Little Red Riding Hood & Sk8ter Jack at The Civic

Civic Theatre (Tallaght) presents

Little Red Riding Hood & Sk8ter Jack
Written and Directed by David Parnell
Music composed by Russell Smith
Set & Costume Design by Laura Howe
Lighting Design by Mark Galione

Starring: Aileen Mythen, Helen Norton, Ciaran O’Brien, David O’Meara & Russell Smith

A traditional fairytale, a nasty wolf, a wizard, a sk8ter boi and other exciting characters combined with a delightful musical score, laughter, mischief and lots of audience participation ensures that Little Red Riding Hood and Sk8ter Jack is a festive treat for the whole family.

Thurs 27th December 7pm

Fri 28th December 3pm & 7pm

Sat 29th December 3pm & 7pm

Sun 30th December 3pm & 7pm

Mon 31st December 3pm

Wed 2nd January 3pm & 7pm

Thurs 3rd January 3pm & 7pm

Fri 4th January 3pm & 7pm

Sat 5th January 3pm & 7pm

Sun 6th January 3pm

School Performances
Monday 14th – Friday 18th January @ 10am & 12.30pm
Booking: 01 4627477

Admission: €20 & €15 concession, €62 (family ticket)
http://www.civictheatre.ie

Fossetts Christmas Circus 2007

Royal Hospital Kilmainham
1st - 23rd December 2007

Bookings (01) 662 0140

www.christmascircus.ie

7UP Christmas on Ice

Ireland’s coolest Christmas event returns to the RDS for its’ fifth year from Nov [23rd] ’07 – Jan [13th] ‘08.

Enjoy ice skating on the 1500sqm fully covered outdoor ice rink or discover the magic of Christmas with a mystical adventure to Santa’s Polar Palace.

7UP Christmas on Ice also features a number of ice-tastic special events and themed nights, including:

Funskate programme - skating programme for school group including introductory tips from the Ice Marshals.

Skit & Skate Comedy nights - skate along to all the sounds of the season before retiring to the starlit theatre for an hour of comedy with our top comedian.

Decks on Ice – enjoy live music while skating from top DJs including Mo Kelly

70’s Ice night – a groovy combination of skating and 70’s music with prizes for the best dressed groover!!

With all this and much much more 7UP Christmas on Ice has something for everyone!

For more information visit the event website at http://www.7upchristmasonice.ie/

Christmas 2007 in aid National Childrens Hospital Tallaght

Corporate Christmas Campaign
Christmas is a very special time, especially for young children. Supporting our Christmas Campaign means you will be helping sick children get better, not just at Christmas, but all year round.
This year we have a number of options for you:
Packs of Cards Individual packs available for purchase. Each pack contains 10 cards (5 different designs), these are available at €7.50 per pack (p&p is additional at cost). To place an order simply call us or email info@thenationalchildrenshospital.ie.

Corporate Christmas E-Card
We had a huge number of requests from companies last year looking for an alternative to the Christmas Card and so this year we are launching an E-Card. This card can be sent to all your clients, suppliers and staff, wishing them a Happy Christmas and letting them know that you have made a donation to The National Children's Hospital, Tallaght. You will also get a message to put up on your website.
This option means you can continue to send Christmas Greetings in a more cost effective manner and one that is environmentally friendly too!

Corporate Christmas Gift
We know that companies send Gifts and so this year we have something a bit different for you to send. Instead of sending a typical Christmas Gift make a donation to the hospital and we will send out a Christmas Tree Decorative Bauble to your clients, letting them know that you have made a donation to us.

Christmas Wrapping Stickers
Maybe you still need to send out gifts, well why not look at wrapping them for the Hospital? We are selling stickers this year to say that you chose to wrap your gift in aid of the hospital.

Full detail, prices and images will be up on this page shortly, drop us an email if you would like more information. info@thenationalchildrenshospital.ie

DSW Blog opening hours...

Well, we've provided bus and LUAS information, pub and shopping centre opening hours and information about Pantos over Christmas. These topics seem to be of greatest interest in referrals. So it's about time I wished everybody a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The Blog won't actually be closing over the Christmas, of course, so please check back from time to time to see if something new of interest is added.

A big thank you to the ever-increasing number of visitors who make use of the information here. (It would be nice if you leave a greeting, but we can't have everything!)

I'll post a file in the New Year on how other contributors can add material. It would also be nice if the Blog wasn't so much a one-man band. I'll put it on my New Year's Resolutions list, shall I?

Have a wonderful holiday.

Christmas Pub Opening Hours

Information from the Licensed Vintners Association, which represents pub owners in the Greater Dublin area.

