A German style Christmas Market in Limerick

Limerick_Lass

Wouldnt a German style Christmas Market be a nice feature for the city leading up to Christmas. With little wooden huts selling local and european style crafts and food. Gluwhein and gingerbread ect.
In a nice location decorated with lights, a large Christmas tree with live entertainment nightly.
Maybe incorporate the ice rink into the location.
Bring some joy and life to the city.

Berty

Galway have one organised by the Meyrick Hotel. They are starting building it tomorrow in Eyre Square, opening Friday Afternoon and open for 4 weeks till the 18th December. Last year was their first year and they have good and bad feedback.

We have the "French" Market but I never saw the draw to it personally.

Where could you have the German market though? It would have to be off the street because you would have to leave it up for at least a few weeks. The Civic Park is out because the Ice Rink will go there.

Having visited Christmas markets in other countries I think it would be great for Limerick if they did it right, with wooden huts/stalls like you said.

Cheapest one to get to is in Brussells because Ryanair/Aer Fungus really screw people for the German Markets so something similar is in Brussells and VERY traditional.

Touch Fuzzy Get Dizzy

Beer Baron wrote: »

Where could you have the German market though? It would have to be off the street because you would have to leave it up for at least a few weeks. The Civic Park is out because the Ice Rink will go there.

Trying to rattle my brain, probally a bad idea but all I got so far is down near where the Tavern by the Castle is?

Limerick_Lass

The location would be crucial alright!

I worked with the company who planned Vancouvers first German style Christmas Market last year and it was a massive success, they also had an entry fee unlike most in Europe.
But it was so simple to plan!

Voted one of the most spectacular christmas events in the world last year by Frommers

http://www.frommers.com/slideshow/?p=6&group=420&cat_cd=ARTCULTURE#slide

Mc Love

as long as they sell some german beer

firesidechat

Well they are in control of our economy.
Is it not a bit early to be adopting their customs ?

Kess73

Beer Baron wrote: »

Galway have one organised by the Meyrick Hotel. They are starting building it tomorrow in Eyre Square, opening Friday Afternoon and open for 4 weeks till the 18th December. Last year was their first year and they have good and bad feedback.

We have the "French" Market but I never saw the draw to it personally.

Where could you have the German market though? It would have to be off the street because you would have to leave it up for at least a few weeks. The Civic Park is out because the Ice Rink will go there.

Having visited Christmas markets in other countries I think it would be great for Limerick if they did it right, with wooden huts/stalls like you said.

Cheapest one to get to is in Brussells because Ryanair/Aer Fungus really screw people for the German Markets so something similar is in Brussells and VERY traditional.

The Galway German market was really really good last year, and it would appear that they have pushed the boat out even further for this year's one which kicks off tomorrow.


Totally agree with your comment about how they are done in other countries. Two of the European countries I lived/worked in were Germany and Belgium, and the Xmas markets there would make for great templates for one in Limerick.


Not sure where a full scale one would be able to go in Limerick city though. I can think of spots in the outskirts of the city that might be able to cope with the scale of such a market and be able to stay in place for weeks, but it is hard to think of a city centre spot that does not already get used at this time of year for something else.

Would be a very very cool thing to have in Limerick though if a site where it could be safely left up for three to four weeks could be found.

Poxyshamrock

Would the potato Market not be a suitle enough location?

Simon Adebisi

I was going to say Arthurs quay park but the scumbag magnet icerink will no doubt be there.

Limerick racecourse?

Adare Manor?

Kess73

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

Would the potato Market not be a suitle enough location?

Too small imho to do it properly. You could do a scaled back version there, but that would defeat the purpose tbh.


Out of the city there are a good few locations, but again that would defeat the point if the idea would be to bring numbers into the city centre.

The Galway one brings thousands and thousands of people into the city centre which of course has a great knock on effect for other nearby retailers/service providers, and from tomorrow onwards it will be crazy busy up there.

bigpink

The Galway one is in Eyre square no?

