Christmas In Carrick On Suir...

 5 days to go!!

For those of you who don't know about Carrick On Suir, it's a small town in the South Tipperary (Ireland) and the place I call my home. I won't lie to you and say it was always a great place to grow up in, but the older you get and the more you visit busy cities you begin to appreciate the small town with one main street where you're not immune to dodging between speeding cars, or motorcycles or garda cars..not that they really leave the station anyway but, none the less I've been to many cities over the Christmas period and none of them have a trace on my little town, okay okay.. some of the lights beat Carrick, but shur look we can't have it all.

The Carrick Beg Christmas Tree.

There are many reasons why I love Carrick this time of the year, mainly for the traditions me and my friends have, there's the annual trip for hot chocolate, no Starbucks for us, Abbey stores does the job. There's also the Carrick Beg Christmas tree that has been centre stage to many of our photographs throughout the year.  Not to mention when we're blessed to have snow during the winter. I've nothing but the best of memories of the gang from the avenue heading up farmer Weileans hill to slide back down, whether we intended coming down on our backsides or not... it was going to happen. And of course  our annual Christmas Eve trip up the main street for lunch and last minute present shopping (because the girls are always so unorganised (Okay, I admit, it's always me with the last minute shopping to the pound shop) but none the less a Christmas tradition we can't forget, and nothing tops it off more than when you hear jingle bell rock blaring out of the speakers, again, and again... and again...

Myself and my best friend Aisling, Christmas Eve 2013.

There are many other reasons why I think Carrick is so special this time of year. One in particular is the facebook group 'Things I miss about Carrick On Suir' -Set up in Nov 2013, by the coolest priest since Father Ted.

The main reason why I love this page is because it allows people who have left the town to feel like they are still connect to home at Christmas time, and share their own Christmas message. It really is something that makes Carrick so special and unique.

Another thing is our annual toy mass for the local Vincent De Paul. This is the most magical mass you could go too. I've been going for as long as I can remember and it's one my Christmas highlights. It's a special mass because you bring a gift for a child and the VDP then send it too less fortunate children. 

It's probably one of the only things that shows the true meaning of Christmas, giving rather than receiving, it is magical. Not to mention that special man that arrives on his sleigh every year at the end of the mass. 

We also have the remembrance tree outside the theatre which is in aid of the South Tipp Hospice, something very close to my heart and to have that on front display driving across the bridge.... magical.

I could go on and on, but I'm a teenager so I'm supposed to rebel against where I'm from, but there is something really magical this year happening in Carrick which I'm beyond excited for... everyone knows the coca- cola Christmas truck?... well obviously that isn't going to ever come through Carrick, so what do they do?? 

The most Carrick thing anyone could think of, bring through a load of lit up tractors!  One night, ten tractors and over 5,000 lights!!!!

I can't even.........

Then to top off the night,  3/4 of the population will bring in Christmas Eve together by doing the 12 pubs. Where else would you want to be for Christmas??... It may have took my nineteen years, but I'm finally able to say I'm proud of my little town.♥ 

(This being said I'm going out here Tuesday night so all could change by then... haha)