CHRISTMAS TRADING HOURS
PERMITTED HOURS OF TRADING (Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003)

Friday 22nd December 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 a.m.
Saturday 23rd December 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 a.m.
Sunday 24th December 10.30 a.m. to 11.30 p.m. [Christmas Eve]
Monday 25th December Trading Prohibited
Tuesday 26th December 10.30 a.m. to 11.30 p.m. [Public Holiday]
Wednesday 27th December 10.30 a.m. to 11.30 p.m.
Thursday 28th December 10.30 a.m. to 11.30 p.m.
Friday 29th December 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 a.m.
Saturday 30th December 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 a.m.
Sunday 31st December 12.30 p.m. to 12.30 a.m. [Eve of Public Holiday]
Monday 1st January 2007 10.30 a.m. to 11.30 p.m. [Public Holiday]
Tuesday 2nd January 2007 10.30 a.m. to 11.30 p.m.

All of the above together with 30 minutes drinking up time.

*****

You should check with the management of your local pub regarding any local arrangements with respect to admission and/or price changes (increases!) over the holiday period.

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Dublin Bus Christmas and New Year Arrangements

Friday 22nd December 2006
Normal services will operate on all routes. All Nitelink services will operate with most buses running until 0430 hours. Dublin City Tour and Coastal Tours will operate. Ghostbus Tour will not operate.
Saturday 23rd December 2006
Normal services will operate on all routes. All Nitelink services will operate with most buses running until 0430 hours. Dublin City Tour, Coastal Tours and Ghostbus Tour services will not operate.
Sunday 24th December 2006 – Christmas Eve
Normal services will operate on all routes. Note: Last buses to and from the city will operate up to 2100 hours, excluding buses from Heuston Station, Dublin Airport and Ferry Port which will operate later than 2100 hours. Nitelink services, Dublin City Tour, Coastal Tours and Ghostbus Tour will not operate.
Monday 25th December 2006 – Christmas Day
NO BUS SERVICES
Tuesday 26th December 2006 – St. Stephen’s Day
A Sunday service will operate on all routes. Most Nitelink services will operate at 0030 and 0200 hours. Xpresso Services, Dublin City Tour, Coastal Tours and Ghostbus Tour will not operate.
Wednesday 27th December 2006
A normal service will operate on all routes. Most Nitelink services will operate at 0030 and 0200 hours. Xpresso services will not operate. Dublin City Tour, Coastal Tours and Ghostbus Tour will operate
Thursday 28th December 2006
A normal service will operate on all routes. Most Nitelink services will operate at 0030 and 0200 hours. Xpresso services will not operate. Dublin City Tour, Coastal Tours and Ghostbus Tour will operate
Friday 29th December 2006
A normal service will operate on all routes. All Nitelink services will operate with most buses running until 0430 hours. Xpresso services will not operate. Dublin City Tour, Coastal Tours and Ghostbus Tour will operate
Saturday 30th December 2006
A normal service will operate on all routes. All Nitelink services will operate with most buses running until 0430 hours. Dublin City Tour and Coastal Tours will operate. Ghostbus Tour will not operate.
Sunday 31st December 2006 – New Year’s Eve
A normal service will operate on all routes. Note: Last buses to and from the city will operate up to 2200 hours, excluding buses from Heuston Station, Dublin Airport and Ferry Port which will operate later than 2200 hours. All Nitelink services will operate with most buses running until 0430 hours. Dublin City Tour and Coastal Tours will operate. Ghostbus Tour will not operate.
Monday 1st January 2007 – New Year’s Day
A Sunday service will operate on all routes. Xpresso services, Nitelink services will not operate. Dublin City Tour and Coastal Tours will operate. Ghostbus Tour will not operate.
Tuesday 2nd January 2007
Normal services will operate on all routes. Most Nitelink services will operate at 0030 and 0200 hours. Dublin City Tour, Coastal Tours and Ghostbus Tour will operate.

For details of timetables and opening hours of Dublin Bus offices, visit www.dublinbus.ie

[For details of LUAS Christmas arrangements, please visit this post.]

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Christmas & New Year Refuse Collection, SDCC area

Refuse Collection Service arrangements for Christmas and New Year

Over the Christmas/New Year holiday period special arrangements have been put in place by South Dublin County Council to ensure a refuse collection for householders in the County.

The refuse collection service in South Dublin County will operate as usual except for the following dates:

Collections due on Monday 25th December 2006 will take place on Saturday 23rd December.
Collections due on Tuesday 26th December will take place on Saturday 30th December.
Collections due on Monday 1st January will take place on Saturday 6th January.

[Related posts: Council will come to you for Christmas Tree and Recycling in South Dublin County Area Christmas & New Years and No new bin labels in 2007: Council]

[More info from SDCC]

Information relating to waste collection in each of the Dublin Local authorities can be viewed at www.dublinwaste.ie

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Christmas events in Dublin City

Fine list of things to do in the city over the Christmas period on the excellent Dublin Community Blog. Follow this link for more details.

