Arrival of Cork's ‘Holly Bough’ heralds countdown to Christmas

The countdown to Christmas officially begins today as the Holly Bough hits newsstands.

Now in its 128th year, the festive publication has become a quintessential element of Christmas for many here in Cork and abroad.

The cover art on this year’s Holly Bough was created by Cork visual artist Sue Nelson.

The piece, entitled Lighting the Way Home, was inspired by the Cork docklands and the city’s port, an urban landscape familiar to many who emigrated from here, and to those who returned home.

“The docklands and the Port of Cork have such a significant place in our city’s history and hold so much of our heritage and our stories,” said Sue.

The piece also has another meaning.

“As the name suggests, it is also about lighting the way home at Christmas time,” said the artist. 

“So many people come home to Cork for Christmas, and this is just that feeling of warmth and coming home and celebrating Christmas with family and friends.”

Ms Nelson said she was honoured to create the artwork for this year’s edition.

“As a Cork artist who loves this city, it means a great deal to see my work become part of a tradition that connects generations of Cork people, both here and around the world. The Holly Bough has always captured the warmth, pride, and spirit of Cork at Christmas, so to contribute to that legacy feels incredibly special.”

Holly Bough editor Mary Corcoran said with plans for the development of the docklands, Ms Nelson’s artwork serves to capture a distinct moment in the city’s history.

Inside, this year’s edition is filled with a feast of stories to entertain, inform, give you a laugh, and in some cases bring a tear to your eye.

“Over the past 12 months, we have heard from people right across the world with tales and pictures to share for this year’s edition,” said Ms Corcoran.

Shane Lehane takes a trip back to see Santy in the city, while Ed Finn tells us about his school tour where he and his classmates met the Pope. We hear about pilgrimages, island life, sending turkeys on planes, and friendships.

Former Eurovision star Cathal Dunne leads our short story and fiction section with an extract from his new book. The wonderful artwork in the fiction section was created by the students at Bandon Grammar School. There’s plenty of sport, entertainment, arts, history, and lifestyle, and our Junior Holly Bough section for our youngest readers.

All the usual favourites are inside too — the Diffney, the film quiz, the Humdinger, and our crossword.