Potato Market would be perfect,in fairness we dont need a massive market to start just have a good one

You could expand it down by the Locke bar quay where thay had the BBQ cooking comps

Kess73

bigpink wrote: »

The Galway one is in Eyre square no?

Potato Market would be perfect,in fairness we dont need a massive market to start just have a good one

You could expand it down by the Locke bar quay where thay had the BBQ cooking comps

If Limerick were to get one, it would have to be able to rival the Galway one in both scale and quality if it wants to draw in similar numbers. The Galway one last year had loads from Limerick at it, and no doubt will be the same again for the next three or four weeks.


A Limerick one that at the very least matched the Galway one would be a massive draw for the city centre, and the potato market just would not be a big enough, or a safe enough area traffic wise to cope with the kind of crowds that the German markets attract.

In a way it is a pity that O'Connell street is not pedestrianised as where the road is now could be used for a couple of blocks. Would actually be awesome to see the centre of Limerick with the same kind of crowds of shoppers that the centre of Galway gets in Novemeber and December.

bigpink

Potato Market and some of the Hunt musem area and georges quay(correct name?)would surely to able to hold one big enough

Kess73

bigpink wrote: »

Potato Market and some of the Hunt musem area and georges quay(correct name?)would surely to able to hold one big enough

For three to four weeks with wooden huts etc left in place 24 hours a day?

Small matter of it being a very busy junction traffic wise as well. It is not a small market event like what normally goes on in the potato or milk markets.

You should head up to the Galway German market and have a look at the lovely set up and big crowds. Just could not see it working where you say in terms of size and safety from/for traffic. I think you are underestimating how big Eyre Square is, and how much room a similar sized market would need in Limerick. The Galway one also has family events on daily, a Santa grotto, and Galway City Council got heavily involved in facilitating things so that a third of the chalets were taken by local businesses, with the rest being filled by retailers from across Europe that come over especially for the four weeks. It is a big event there, and one that was planned to be big from the very first day.

Galway started big and proper with their one, so there would be no reason for a Limerick one to start off small if it wants to compete and make itself a similar attraction.

Would be a stunning attraction every Xmas if Limerick had one.

gaf1983

I reckon it would be a great idea, and I think Bedford Row or Lower Thomas Street would be the best location, very central, it would only have to be fairly small scale at first - a couple of huts. Perhaps would the stretch along the river between Clohessy's and Riverpoint work as well?

Kess73

gaf1983 wrote: »

I reckon it would be a great idea, and I think Bedford Row or Lower Thomas Street would be the best location, very central, it would only have to be fairly small scale at first - a couple of huts. Perhaps would the stretch along the river between Clohessy's and Riverpoint work as well?

Why should it be small scale to start with? If the proper planning went into it, and the various retailers were confirmed as well as alcohol licences etc., then it should be able to start off at a decent scale. The Galway one did not start off small and grow over time. Instead a huge amount of planning and work went into it, and it started last year as a big fully formed event that drew in big crowds from the very first day.

Limerick city should have planners and organisers that think just as big and if they do, I have no doubt that the numbers will arrive for such an event. Do something like this on a small scale and people will see it as no more of an event than the French market or the regular Saturday market.

From what I gather from other sources there is talk of Cork City looking at doing something similar to Galway in the next year or two. If that gets off the ground on a similar scale to Galway then it would be even harder to establish a Limerick version as it would be competing with not one but two established versions and a lot of people would just keep going to what they know.

lockman

There was one two years ago, and afaik last year also, in the Pery Square area.

http://www.oneperysquare.com/newsletters/news_0903.html

I think last year's one wasnt a great hit as the big freeze hit around that time.

I dont know if they plan to go ahead with it this year though.

Kess73

lockman wrote: »

There was one two years ago, and afaik last year also, in the Pery Square area.

http://www.oneperysquare.com/newsletters/news_0903.html

I think last year's one wasnt a great hit as the big freeze hit around that time.

