How it started…

With our world looking a bit different this Christmas, we wanted to do something special in the Junior After School Club (JAS). We realised we would have to think outside of the box this year as a Christmas movie in the cinema is no longer an option…

On hearing that the concept of a real Christmas tree was new for these 5 – 7 year olds, we had an idea! Was there such a thing as Christmas tree farm in Dublin? Could we let them pick out a real tree for the club?

After a bit of researching, we found a place called Killakee Christmas Tree Farm in the Dublin Mountains. JAS club leader, Ruth, emailed the owners straight away to gauge their response to us visiting them with a group of ten lively children in tow. She explained that Solas Project is a charity and that this would be their first real Christmas tree.

We couldn’t have asked for a nicer response! Co-owner of the tree farm, Karen, replied to say that Solas Project’s co-founder Graham Jones brought his family every year. She was looking forward to welcoming us and would donate the tree to our Junior After Schools group in Graham’s honour.

The adventure

On Thursday 3rd December we set off in the Solas Project bus on a crisp cold afternoon to the mountains. When we arrived at the tree farm, we were given a ‘Solas’ tag and the freedom to roam around the hills and choose whichever tree we fancied.

The kids were beyond excited. After looking around for a while admiring the views, the children agreed on and tagged a tree. The tree cutter on his quad bike was great with the kids. He kept getting ‘confused’ about which tree to chop down…”NO, not that one!”… The kids shouted ‘timber’ in unison when their tree fell. Finally, it was time to get the tree ready to bring home along with some children who got wrapped up like Christmas trees too!

We will not forget our Christmas trip 2020 in a hurry. We suspect our tree picking outing may even become a Solas Project tradition…

We’d like to thank all of the staff at Killakee Tree Farm who made it a magical experience.