Capella Choir, Marlay House, 21st December

The Capella Choir will be at Marlay House, Rathfarnham, on 21st December at 8.00pm. The concert will be followed by mulled wine and mince pies.

Tickets are €15.00 and available from the Pavilion Theatre, Marine Road, Dun Laoghaire. Co.Dublin. Telephone: 353 1 231 2929 Fax: 353 1 663 6328 Email: info@paviliontheatre.ie

"A Loan Is Not Just for Christmas": Regulator

Press Release: The Financial Regulator today (Tuesday, 5 December) warned people to consider their choices when borrowing money this Christmas and to look for the most suitable loan for their needs, taking the overall cost of any loan into account before signing up.

Consumer Director, Mary O’Dea said, “Borrowing money at this time of year may be the only way for some people to meet Christmas expenses. But remember that once Christmas is over, the money is spent and you will have to make repayments long after the Christmas holiday. There are many ways of borrowing money, such as using an overdraft, taking out a personal loan, or spending on your credit card and while it might seem handy to use your credit card or in-store credit to pay for many of your Christmas expenses, these can end up costing you more in the long term. You will generally pay more for the convenience of in-store loans, using your credit card or availing of door to door credit collection. Think first what type of credit suits you best and how much it costs”.

"Once you have decided what type of loan you want, look beyond what the repayments will cost you every week or every month until the loan is repaid and ask the provider what the total cost of the loan is. This is what you will have to pay back to the lender in addition to the money you have borrowed. The cost of credit will vary depending on the amount you borrow, where you get your loan and how long you take to pay it back. The quicker you pay it back, the less interest you will pay. It can seem attractive to go for lower monthly repayments by taking longer to repay the loan but this will cost more because you will pay more interest. So weigh up what suits you best and how much you can really afford to borrow,” she added.

How much does borrowing money actually cost?*
· Jacqui borrows €1,000 from her bank for Christmas. Her loan is to be repaid over 12 months, paying back €89 per month**. In total she pays back €1,068 meaning the total cost of credit is €68.
· Pat borrows €500 from a moneylender to pay for Christmas presents. He pays back €20 a week for 32 weeks. The total cost of this loan is €140.***
· Claire borrows €700 from her local credit union where she has been saving for some time and has had loans in the past. She pays back €61.50 a month over the next year. The total cost of her credit union loan is €38.****
· Jim uses his credit card***** to pay for a few nights out running up to Christmas and presents for his family. When Jim gets his bill after Christmas, he owes €1,200. He pays €200 every month for six months, paying back a total of €1,200. At the end of the six months, he still owes €39 on his card due to interest.

The Financial Regulator provides free, independent information to help consumers make financial decisions. Cost surveys on credit cards and personal loans help people to shop around for the credit by showing the costs for products with the main providers in the market. A Guide to Personal Loans and Credit outlines the options for people who want to borrow money this Christmas, including loans from banks and credit unions, overdrafts and credit cards and the ‘Managing your money’ guide helps with planning and budgeting for the new year. All the Financial Regulator’s publications are available, free of charge, by calling the consumer help-line on 1890 77 77 77, logging on to www.itsyourmoney.ie or dropping into the Consumer Information Centre at 6-8 College Green, Dublin 2.

*The examples shown are based on typical rates for each product
** Sample bank loan APR 13.04%
***Sample moneylender loan APR 124.92%
****Sample credit union loan APR 10.33%
*****Sample credit card APR 14.9%

Central Bank warns on counterfeit notes

As the use of cash hits its peak at this time of year, the Central Bank warned that there is a corresponding increase in the opportunities for counterfeiters to pass off counterfeit banknotes to unsuspecting consumers. The Central Bank urged shoppers and those celebrating the Christmas season to be extra vigilant for counterfeit notes in the coming days and weeks, as this is an ideal time of the year for counterfeits to enter circulation.

A spokesperson for the Central Bank said: "Anyone who suspects they have a counterfeit banknote should pass it over to their local Gardai. Euro banknotes are produced to the highest standards and contain security features which are hard to counterfeit. It should be relatively easy to spot counterfeits and we would remind people to stay alert over the Christmas period.”

The Central Bank is advising consumers to check any suspect banknote by using the simple FEEL-LOOK-TILT test. This includes:

· Feel – the printing processes give banknotes their unique feel, which includes raised print.

· Look –when the banknote is held up to the light a picture and the value of the banknote become visible as a watermark, while the security thread can also be seen as a dark line.

· Tilt – on the lower denomination notes (EUR 5, 10, 20), a hologram appears on the foil stripe on the front of the banknote. On the higher value notes (EUR 50,100, 200, 500) a hologram appears on the foil patch on the front of the banknote.

