Being brought up in a shop Christmas was a special time for me. We would never put in our Christmas window before the 8th December. Cadbury's had a merchandiser from Galway called Derek Biddulph who would design our window display for us. People came from all over to view the array of chololate boxes, licquers etc.

Another part of Christmas forme was posting the tins of Milkado, Kimberley and Coconut Creams to exiles in England, An Post had a parcel office on The Mall in the Boxing Club for the mailing of parcels to Britain. Each parcel had to have a customs declaration form and be sealed with red sealing wax. How times have changed.

My uncle Phil Hoban had a bicycle shop in Linenhall Street. At Christmas he would convert his shop to a toy store, It was a wonderland for me and hundreds of Castlebar children with its windup clockwork toys, dolls, guns and holsters and other simple toys.

The last Saturday before Christmas was known as "Margadh Mór". This was the day when persons from outlying areas would come to town to get "the commands" for the Christmas. In each shop they would receive a "Christmas Box" in gratitude for their loyalty during the year.
Happy Christmas to all,
Brian Hoban.