It’s the season of top 5 lists more than ever this year as we crawl to the end of a decade. Here’s my list of the things that are essential to my Christmas:

1. David Parkes’ Christmas Hits on repeat (cassette version too for a nice old school crackle)
2. Fixing the Christmas tree lights
3. Myself and the sisters wearing Santa hats *all* the time
4. Drinks and chats at my Nana’s before midnight mass on Christmas eve
5. The annual Christmas day swim fundraiser for the RNLI after morning mass in New Quay

The first one on that list is particularly close to my heart. It was an RTE production of the classic Christmas songs along with a cracking ‘disco’ medley at either end. The cassette has been wheeled out and left in the stereo every Christmas for as far back as I can remember and has been the sound I associate with being at home in Clare for the festive season.

I had a look online last week to see if perchance it ever came out on CD or there was still some way of getting a copy of it as I’m sure the cassette is bound to wear through sooner rather than later. To my delight and surprise it’s available on iTunes for €8.99! You can even get the individual medleys on their own if that’s your pleasure. Can’t believe it was released in 1992 – where the heck do the years go? I was still writing letters to Santa then!

Happy disco dancing