In order to help shopkeepers maintain sufficient change in their tills, the Central Bank also reminded the public to use their coins and low value banknotes when paying for purchases.

Over 3 billion euro coins have been put into circulation in Ireland since 2002, and these are especially important at Christmas time, when the use of cash increases. Further information on the banknote security features is available on the Central Bank’s website: www.centralbank.ie.

Public information leaflets are available in the Central Bank, Dame Street, Dublin 2, or by phoning (01) 295 5666.

Tallaght Choral Society joins RTE Concert Orchestra

Tues 12 Dec 06
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
National Concert Hall, 8pm
Joy to the World
Colette Delahunt soprano
RTÉ Cór na nÓg
Tallaght Choral Society
Gareth Hudson conductor

A traditional Christmas celebration with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and guests.

A sack-full of Christmas goodies including
Joy to The World,
Silent Night,
O Holy Night,
Adeste Fideles,
excerpts from the Nutcracker,
and hosts of other seasonal favourites.

And if the Christmas spirit takes you, feel free to join in the festivities with our 'Carols for All'.
What more do you need to get your Christmas off to a festive start?
Tickets: €20, €25, €30, €35 (conc. €16, €20, €24, €31.50)
Booking: 01 417 0000 www.nch.ie

Luas Christmas Service arrangements

Click on image to view in larger format or visit www.luas.ie for more information.

The Christmas Show, with Susannah de Wrixon

"A festive evening of romantic song and story that guarantees great music, humour and lots of Christmas cheer."

Civic Theatre, Tallaght, Thursday 14th December 2006 @ 8.00pm. Tickets €18. Tel: 462 7477.

Fossett's Circus, Kilmainham

Fossett's circus take the brave step of pitching a Circus tent in the Christmas period, a time notoriously difficult to draw a crowd. The shows go on between 24th November and 7th January, inclusive, in the grounds of the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham. Support your national circuses!

Irish Stillbirth & Neonatal Death Society Christmas Service

The Christmas Service will be held on December 3rd 2006 in St Nicholas of Myra Church, Francis Street, Dublin at 7.30pm. The Society welcomes families to join it in remembering their babies in a special way at Christmas. The ISANDS National Remembrance Quilt will be on display. [More information]

Christmas Panto & Children's Drama in Dublin 2006-07

Mother Goose at the Gaeity
Sun 3 Dec 2006 - Sun 4 Feb 2007Tickets from €16.50Book Now!
The story so far…
Meet Mother Goose, Dublin’s Number One straight-talking, street-wise Panto Dame! Raising sixteen children is hard enough, but Mother Goose also has an evil rent collector to contend with. How can the gift of a goose called Prescilla possibly be the answer to all Mother Goose’s problems?....or is it just the start of them?! [Read More]

The Lyons Tea Panto: Sleeping Beauty
Anthem Productions. With Hazel O'Connor, Alan Hughes, George McMahon, Joe Conlan
Date: 15 December 2006 - 26 January 2007
Time:
Liberty Hall Theatre

Eden QuayDublin 1

Phone: +353 1 872 1122

Website: http://www.libertyhall.ie

An Grianan Productions present
Jack and the Beanstalk
Directed by Myles Breen at The Civic Theatre, Tallaght
This year's Christmas Show is Jack & The Beanstalk written by Little John Nee. You can expect lots of fun, great songs and audience participation from the cast of five great actors.

Thursday 28th December - Friday 19th January 2007 [Read More]

Lambert Puppet Theatre presents
Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs at The Civic Theatre, Tallaght
Once upon a time, there was a Theatre in Tallaght that opened its doors to Europe’s most highly acclaimed Children’s Theatre Company. Now the Lambert Puppet Theatre returns to the Civic Theatre with the classic fairy tale Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. [Read More] Sunday 11th February @ 2pm & 4.30pm

More to follow...

Christmas Gift Wrapping Shop

From December 9th -22nd a Christmas Gift Wrapping Shop will be open from 9am until 6pm each day (9pm on Thursdays and the week before Christmas) in the Stephens Green Shopping Centre.

The centre is donating the space to The National Children's Hospital, Tallaght, and they are looking for over 700 volunteers to help them Wrap! [More information]

Christmas Sing Along St Maelruains Parish

This annual event will take place on Friday 1st December in the parish centre at 7.00pm. We will be joined again this year by the D.C.C. singers and a visiting Brass Band.Come along and get into the festive spirit while singing Christmas carols, shopping for gifts and hand made decorations made by the craft group including hand made Christmas cards, decorations, hand knitted items, decorated logs and hand make cakes and enjoy a glass of wine and mince pies. Buy a raffle ticket and you may even solve some of your Christmas present list dilemmas!

Website: www.stmaelruains.ie