Christmas in Achill - by Robbie Tallon

Christmas in Achill Achill is my favourite place to be at Christmas time. I love to be home and meet cousins who I haven’t seen for months. There are a few things that make the place unique. Blackouts are actually sort of common at Christmas. Families like mine go home there to spend the holidays with our grandparents, and when there’s twice as many people there than usual, and every house puts on the oven for dinner at the same time, the power can go out. It can also happen because of the stormy weather common in Mayo in the Winter. It never lasts long, but it is something different about Achill. But it doesn’t just happen on the 25th. I remember one Christmas Eve when we sat and read Christmas stories by candlelight. We have a special candle for Christmas Eve, and that night it was extra useful. My sister remembers a time when the power went out, and came back during Christmas Eve Mass. The tree joined the candles to light up the church. St Stephen’s Day in Achill is great. The entire island goes walking on the beach in the morning. Even when you’re getting blown around like a kite, or you’re drenched from a surprise shower of sideways rain, it’s still an enjoyable morning. The beach is packed twice in the week. The second time is on New Year’s Day. The local lifeboat organises a huge fundraiser. Pretty much everyone I know goes and swims at Dugort beach. Everyone’s tired and cold, all wrapped up in hats and scarves, before we have to brave the icy wind and sea. We run to the water partly because that’s part of the event, but also because we’re all too frozen to be standing around in nothing but swimming shorts. The water is always freezing, but it’s reassuring to imagine the warm fire in Ted’s Pub when we stop there for lunch. It’s a lovely way to start a New Year.