It might sound completely crazy but when you flick through some of the adverts below you’ll find yourself holding back a tear.

From the beautiful shows of snowy Dublin in Guinness’ postcard perfect ad to going home to your mammy’s house for Christmas, just like the ESB ad.

Here are our picks of the top Irish adverts at Christmas:

Guinness: This beautiful advert has some beautiful shots of a snowy Christmas all over Ireland accompanied by specially composed orchestral music by Kevin Sargent.

ESB: This 1980s ESB (Electricity Service Board) ad seems to have stuck in the public’s mind over the years.

The ad, set to Dusty Springfield singing “I think I’m going back,” depicts a son going home for Christmas and his Irish mammy preparing the house – something most Irish people can relate to.


Barry's Tea: This radio ad shows some of Ireland’s great Irish story telling. In just a minute and a half this ad brings you back to your Irish childhood. The very phrase “Put the kettle on, we’ll have cuppa tea” at the end is sure to get Irish people thinking of home.

Cornflakes: Although this ad is obviously an American ad it’s been running in Ireland every Christmas for years.

If this little blonde angel’s “Ho, ho, ho” at the end of the ad doesn’t melt your heart nothing will.

Coke: Similarly, although this ad is from the US, the sound of these bells on the TV means that the Christmas season has arrived.

Vodafone: This cell phone company’s celebration of “all the little things that make Christmas in Ireland such a wonderful - and happy - time of year” was realized in 2011.

This second Vodafone advert shows a fantasy world where people ice-skate down the pedestrian shopping street, Grafton Street, in Dublin’s south city center. Although the skating may not be real, happily the glistening chandeliers hanging on the street are.

Meteor : Here’s Meteor, another cell phone company’s ad that gives a humorous slant on competing Christmas carolers on Grafton Street in Dublin.