What coming home for Christmas means to these Irish celebrities
Maia Dunphy
The journalist and broadcaster, 39, is preparing to leave her new home in London and fly home to Dublin with her new baby Tom. But it’s bittersweet spending Christmas away from husband Johnny Vegas… “I always go to my parents’ house for Christmas. My husband and I are a bit non-traditional as we still both go to our respective families, and at this stage I think our individual family’s Christmas customs are incompatible!
“In previous years when I was simply catching a train out to my parents’ rather than a flight, my sister would meet me at the train station and we’d go to Finnegans in Dalkey for a drink but that was about the extent of tradition. This year, I’m flying home on the 22nd with Tom. My least favourite part of it is leaving my husband and step-son behind, but that’s modern families for you.
“As soon as I land back in the roost, the eating and drinking usually starts immediately with gusto! My mum always says it looks like we’ve bought too many presents.
“When I was younger, at least a few hours on Christmas Eve would be spent in the pub but being fuzzy- headed on Christmas morning is awful so I stopped that about a decade ago. We still often head out for one in the afternoon, but I’m terribly sensible now and leave before the madness begins.
“Now that I’m coming home all the way from London instead of Dublin, I’ll stay about a fortnight. My family are great at respecting personal space. No one is ever offended if someone wants to go for a walk by themselves or go visiting a friend, so that reduces any cabin fever! When I hear of people who don’t leave the house for three days, it makes my teeth grind.
“Tom is the first grandchild in my family, so the magic is well and truly back in Christmas!”
Laura Whitmore
Thirty-year-old TV host Laura has been in London for years, but always flies home for Christmas.
“I live in London but ‘home’ for Christmas is Ireland. I spend it between Dublin, Bray and Gorey with my mam, aunt and uncle, cousins and their little children, including my three-year-old godson Hugh.
“Christmas is the biggest tradition in my year. I fly back to Dublin by December 21st for my mam’s birthday. I’m normally only home five minutes before it feels like I never left!
“Christmas Eve is spent in Bray. We go to midnight mass (which is usually at 9.30pm) and then I meet my mates in the local and we have a traditional drink of sherry. Christmas morning we drive to Gorey where I have a lot of extended family. We visit my grandparents’ grave and there is a lot of ‘popping into’ my relatives for festive nibbles before we go for Christmas dinner in my aunt and uncle’s.
“This year I’m flying to New York after Christmas, where I’ll be for two weeks. But while I’m at home, I actually love staying in. So much of my work life involves being out so when I have a chance I’d much rather stay in with my family and close mates.”
Vogue Williams
The model, DJ and TV personality, 30, is based in London. But coming home to Howth at Christmas is always a special occasion.
“Home to me is Howth where I grew up and now own an apartment. I always spend Christmas with my family. This year we will all be in my mom’s house and I can’t wait, it’s our first Christmas at home all together in eight years.
“We always go for a big meal out locally on Christmas Eve and have lots of drinks and a good party. I love getting to see people I haven’t seen in a long time. Even though I spend a lot of time in Dublin, it’s always for work so I don’t get to see everyone as much as I would like to. I love the Brass Monkey in Howth, and then heading to the pub.
“How long I get to spend at home totally depends with work. I have a flight booked home to London for January 10, but I may end up leaving earlier or later. I’ll see how it goes. I’ll be staying in on St Stephen’s Day though. I’m due to work the 27th!”
Elaine Crowley
TV3 Midday presenter Elaine is a Mallow native, and will head home this year to celebrate Christmas Day with the family.
“Home for me is Newtwopothouse, outside Mallow. I spent the first half of my life there with my nine brothers and sisters, my parents and my grandmother… and yes, it was a bit crowded!
“I normally go home to Mammy for Christmas. Almost every Christmas Eve I get the train from Heuston to Mallow. Then I go home to my Mam’s house, where it’s always mayhem because someone has forgotten the bread sauce, brussels sprouts, custard or crackers. We send my brother John in to get them but he invariably goes AWOL (to the local) and I have to head into town with my sister Lil to pick up the last bits and pieces. Then there’s the annual stuffing the turkey debacle, and then finally the gang heads to the Hibernian Hotel for a couple of Christmas Eve hot ports.
“This year there will only be 11 for dinner on Christmas Day, but the rest of the gang will probably arrive down with their kids in the evening for board games.
“My favourite part of the occasion is seeing the kids get so excited about Santa — the childlike wonder of kids at Christmas is just so adorable!
“I usually stay home until the new year. I’m not a huge fan of New Year’s Eve, so I just go to a friend’s house back in Dublin with a gang.
“But where Stephen’s Day is concerned, all I can say is ‘watch out, Cork!’ Myself and my best friend Claire meet every December 26 and recreate our teenage years.”
Tara Flynn
Comedian and actress Tara, 45, has had a big year, between campaigning to repeal the 8th amendment and releasing her latest book Giving Out Yards. This year she’ll split Christmas between home in Dublin and her home town of Kinsale.
“Over the years I’ve done Christmas in Dublin, Cork, London, Canada — I’ve yet to do it in LA, where my husband’s from, but some year we’ll try a sunny one. This year’s plan is Dublin and then down to Kinsale after that.
“Our traditions involve clocking off ASAP on Christmas Eve, watching something festive and funny like Elf and opening any presents before midnight. Actually, we don’t really do presents unless we see something someone would really go nuts for. We give the gift of a stress-free run-up, and then spend that cash when we’re together, like on a dinner out, or something.
“My least favourite part of Christmas is the rows. Funnily though, the handier you take Christmas — eg. less present pressure — the fewer rows seem to happen. Could this be some kind of science?
“I used to go to midnight mass, even though I’m not religious. But the stress of having to look good while people you no longer know, and may not have seen in a year, look you up and down, judging your jumper, put me off. I’ll get to everyone in gradual clumps.
“We lost my Dad in March, so it’s been a tough year. It’ll be nice to be together. So far, the other ‘firsts’ haven’t been too bad, but I’m not sure what to expect from Christmas. It certainly won’t be high octane or massive craic this year. Hopefully, we’ll manage to rest and reflect and get through it. Mum makes a really Christmassy atmosphere. Tree’s up, fire’s lit, with all manner of food around. Like most people lucky enough to have somewhere to go to and family around, I guess, nothing unusual. But we’re very lucky to have it.”
Paula MacSweeney
The 30-year-old Today FM sweetheart is a regular on Ian Dempsey’s breakfast show and hosts her own spot. She lives in Dublin but home is Piltown, Co Kilkenny.
“I always work Christmas Eve which I love, because everyone’s in great form. And because it’s breakfast radio, I’m normally on the road home by 9.30am with my sister Niamh.
“We play a Christmas CD in the car, sing along badly and generally give good cheer en route.
“We’ll call into our sister Aisling — she has two small children who will be very excited about Santy’s arrival! Then we’ll head home and mam and dad will greet us with a massive hug and a glass of wine.
“They will be making the greatest dinner of all time — it’s always ham chez MacSweeney on Christmas Eve. Then we head to the local.
“This year there will be 13 of us for Christmas dinner — I’m one of eight children so that’s a modest amount of people for mam and dad to feed!
“My favourite thing about Christmas is seeing family… and sleeping! There’s nothing like sleeping in your bed in the house you grew up in— what I miss most about living in the country is the quiet. It took me a long time to get used to Dublin noise.
“This year missing my Dublin boyfriend may get the better of me and I might head back a little earlier — but only after Stephen’s night out!”
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