7 Up Christmas on Ice

7 Up Christmas on Ice
Time started in 2002
Location takes place in several towns and cities around Ireland
Type ice rink event

7 Up Christmas on Ice is an annual ice rink event which takes place in several towns and cities around Ireland. It began in 2002, with more than 90,000 people attending the event in Smithfield, Dublin.[1] It was the country's first ice rink to be outdoors.[1] 7 Up took over as main sponsor in 2003; that year it was launched by Keith Duffy.[1] It is one of Europe's largest outdoor ice rinks.[1]

It features falling snow, a chocolate fountain, skating Santa Claus and disc jockeys.[2] It has been championed by Gerry Ryan, The Late Late Show and TV3.[3] Broadcaster and journalist Claire Byrne was "proud to report that I didn't fall" and "that I had finally found Christmas" after visiting the ice rink at the RDS in Dublin in 2009.[4] It is possible to book tickets online or at the venue.[2] Each session lasts for one hour.[2]

The Galway event is known as "Galway Bay on Ice". The 2009 event took place until 10 January 2010 and featured a 700-square-mile (1,800 km2) ice rink as well as a Christmas market.[5]

The event came to Letterkenny, County Donegal for the first time in 2008 and returned in 2009.[6][7] There is also an Ice Café there.[6] In 2008, the entire event took place across three locations: Letterkenny, the RDS in Dublin and the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, also in Clondalkin.[7]

In 2008, four "celebrities" — Shane Byrne, Patricia McKenna, Lisa Murphy and Brian Ormond — took part for charity in a 7 Up Christmas on Ice "Celebs on Ice" Special which was broadcast live on The Late Late Show on RTÉ One during the last episode before Christmas.[8] €75,000 was raised for their charities.[8]

The 2009 event was launched by Jayne Torvill on 13 November that year.[9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "7UP chills out for a Christmas spectacular". The Sunday Business Post. 13 July 2003. Archived from the original on 5 November 2005. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 "7UP Christmas On Ice - Liffey Valley". entertainment.ie. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
  3. ↑ "7up Christmas on Ice at discoverireland.ie". discoverireland.ie. Archived from the original on 18 November 2010. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
  4. ↑ Claire Byrne (2009-12-08). "Claire Byrne: Why it took the sound of a backside smacking into the ice to kickstart my Christmas mojo this year". Evening Herald. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
  5. ↑ Richie Mcarthy (2009-12-03). "Get your skates on — It's Galway Bay on Ice". Galway Advertiser. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
  6. 1 2 "Ice skating rink returns to Letterkenny". Derry Journal. 2009-11-24. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
  7. 1 2 "7UP Christmas on Ice is coming to Letterkenny!". Donegal Democrat. 16 October 2008. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
  8. 1 2 "The Late Late Show Celebs on Ice Special prepares to raise €75,000.00 for charity". RTÉ. 2008-12-22. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
  9. ↑ "Thursday 12th November". The Tubridy Show. 2009-11-12. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.