In this list
- The Pogues, “Fairytale of New York”
- Charlie’s Bar, Enniskillen: the pub ad that beat John Lewis
- SuperValu 2020: “Grandad, I knew you’d come”
- An Post 2022: the Tin Man
- Cairde: Merry Christmas from Ireland
- Celtic Thunder, “Christmas 1915”
- Celtic Woman, “O Holy Night”
- The Late Late Toy Show’s most magical moments
Nobody does Christmas quite like the Irish: the midnight Mass, the Toy Show, the candle in the window, the pints on Christmas Eve, and the annual argument about when it’s acceptable to play “Fairytale of New York”. These are the Irish Christmas videos that have been shared around the world, again and again. Grab a cup of tea and a mince pie.
1. The Pogues, “Fairytale of New York”
It’s not Christmas in Ireland until you’ve heard it in a pub. Released in 1987, The Pogues’ duet between Shane MacGowan and Kirsty MacColl is a messy, bittersweet story of Irish emigrants in New York, and it’s regularly voted the greatest Christmas song of all time in Ireland and the UK. Read more about Shane MacGowan and the story of the song, and watch Saoirse Ronan’s famous Fairytale moment.
2. Charlie’s Bar, Enniskillen: the pub that beat John Lewis
In 2023 a family pub in Co. Fermanagh made a homemade Christmas ad about an elderly widower who just wants someone to say hello. Six million views later, people around the world were calling it better than the John Lewis ad. Watch it and read the story behind it here.
3. SuperValu 2020: “Grandad, I knew you’d come”
Christmas 2020 was the year families couldn’t be together. SuperValu’s ad follows a young boy called Conor preparing for Christmas in lockdown, leaving out the mince pies and putting a “please stop here” sign outside his house. When he hears someone downstairs on Christmas night, it isn’t Santa: it’s his grandad. For a country that hadn’t hugged its grandparents in months, it was a lot.
4. An Post 2022: the Tin Man
An Post’s “Send from the Heart” ad borrows the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz, the character with no heart. He can’t find any Christmas spirit until a neighbour sends him a card with a heart on it. A gentle reminder that a card in the post still means something.
5. Cairde: Merry Christmas from Ireland
The Irish dancers who went viral with Banjo Beat have made Christmas videos a tradition of their own. Expect perfect footwork, Christmas jumpers and plenty of Irish charm.
6. Celtic Thunder, “Christmas 1915”
Written by the Irish songwriter Cormac MacConnell, “Christmas 1915” tells the story of the Christmas truce in the First World War, when soldiers on both sides heard “Silent Night” drift across no man’s land and briefly laid down their guns. Celtic Thunder’s live version from Dublin is a guaranteed lump in the throat. If you love Celtic Thunder, don’t miss their Amazing Grace.
7. Celtic Woman, “O Holy Night”
Celtic Woman have sold millions of albums around the world, and their Christmas performances are a staple of Irish-American holidays. Their “O Holy Night” is pure goosebumps.
8. The Late Late Toy Show’s most magical moments
Every year Ireland’s biggest TV night produces a child who steals the nation’s heart: Adam King’s virtual hug, Michael meeting Davy Fitz, Sheamie charming Patrick Kielty. Watch the best Toy Show moments here.
More Irish Christmas
- Irish Christmas traditions, food and dinner
- 10 Irish Christmas blessings
- Nollaig na mBan: Women’s Christmas
- How to say Merry Christmas in Irish
Which Irish Christmas video always gets you? Tell us in the comments.
Featured photo: Grafton Street, Dublin, at night, by Miguel Mendez, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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