The Holly Bough is out - and it's 125 years old

THE first sign of Christmas has hit the streets of Cork: The 2022 Holly Bough.

And it’s a very special edition, as the hugely popular annual Christmas publication is celebrating its 125th anniversary.

This year’s fabulous cover was designed by Cork artist Sheena Dempsey, and shows a suitably festive and fun, snowy scene up Bridge Street and St Patrick’s Hill. Sheena, an acclaimed illustrator of children’s books, says that view is special to her, as her father once managed the AIB Bank on the corner, while she went to school up the hill, at Scoil Mhuire.

The Holly Bough launched in 1897, and has become a staple part of the Cork Christmas.

This year’s edition is packed with 164 pages of great stories, remarkable photos, puzzles, and so much more.

The Holly Bough’s 125th anniversary is marked with an eight-page special report on how it began and how it changed down the decades, while always remaining a key part of the Corkonian Christmas.

Available now for €6. You can buy it in shops and online at echolive.ie/hollybough