick has arts and crafts, fashion, jewellery, antiques and collectibles, food and flowers as well as free lunchtime concerts to get you into the festive spirit. For further details tel: 061-214782, or see Milkmarketlimerick.ie. Kids can visit Santa at his workshop. Entry costs €15 per child and each child receives a gift. Additionally, there is a series of night-time gigs taking place onsite, with Imelda May playing on Friday, December 23rd.

YEATS COUNTRY CHRISTMAS

The Village Food Fare in Collooney takes place just nine miles from Sligo town, but feels worlds apart. Housed in the old corrugated iron village hall, its Christmas market offers a combination of local and artisan producers, selling everything from live poultry to hand-blown pottery, clothing and jewellery. The Gourmet Parlour's Christmas pudding sells from €8 per pound, while homeowners will love the craft and design on sale upstairs at the Roundabout Gallery and Craft Loft. Some of the best buys include wood turner Matt Jones's bottle stoppers and Ian Carty's horse-hair ceramics.

GRAND JOB

The Christmas market on Cork's Grand Parade includes a vintage carousel supplied by Warrington's to transport you back in time. There will be other funfair games to play, too. Being Cork, there will be plenty of food on offer. Sample Ollie's chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Rebel beef burgers and the Barracuda Barbecue Company, which will be serving spit-roasted pork, marinated in a special seasoning. Kids will love Canard Sauvage, serving up chic French nougat, pralines, festive candy canes and lollipops.

MARBLE CITY CHRISTMAS

Kilkenny's Christmas market takes place on the Parade Plaza, launching next Saturday, December 10th and running through to December 23rd. Kilkenny's Gospel Choir, the city's Army Barracks Choir,

Kilkenny Musical Society and numerous school choirs will entertain you as you shop for stocking fillers and gifts for foodies at the Naked Soap Company, Knockdrinna Farm's cheese and The Truffle Fairy handmade chocolate fudge and pralines. For kids, there's a Victorian-style carousel and a black and amber train, to transport you to Kilkenny on Ice, an indoor ice rink at Cillín Hill, about 2km away. The train costs €2.

DIARY DATE FOR FOODIES

The Temple Bar food market returns to Meeting House Square, trading on Wednesday, December 21st and also on Christmas Eve. Enjoy a few half shells at Temple Bar oyster bar washed down with a glass of chilled wine. For details tel: 01-6772255 or see Templebar.ie.

Index

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PartiesAny time, any place, any where. Warning to hosts – the whole nation is desperate for a bit of craic

'American Horror Story'Who'd ever have thought the brains behind Glee could come up with something so utterly and compellingly terrifying?

Iona Farm's Elstar applesSupport local growers. Iona Farm sells direct from its base in Oldtown, Co Meath. Look out for their John 0'Prince variety, too

Men's jumpers on womenMore comfortable and they come in better colours

History slot on Moncrieff on Tuesdays, with Graham FinlayNewstalk, weekday afternoons; terrific, and strangely under-praised

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Margaret ThatcherHer reputation's soaring. We blame Meryl Streep

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WHAT’S NOT

Pippa Middleton's £400,000 book advanceWe wish our sister had married a prince

Queuing to get into car parksThe ultimate in ridiculous situations; fairly makes our blood boil

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Electronic bus timetablesYes we know we said they were hot a while back, but it turns out they're not reliable across the board. The huddled masses don't like it

Rubbish female 'icons'Yes, Rihanna, we get it, you exercise! Now please, put some clothes on