Douglas Court Shopping Centre adds extra sparkle to the Christmas cheer
Mazen, 7, Nessa, 10, and Tanay, 8, alongside fellow pupils from Rochestown Douglas ETNS in Douglas Court Shopping Centre, where they were involved with creating a reindeer for the festive display. Picture: Chani Anderson
Visitors to Douglas Court Shopping Centre are now never in any doubt about the importance of community engagement that will greet them.
No surprises then that Christmas was a truly spectacular affair, with amazing decorations that brought cheer to one and all.
People simply adore the giant reindeer and the free carousel, that is running every day until the end of this year’s celebrations, adding to a truly fantastic atmosphere. The decorations and the lights on the trees are truly amazing and you can interact with everything that is on display within the mall.
“We are delighted with the way people have enjoyed the spectacular display we currently have in Douglas Court,” said Property Director Bartosz Mieszala.
Following on the success of previous community engagements including Kuite festival and Halloween project, the team at Doughlas Court really wanted to have something very special for Christmas.
The arrival of Santa was truly spectacular. Father Christmas was welcomed joyously by visitors, who applauded as he arrived on a sleigh drawn by six white horses.
“The day of Santa’s arrival was really joyful for everyone who attended and it was the real launch of Christmas in the Douglas area. We loved seeing the smiles on the faces of our staff, along with the many people who turned up on the day. We had over 1,000 kids on our carousel that day alone,” enthused Bartosz.
“People also love the ‘Find the Elves’ event, where we gave away 1,500 branded chocolate bars for the ones who located all the elves hiding within the shopping centre. The atmosphere was electric on that day. Talking about it now still brings a smile to people’s faces and makes us very proud of what we achieved over last number of months.
"That’s not all though, another highlight of this season is that we now have three reindeers on display which we gave to local schools to decorate. These were just white statues and the plan was to give the kids a chance to creative and bring their own joy to the Christmas festivities.
"The brief was simple — make the reindeer your own and get creative. Three schools went in completely different directions to deliver something absolutely spectacular and these three are now on display within our mall for all of Douglas to see them."
We celebrate a vibrant ethos inspired by our founder, Miss Corrigan, who envisioned education as a fusion of faith, cultural richness, academic excellence, and service. Grounded in Christian principles while embracing respect for diverse traditions, our school fosters loyalty, responsibility, and a commitment to individual and collective flourishing.
Our mottoes — “Sapientia et virtute” (With wisdom and courage) and “Each for all and all for each” — reflect our dedication to cultivating personal growth and community spirit.
Enter Óengus, our enchanting reindeer, a symbol of imagination and sustainability. Inspired by Irish mythology, Óengus brings to life the magic of storytelling and childhood wonder, perfectly aligned with our values.
With a nod to sustainability, Óengus embodies our commitment to creativity and environmental stewardship. From clothing to accessories, we champion practices like sourcing from local charity shops, showing how small actions can inspire big dreams.
Join us in celebrating Óengus, where imagination meets purpose, and let’s create a world of wonder together.
Winter Solstice-inspired project: At Christ King Girls’ Secondary School in Douglas, we are committed to educational excellence and the holistic development of each student. Our project draws inspiration from Irish Neolithic art and the profound significance of the winter solstice on December 21st, the shortest day and longest night of the year.
The winter solstice sunrise alignment at Newgrange is a phenomenon steeped in spiritual and cultural meaning. This fleeting moment, when sunlight pierces the ancient mound, symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness, a universal theme celebrated across various cultures and belief systems.
Our artwork incorporates motifs found on the kerbstones surrounding Newgrange, including patterns that reflect the artistic ingenuity of Neolithic Ireland. We selected the colour blue to represent the sky and water, essential elements of life for Neolithic communities and a reminder of their deep connection to the natural world.
Through this project, we honour the heritage of Irish Neolithic art while celebrating themes of renewal, hope, and the enduring interplay of light and darkness.
Thought to symbolise land, sea and sky.
Diamond represents day and night.
May represent the Spring and Autumn equinoxes.
At Newgrange, Co Meath.
Christmas was given an extra splash of cheer this year with Snowy the Reindeer from Douglas Rochestown Educate Together National School. Our students were very excited to get to be involved in this community art project.
Áine’s Fourth Class spent some time drawing beautiful designs to help us decide how to decorate our reindeer. Once the final design was picked, Ciara’s Senior Infants painted the green jumper that Snowy is wearing.
Harry from Julie’s Fourth Class helped us to paint the legs. Mairéad’s First Class painted his antlers and, with the help of some other First Class friends in Sarah’s class, they added some decorations to his jumper. Áine’s Class painted Snowy’s neck and face and added some beautiful finishing touches including more decorations on his jumper, as well as his shining red nose.
Thank you so much to Douglas Court Shopping Centre for inviting us to be a part of this project! We had so much fun!
Bartosz Mieszala says: “We’re really proud of our engagement with the local community at Douglas Court. We aim to provide a space that everyone feels is their own in a way, and so we really want the shopping centre to be somewhere that local artists can showcase their work, whether they’re a performer, a painter or someone who loves to embrace creativity and there is more of these project to come in the New Year which I’m really excited about."
But that’s not all as with recent additions of newly revamped Dunnes Stores, featuring the James Whelan Butchers, off beat Donuts, Baxter & Greene deli, along with a selection of fish, sushi, and new bakery. You’ll also find some new shops including most recent additions of Pure Concept Store and Grounded 2 Established in 2002, Pure Concept Store has elevated and evolved with the times, while consistently delivering exceptional customer service — a core value that has remained a constant through the years.
"Now exclusively offline, luxury brands have never been more seamless to shop. Grounded 2 is a family business offering a selection of ASAI bowls, desserts, coffee and toasties with a 'West Cork twist', where the business originated Centre is growing and transforming, but it wouldn't be possible without our tenants, staff customers and community; therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their ongoing support and loyalty to Douglas Court all the fantastic feedback we’ve been receiving this season," concludes Bartosz.
Oh yeah. If you want to meet Santa, he's in Douglas Court every day until Christmas Eve — just strolling through the centre adding everyone to the "nice list".
Douglas Court Christmas Giveaway Images on Instagram
