Mulled wines and mammies are secret to Irish Christmas

THE arrivals hall at Dublin Airport was heaving with Christmas cheer as people made their way home to spend the festive season with loved ones.

This year marks the busiest-ever Christmas for the airport and hundreds of people will be reunited with their friends and families over the holidays.

As people streamed through the gate yesterday, to the welcome of choirs and homemade banners, they all had one thing in common: the belief that there is nothing quite like an Irish Christmas.

Mulled wine, mammy’s cooking and even cold weather were some of the things people were looking forward to over their break.

Deirdre Lawlor, from Co Kerry, was met by her mum Margaret and sister Niamh after returning from New York.

“Emotions are high... I’m very excited. I was even crying yesterday in a taxi thinking about coming home,” Deirdre said.

Meanwhile, Michelle White was greeted by her mum Margaret.

“Family is everything; it’s great to be home,” she said as she arrived home with her daughter Jade to be greeted by her mum.

“I have a whole case of presents. I nearly got kicked off the plane because I was so overloaded.”

It was just the beginning of the Christmas rush for airport staff with 1,021,250 people due to travel through the airport between today and January 5.

Today is expected to be the busiest day before Christmas, with almost 85,000 passengers due to arrive and depart through both terminals.

Meanwhile, at Cork Airport a choir of schoolchildren welcomed those returning with festive favourites like ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ and ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’.

As well as adding some festive cheer to the arrivals hall, it was all for a good cause as all donations went to the Saint Vincent de Paul Society.

The airport was recently voted the second friendliest in the world.