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Best Santa in Cork area?

  • 27-11-2010 10:10am
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 2,933 ✭✭✭


    Moved to Cork area this year from abroad with family so still figuring things out. Where will the best Santa be in town as I need to take my kids into the City to see him in next few weeks. One with a real santa beard would be preferable!

    Thanks!


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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 4,604 ✭✭✭dave1982


    Best i found is Santa in fota island,unsure if he has real beard or not


  • Registered Users Posts: 126 ✭✭dextero


    Fota zoo are doing a santa this year, Id say it will be good. I know one of the girls involved in it and herself and her collegues are putting in a huge effort with it. If you are not a member it is €25 per child - for this the child plus one adult gets into the zoo, the child gets a present and a photo with santa. You have to book it in advance.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 273 ✭✭i like pie


    the one in blarney is meant to be good too from what I've heard!


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,544 ✭✭✭Hogzy


    Blarney by far. I remember going to it 15yrs ago. He arrived by helicopter and i was amazed at it!!!!

    I heard on the radio the other day that the helicopter thing is still going.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,238 ✭✭✭Ardennes1944


    definitely blarney. and the woolen mills shop and area are always decorated really nice. and christy's restaurant in the hotel is a really nice place to eat


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,543 ✭✭✭tinner777


    went to blarney 2 years ago and thought it was poor, rushed and rubbish present that wasn't safe for a three year old.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,521 ✭✭✭Padraig Mor


    Went to Fota Santa 2 years ago and it was rubbish. €20 per child was taking the piss (and there was no zoo visit included). 'Santa's elves' consisted of bored teenagers ignoring the kids and just talking to each other.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,845 ✭✭✭soundsham


    definitely blarney. and the woolen mills shop and area are always decorated really nice. and christy's restaurant in the hotel is a really nice place to eat


    used to be the best but not very good the last 2 years


  • Registered Users Posts: 823 ✭✭✭kakee


    Has to be this one. By the way I don't think you will find too many Santas with real beards in Ireland.

    http://www.leahysfunfarm.ie/santa.html


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,302 ✭✭✭Cadyboo


    Blackpool shopping centre santa is free, he is the the middle of the centre on a big chair, and he is lovely. Havent seen him yet this year, but last year had a real beard.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1 monobrow


    I reckon it's the santa experience at Fota House - it's the old house near Fota Wildlife park. It's about €25 entry for the kid...think adults are free. Check website.They set the old house uo to make kids think Santa lives there and there are maps of the globe laid out. It's all for charity and I know one of the volunteers setting it up this year.


  • Registered Users Posts: 892 ✭✭✭mariebeth


    Just in case anyone is interested, Dan Lowrey's pub on MacCurtain st in the city will be having Santa during the day next Saturday & Sunday for the kids. He'll be there again in the evening (Saturday for definitely) for the adults. Mrs. Claus should be putting in an appearance as well as one of their elves :)

    It's my cousin doing Santa in there so I'm looking forward to seeing how he gets on...he's a fantastic actor so he should hopefully do Santa justice!

    It probably won't be as good as the more established places, but it will still be a lot of fun for kids & adults alike.


  • Registered Users Posts: 408 ✭✭gramlab


    Fota house - very well put on but has gotten too busy. Went the 1st year and it was very good. The following year as well but it was too crowded and not as enjoyable.

    Did Blackrock Observatory last year. Good santa but kids were too young to get the whole observatory thing.

    Will try Leahys farm this year. Have been there a few times and enjoyed it so they probably should do a good job of the whole santa thing.


  • Registered Users Posts: 718 ✭✭✭fastrac


    Griffins Garden Centre in Dripsey had a very good set up with Breakfast with Santa on the weekends and a huge Christmas shop. They had live reindeers there a few years ago. Dont know about price or waiting times but you could ring them.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,543 ✭✭✭tinner777


    fastrac wrote: »
    Griffins Garden Centre in Dripsey had a very good set up with Breakfast with Santa on the weekends and a huge Christmas shop. They had live reindeers there a few years ago. Dont know about price or waiting times but you could ring them.

    give this place a miss, went last year, lovely set up, walked in santa told us not yet and sent us out, of course little one not impressed wouldn't go back in then :mad::mad::mad:

    Anyone tried the mills hotel in ballyvourney?


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,385 ✭✭✭run_Forrest_run


    we've gone to Fota House for the past 3 years and enjoyed it. It has become a little tradition now. Price is €20 or €25 and as others said, it gets busy but you need to book in advance and why not get up early on a Sunday morning and go then? A nice walk down to the House on a crisp Sunday morning is just the thing.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,088 ✭✭✭NoDice


    IIRC Santa in Blarney is renowned as being the best. Hope you find somewhere to suit you that your little'uns enjoy. :)

    Hope this isn't derailing the thread but just wanted to know if anyone ahs been to the one in Mahon Point? It's closest to us and we were hoping to take our nieces in there after going to the teddy factory.


  • Registered Users Posts: 718 ✭✭✭fastrac


    Next weekend Santas at The Stable Yard at Blarney Castle 18th &19th from 12.30 to 3.30. This is not the Woolen Mills referred to earlier in the thread. Costs 5 euro/child with gift included and a donation will be made to Barnardos for every child that visits Santa. You can take your own pics. I think this is the first time Santa has visited the Castle.


  • Registered Users Posts: 816 ✭✭✭Satts


    Anybody been to see Santa at Leahy's open farm near Dungourney ?

