Last weekend we had two welcome escapes from the madness of the Christmas build-up. First, having overdosed on pantomimes in the past, we opted for something a little different. We took the children to see A Christmas Carol in the Gate Theatre in Dublin, writes Miriam Donohoe.
It is years since I have read the Charles Dickens classic and John Mortimer's stage adaptation, directed by Alan Stanford, was an absolute delight from start to finish. The kids barely knew the story of Ebenezer Scrooge beforehand, but they were entranced as the story of one of Dickens' greatest creations unfolded.
Scrooge was a man who knew the price of everything and the value of nothing. It was the relentless pursuit of money that deprived him of happiness and lost him the love of his life.
For two hours, we followed Scrooge's character transformation from a greedy, lonely, skinflint to a generous, loving person after he was visited on Christmas Eve by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and Christmas yet to come. There was fine acting by Barry McGovern as Scrooge and Pat Kinevane as the three ghosts. Ten-year-old Jack Gleeson melted hearts in the role of Tiny Tim. No matter how many times the story of Scrooge is told on stage or screen, it retains its special magic.
Continuing our "virtuous" weekend, we took up an invitation to go to the gospel choir Mass in Gardiner Street on Sunday evening. The invitation came from Father Edmond Grace and some of his parishioners, following my trenchant criticism of the way the Catholic Mass is conducted in a recent column.
I made the point that Mass had become a major turn-off for the majority of Ireland's young Catholics and that sermons and services had become dull and uninspiring.
The powers-that-be at St Francis Xavier church in Gardiner Street wanted to show that their service was indeed different. We weren't quite sure what we were in for, but the "Gig at God's Gaff", as the Mass is referred to locally, was stimulating and refreshing.
Fifteen minutes into the service, during the first reading, we were taken aback when members of the congregation started to snore loudly and answer mobile phones. We soon twigged they were plants in the congregation. These "actors" were parodying the lack of attention paid to normal Mass readings.
We knew then that this was no ordinary Mass.
It would be going too far to describe this service as "alternative", but there was enough there to make you think long and hard. Allied to all that, there was the gospel choir and a group of musicians, dressed in black, singing and playing with an abandon and sense of joy that made the whole experience an uplifting one.
The mass lasted 70 minutes, which would normally have seemed like an eternity, but on Sunday night, we didn't notice the time passing.
YOU may well ask what A Christmas Carol and the Gardiner Street gospel Mass have got in common. Well, both were extremely thought-provoking events. The play offered a sharp reminder of the importance of generosity and kindness amid all the pre-Christmas materialism and the gospel choir Mass represented an innovative approach to a celebration which has become so stale in many other places.
Just as we were glowing after these two events and grateful that they got us into the swing of things for the season of good will, another event jolted us back to reality and reminded us about the more uncomfortable side of Christmas in Dublin in these times.
In a sign of the times, it was reported that the annual Christmas overnight fast by students of Belvedere College had to be cancelled for the first time in 16 years due to violent crime on the streets.
Threats and intimidation forced the fifth- and sixth-year students to abandon the 48-hour fund-raiser at the Bank of Ireland on College Green which it was hoped would raise €50,000 for homeless organisations.
One of the main beneficiaries of this charity event over the years has been the boys' homeless shelter in Dublin run by that great champion of the poor, Jesuit priest Father Peter McVerry.
Father McVerry conceded that Dublin was a much more dangerous city now and the risks were greater than ever before. "It is unacceptable that these young people should put themselves at risk of contracting HIV from a syringe or injury from a knife attack," he said.
However the students will not be deterred. They are now planning alternative fund-raising events over the next few weeks. Violent crime will not stop them from truly getting into the spirit of Christmas and providing for those who have next to nothing, the homeless boys of Dublin.
Ironically, Dickens was inspired to write A Christmas Carol 160 years ago by the chronic child homeless problem in London.
In the next few weeks, as the Christmas frenzy builds, we will grit our teeth in frustration at the chronic traffic jams, crowded shops, pubs and restaurants, and the huge pressure to spend and spend.
If things get too much for you, take a trip to the Gate Theatre or, if you feel like change, go along to nearby Gardiner Street at 7.30 p.m. on any Sunday evening for the gospel Mass.
You could alternatively ring Belvedere College and find out what other fund-raising plans those intrepid boys have come up with to help the homeless this Christmas - and go along and support.
miriamdonohoe@eircom.net