Today, December 8th, marks 'Culchie Christmas.' It's the day traditionally associated with rural Ireland descending on Dublin and other major towns to do the Christmas shopping.
Columnist with the Farming Independent, Jim O'Brien, says the tradition comes from Catholic Ireland. "The Feast of the Immaculate Conception was the last great feast day or holy day before Christmas.
"Therefore no matter what day of the week it fell on, all the country people were off - they weren't working on the farm - and they got on busses and trains and went to Dublin.
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"They also went to their nearest big town like Limerick, Galway or Ennis," he added.
