Dingle Christmas Present Ideas.

Yes indeed folks, it is that time of year again. The pumpkin lies slightly decomposed on the doorstep and only the nastiest and least favoured treats remain uneaten around the house. Halloween is behind us and inevitably our minds start to wander towards December 25th and all the joy and/or pain that goes with it.

Whether you love it or loath it, the chances are you will have to put considerable effort in to the festive period. Planning the day itself, who's house are you going to, making sure your place is stocked with food and drink, cooking duties, Santa (especially this year with supply chain delays!), work parties, friends and family visits, and of course the big one - buying presents!

I certainly can't do much to help you with most of the above, but what I will do is throw out a few Christmas Present ideas for you to consider - yes these are based on what choice we have in my home town of Dingle in Kerry - but I'm sure you'll get some inspiration from the below no matter what part of the country - or indeed world - that you live in.

Here's 10 ideas in no order and completely off the top of my head - primarily based on tried and tested options I've used over the years!

1 - Elouise Flannery Art - you can't go wrong with something arty. Yes she's my niece, but her stuff is top drawer and there's something for every taste and price point. Other artists may be available :)

2 - Fiadh. Hand woven scarves, mits and other bits n bobs. Always a go to whether you're buying for a 9 year old or a 90 year old, you'll find something timeless and elegant (and functional!) in here.

3 - The Education Shop (Corner Shop) - slightly out of left field here admittedly, but if you're a nephew, niece, god son or god daughter of mine it is an absolute certainty that you've received at least one present from this place. Toys a plenty for all ages and nice books and stationary for older kids and adults.....who doesn't like a nice diary and pen?! There's a bookshop a few doors down also - speak with a strong Aussie accent in there and get special attention!

4 - The Coach House - if you're ever stuck for a present idea for any female from the age of about 16 upwards, call in here and Grainne will have you sorted in no time. A broad and varied range of household and personal accessories that ooze class and good taste.

5 - Garveys Sports - again a kind of one stop shop for any young kids, teenager and outdoorsy adults! In, out, bish bash boom!

6 - Lifestyle-y type things.... Another consideration for a present is to get your loved one a membership or at least an experience to enjoy for an hour or two. Memberships could be in the form of the gym, or the golf club :) - or indeed you could get someone a trip to the Blaskets or an evening out Kayaking etc. I know many of these options may be of the 'delayed gratitude' persuasion with seasonal closures etc, but having done all of the above in the past two summers I can only say I thoroughly enjoyed the day out and remember each one vividly. Another great one of mine is to take the person/couple out to dinner - everyone's a winner in this scenario.

7 - Tickets for a gig - not exclusively a Dingle thing of course, but always a good shout as a present if you're stuck for ideas. Very handy, simply google what's on around you (theatre, music, seminar etc) that you think they'll like and buy the ticket. Easy peasy lemon squeezy and who doesn't love an evening out! An optional extra here if you really wanna spoil someone is to throw in accommodation on the night.

8 - Trinkets/Boutiques and the likes - Dingle, like most towns and cities around the world, has quiet a few little shops that do ornaments, jewellery, little momentos and such. I'm always amazed on the very rare occasions I visit any of these at how easy it can be to find a perfect gift literally by saying "I need a present for x and my budget is x". A bonus here is you can usually get the card in here and they will also wrap the lot. I like walking in with nothing and walking out ready to hand the gift directly to recipient. Efficient shopping - every mans dream! ;)

9 - The Surf Shop - Ben in Green Street has something for everyone - and I mean everyone! I can easily say that I've bought something in here for everyone on my nice list over the years, and that most of them have all done likewise! The biggest issue we usually have in here is wanting to buy something for someone and Ben is like "oh your sister bought that for them earlier" lol. Little known fact - Dingle is small.

10 - Vouchers! - I couldn't give a list or Christmas present ideas without going to the generic treasure trove that is the world of vouchers. One4all if you can't be arsed and want something that will always be used. I'd do vouchers for any of our lovely bars and restaurants (special mention to Thyme Out, Pickle Ricks, Fishbox all related to me lol, and also Doyles, the Blue Zone and the restaurant in Ceann Sibéal - who between them feed me at least once every week of the year! There's the Peninsula Spa in the Skellig, the golf club....you can pretty much get vouchers for any of the other 9 ideas above lol!

So there's my two cents as Kent Brockman would say. Written in a sitting, no fore thought and no script or research. I'm sure I missed plenty other great present options in the town, so apologies in advance about that.

I guess before I go I'd have to mention I also do vouchers, so if there's a golfer in your life - or even someone who you think could be a golfer in the future, or maybe you just want to treat yourself or take up a new hobby in 2022 - there's some info below or drop me a message and I'll be happy to help in any way I can.

I hope there's food for thought. Support small businesses, buy local where you can and enjoy the run in over the coming weeks!

Happy Christmas (shopping) 😉.

Christmas 2021 Lesson Vouchers: one hour lesson voucher €50, two lessons €95, three lessons €135, five one hour lessons €200. Any two hours can be used to do a 9 hole playing lesson and the 3 and 5 lesson options can also be an 'introduction to golf' package.