    I see it's 15e per child and 5e per adult.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,385 ✭✭✭run_Forrest_run


    Satts wrote: »
    Anybody been to see Santa at Leahy's open farm near Dungourney ?

    I see it's 15e per child and 5e per adult.

    why on earth are they charging for the adult, it's not as if the adult has any choice in going out!
    I know some places (like Fota) charge €20 per child and no charge for adults so tis swings and roundabouts I guess, just sounds daft to charge for adults.


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  • Moderators, Education Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 12,466 Mod ✭✭✭✭byhookorbycrook


    why on earth are they charging for the adult, it's not as if the adult has any choice in going out!
    I know some places (like Fota) charge €20 per child and no charge for adults so tis swings and roundabouts I guess, just sounds daft to charge for adults.
    The problem is that adults are NOT charged for you can have one child, two parents, grannies, aunties and various other family members. I think one adult should be free and then charge for the others.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,385 ✭✭✭run_Forrest_run


    The problem is that adults are NOT charged for you can have one child, two parents, grannies, aunties and various other family members. I think one adult should be free and then charge for the others.

    oh well yes, I agree with you there. If there are aunts, grannies etc dragged along well yes, charge em.
    I was assuming only the mams or dads (or both) would be accompanying the children, like is the case with us.


  • Registered Users Posts: 816 ✭✭✭Satts


    why on earth are they charging for the adult, it's not as if the adult has any choice in going out!

    I haven't been to Leahys but I presume they are charging adults because being an open farm there are some animals and other stuff to see besides Santa.


  • Registered Users Posts: 241 ✭✭douglasman


    Went to Maryborough Hotel & Spa this year, very good setup, 25 euro per child, no extra charge for adults. You walk through what they call a Fantasy Kingdom meeting animated characters on your way to the North Pole, the animals are faily realistic and it's a good Christmas atmosphere, next there is a 4D interactive Santa movie with glasses provided for all, it's very good with various objects leaping from the screen and coming at you! The kids really enjoyed that. Next you get to see two live deer before heading in to see Santa and get your picture taken and get your present, you pick up the photos shortly afterwards in another area of the hotel. It can be booked online on the maryborough website, all in all very good.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1 LindaJ


    Over the years we have done Santa at Blarney Woolen Mills and at first loved it, thought we'd never change because the Santa had been wonderful and the set up highly original but as the years went by, it was the same thing over and over again. I think the set up became stale not only for us but for those working there. We decided to try Dripsey which is pretty far from where we live and it was lovely but not a trip we would do every year.

    We did Leahy's farm the following year and it was nice but the children weren't too impressed with the gifts they got or baking cookies with Mrs. Claus. So last year we tried something different again and went to the Observatory. It was great because with a twelve year old we really didn't want to leave him at home and he was insisting on milking the 'santa' belief for another year. It had plenty to keep him occupied, as it did our 6 year old, myself and my husband and even our 1 year old.

    We won't be doing it again this year because we really wanted to get up to the city to see the lights at Bishop Lucey Park and attempt to see a Santa close by. I did hear there was one in Beamish and Crawford but not sure how true that is. Of course time is now ticking and we usually would have seen Santa by now but we've all had the nasty flu so it'll have to be this weekend or not at all.

    We might give Fota house a try if other options fall through. To be honest, I think any Santa is pot luck at this point. They change annually, the best thing to remember is to try to see it through your children's eyes and have fun.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,385 ✭✭✭run_Forrest_run


    douglasman wrote: »
    Went to Maryborough Hotel & Spa this year, very good setup, 25 euro per child, no extra charge for adults. You walk through what they call a Fantasy Kingdom meeting animated characters on your way to the North Pole, the animals are faily realistic and it's a good Christmas atmosphere, next there is a 4D interactive Santa movie with glasses provided for all, it's very good with various objects leaping from the screen and coming at you! The kids really enjoyed that. Next you get to see two live deer before heading in to see Santa and get your picture taken and get your present, you pick up the photos shortly afterwards in another area of the hotel. It can be booked online on the maryborough website, all in all very good.

    jesus, how did we all survive growing up! When I was a little fella my Santa trips consisted of going to Shaws, joining the queue with the rest of the county and waiting to meet the man with a smell of booze of his breath inside a shabby chip-board hut...ah them were the days :D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1 Rainbow 001


    My nana loves the build up to Christmas. However, this year she did not feel up to heading into the city. I brought her out to Griffins Garden Centre, Dripsey to see the Christmas displays. They have made a huge effort with the displays, so much so you nearly feel guilty picking the decorations you want to buy from the beautifully decorated trees (which you are allowed do by the way, I asked...!!!). They do not follow the conformity of having rows of the same products lined up, which really adds to the experience. After meandering through the displays, we enjoyed a cup of tea and scone. We both toughly enjoyed ourselves, and would highly recommend a visit for those of you looking to avoid the hassle of the city.


  • Registered Users Posts: 204 ✭✭Ainu


    Auntie Nellies Sweetshop in Midleton do a Santa this year, with workshop and all.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,543 ✭✭✭tinner777


    We really enjoyed the mills in ballyvourney last year. Little elves gave us a questionnaire went into santas house and he was lovely we where in there 15 mins with the three kids


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,079 ✭✭✭seefin


    My friend brought her 3 to place near kinsale road roundabout.raved bout it.had elves workshop, reindeer, train etc.photos were best ever. Think cost em bout 16 per child.couldn't believe how much it costs but she said that's typical! I feel my childhood was totally deprived now,never got taken to Santa :-(


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