I dont know if they plan to go ahead with it this year though.

Was at that. It is nothing like the quality or size of the German Xmas market though. It was very small in comparison and light years behind in terms of product and pricing.

Touch Fuzzy Get Dizzy

If we don't have a space big enough to do it outside could we do an indoor one? maybe somewhere like old Dunnes? (not this year like over the Santie thing is there now)
Just an idea.

Mc Love

bedford row and thomas st would be perfect for it stretching all the way from Foxys to the cornstore or up as far as foxes bow

adaminho

Mc Love wrote: »

bedford row and thomas st would be perfect for it stretching all the way from Foxys to the cornstore or up as far as foxes bow

Not suitable, the street is used for deliverys for the businesses on the street.

1huge1

As someone who has spent a year living in graz, austria and another year in munich, I totally put my support behind this, great addition to any city, brings the people together at christmas and seeing as how Cork and Galway (let alone Dublin) are already benefiting from this, it is about time we caught up.

Sidenote: Bought some Glühwein in Aldi the other day for €5.99, while it was a bit pricy (seeing as I got the exact same bottle in Munich for €1.20) it was still lovely, will make sure to stock up for x mass.

source

Arthur's quay park is the ideal location for this. Move the ice rink back to Merchants Quay, and set the market up in the park. It could go around the tree in the centre of the park and radiate out from there. It could also continue around the back of Sarsfield House and lead into Merchants Quay by that white metal bridge, giving people access to the ice rink from the market.

This would highlight the areas which are usually left vacant, and keep in theme with the 'riverside city' idea.

lockman

The Milk market will be running a Christmas market, starting this Friday, Nov 25th.

http://www.milkmarketlimerick.ie/default/index.cfm/calendar-of-events/the-friday-city-market76/

gaf1983

Kess73 wrote: »

Why should it be small scale to start with? If the proper planning went into it, and the various retailers were confirmed as well as alcohol licences etc., then it should be able to start off at a decent scale. The Galway one did not start off small and grow over time. Instead a huge amount of planning and work went into it, and it started last year as a big fully formed event that drew in big crowds from the very first day.

I suppose by small-scale I didn't mean that corners would be cut regarding the organising of the market, rather that it would be physically small enough to fit into Bedford Row.

Good news that the Milk Market are going to have a Christmas Market on Thursdays to Sundays coming up to Christmas - the only thing is, from the website it doesn't seem to be open in the early evening, which is what I'd associate the Christmas markets I've been to in Germany with, so perhaps it's not the same as what the OP was looking for.

Berty

I just left Eyre Square after doing a bit of work on the Market. It's going to be a good one this year.

One Problem though. The Crusties are still camped out on the square.

bigpink

It is great news but does that mean there will be new traders or just the regular market calling itself a christmas market

Kess73

Beer Baron wrote: »

I just left Eyre Square after doing a bit of work on the Market. It's going to be a good one this year.

One Problem though. The Crusties are still camped out on the square.

Yeah was up for a few hours during the week and it looks great again this year. I just hope that there are planners etc from Limerick up there this year taking notes and looking towards something of a similar scale.

Galway city centre is usually busy enough compared to Limerick city centre, but the numbers have jumped to a huge degree since the german market opened.

Like last year it was amazing as to how many familar faces from Limerick I came across in only a few hours.

Fingers crossed that next year or the year after we can be saying similar stuff about a German market in Limerick.

Itsdacraic

Where are we going to get all these Germans with their stalls from?

Berty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1aJBvzcAlw

This was my companies contribution to the event. BEER



Have a gander over on their Facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/galwaycontinentalchristmasmarket

Kess73

Itsdacraic wrote: »

Where are we going to get all these Germans with their stalls from?

From the same countries that Galway get their vendors from, and no doubt where Cork will get theirs from if their German market gets off the ground for Xmas next year. Germany, Austria, Belgium, and Ireland.