Christmas in Ireland

We are considering traveling to Ireland over the Christmas holiday, somewhere around the 20th - 26th.  My husband's concern is that the weather will be bad and we won't enjoy our trip.  Is there still plenty to do at this time of year?  Also, I have seen posts saying that restaurants and hotels are closed on Christmas Day.  Is this true?

Hi Beckie!

Christmas is thoroughly celebrated throughout the island and while many pubs, restaurants and hotels will indeed be closed on the 25th, there will always be some that remain open for this special day. I'd advise you to book your accommodations well in advance, as these days tend to sell out quickly. Some hotels and B&B's offer Christmas dinners for their guests or can recommend a nearby restaurant that will be open.

You'll find there will still be plenty to do around this time of year. Places in Dublin and key attractions remain open to visitors, while most major cities and bigger towns will have their own Christmas markets and festively lit-up streets. Our hub page on Christmas in Ireland is a great place for some information and inspiration on what to do. Amy and Rena came to us with similar questions some time ago on this Community. There are lots of useful tips to find there as well!

As for the weather, it will probably be cold, but rarely below freezing. Bring something against possible rain showers and you both should be more than fine. :)

Have you a place in mind that you'd like to visit or are you thinking about travelling around?

Joris

Hi Beckie,

Christmas is a lovely time to visit Ireland. The pubs and shops and most businesses will be closed on Christmas Day but they'll be open all other times. Some attractions close over that period but most of the big ones will be open e.g. Guinness Storehouse so don't worry, you'll have plenty to do. 
Some hotels do Christmas packages where you check in for 2 or 3 nights and have all your meals and some sightseeing included. I was at the Great Southern Hotel in Killarney one year and it was excellent. There will be lots of other hotels around doing that too though.
There are Christmas markets in Galway, Belfast and a great festival in Waterford called Winterval.
Generally, the weather is pretty mild, we haven't had a white Christmas in a long long time. You'll need sweaters and rain jackets and some waterproof shoes but you'll be grand. 
It's a lovely time of year for walking and it gets dark early so it's a good excuse to head for the pub, sit by a turf fire and enjoy a warming Irish Coffee and/or a bowl of fresh Seafood Chowder - yum!
Sandra.

Hi Beckie,

Christmas time is quite an exciting time to be in Ireland, I think. There's actually quite a few hotels all over the island that offer special christmas packages, such as dinners, parties etc. If that's something you'd be interested in, you could read more here about Christmas dinners in Cork or Christmas parties in Galway, alternatively look here for Christmas in Dublin. There's also special christmas packages in Sligo that could be interesting. 
I would definitely not worry about hotels around Christmas time although I would advise you to book early.
Other fun things that happen around Christmas time are pantomimes, Christmas day swims as well as plenty of attractions to go visit.
The tour operator that is known for offering tours over christmas are Lynott Tours so definitely worth checking them out, I think.
Hope this is helpful!