Christmas

Consumer watchdog’s survey reveals households with children set to spend average €1,600 on festive season

The bonus is worth 100 per cent of their payment, meaning recipients will get a double-payment of their welfare amount

I’m hunkering down, blooming where I planted myself, I’ve even bought a washing machine

Latest case follows previous outbreaks at farms in Laois, Monaghan, Meath and Carlow

Pricewatch reckons the cost of an Irish Christmas in 2025 will be about €700 more than five years ago

Stop buying gifts for adults and forget matching PJs seem sensible suggestions; pretend it’s not happening and print made-up vouchers, less so

Psychiatrist Rami Kaminski has identified a new ‘personality style’ but is it just a pleasing label for stubborn individualists?

Unforgotten actor Sinead Keenan on acting roles, festive memories and Christmas Eve fry-ups in Bewleys

Winter Papers 11 is a Christmas annual to stand the test of time, and An Alternative Irish Christmas is great for those jaded by other literary offerings

A doctor advises on how you can reduce the health risks of a night’s binge drinking

Last Christmas is odd-on favourite to top the charts again this festive season. It would be a hollow victory

This being the humungous Christmas morket in – believe it or not – Belfast

Delivering 2,500 Christmas food boxes in Cork, the idea is that families get enough supplies for three key days

Are we afflicted with a certain cultural blindness when it comes to things we see every day?

Whether it’s a gift or not, these whiskeys will never fail to impress a taster

The author on her new Christmas novel; her hopes of it becoming a Hallmark movie; and her belief in fate

A round-up of festive gift and entertainment ideas

How ironic that it comes hot on the heels of the save-the-planet summit destined to go down in history as Flop30

Every time we stop trying to meet invisible Christmas expectations, an elf is taken from Santa’s workshop and shot in front of his family

The festive season was once characterised by excess, but the Irish are becoming increasingly aware of their waste and bad habits, writes Domhnall O’Donoghue

Gifts that will leave a big impression, from Ninety Nine Words for Rain by Manchán Magan to Sinéad Moore Ceramics

Simple tips go a long way in helping everybody to enjoy the experience of mucking in

It’s the season of excess. Forget about minimalist chic and go all-out on decorations

Children’s authors and experts recommend books to give anyone aged from four to 14+

A curated, all-Irish roundup of the best places to shop for gifts — online and on time

Appetite for real specimens increasing countrywide and abroad, helped by environmental concerns

Those among us who are looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving might also like to take note of these excellent options

From fashion to food, jewellery to beauty, there’s something here for everyone from brands that include Tayor Swift, CMAT and Stanley Tucci among their fans

Taking on such a beloved festive text for a family-oriented show brings several challenges

Consider lunch or afternoon tea if dinner reservations prove elusive

Celebrity chef on life with Harry Herbert, her love of trad music and celebrating Christmas in Hampshire

The skilled menu, including several must-orders, simply tastes of celebration

Christmas in a castle, anyone? Our quick guide includes pre-holidays hotel breaks, relaxing festive escapes, shopping inspiration and family fun

Get a change of scenery, fit more family in or shape new traditions in homes away from home

The star comedian on golfing with Bill Murray, the fear of an empty page and being ready to ‘evolve in the woods’

Many families have found themselves in situations with ‘very little hope’ charity says at launch of annual appeal

Plus: Calendar clash between the President and Remembrance, the worst job in Ireland and a non-cancelled Limerick Christmas market

How to Drink Better: There’s no need to use expensive Champagne in most sparkling cocktails

A simple skincare guide to depuffing and rehydrating in a hurry

Crew of 30 workers took four weeks to install festive illuminations across city centre