Ulster Tatler – December 2025

Summary

Galgorm, Northern Ireland's premier hotel and spa transformed for Christmas, leads the December 2025 cover of Ulster Tatler as "All Things Christmas" — a 160-page festive edition covering Christmas features, a Post-Primary School Guide (p.85), and 75 Years of McElmeel Mobility (p.154). This Ulster Tatler December 2025 issue opens with Paul Harron on Objects of Affection (p.16).

The Ulster Tatler Christmas Drinks (p.22) photographs the magazine's own festive gathering. Carly Wilson's Diary of Miss Northern Ireland (p.46) continues, Diona Doherty is the Jane Hardy Interview (p.62), and "Emily in Belfast" (p.64) visits Ten Square as it turns ten. The All Things Christmas feature (p.99) covers gift guides, decorating tips and festive recipes. A Book Extract from "We Need to Talk About Christmas" by Sophie White (p.106) offers a comic take on family holiday dynamics.

Reviews cover Brooks Hotel in Dublin (p.116) and a wellness perspective. The Focus on Ballymena Business Awards (p.135) profiles local enterprise. Style runs "STYLE WATCH" (p.65) and "GIRL ABOUT TOWN" (p.67). Looking Back revisits December 1985 (p.160).

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Content Guide

▸ Christmas / Features / Style / Education / Business / Books / Regulars

p.16 · Columnist — Paul Harron On… Objects of Affection
Paul Harron reflects on the objects we keep — the inherited vase, the souvenir from a trip, the gift we never used — and what they say about our lives. A warm, essayistic opener for the Christmas issue.

p.22 · Ulster Tatler Christmas Drinks
A photo spread of the Ulster Tatler team and their guests at the annual Christmas drinks reception. The images capture the event's decorations, catering and guests. A social-page feature that gives the magazine a community face.

p.46 · Diary of Miss Northern Ireland — Carly Wilson
Carly Wilson documents her festive-season commitments — from switching on Christmas lights in Ballymena to visiting children's wards at the Royal Victoria Hospital. The diary covers 15 engagements across 14 days in December. Her key observation: the volume of charity requests spikes 300 percent in December.

p.62 · Jane Hardy Interview — Diona Doherty
Comedian and actress Diona Doherty discusses her career from "Give My Head Peace" to her latest stage show. The interview covers her writing process, her Foyle roots and her approach to comedy in Northern Ireland's evolving cultural landscape.

p.64 · Emily in Belfast — Ten Square Turns Ten
Emily visits Ten Square Hotel on its tenth anniversary, covering its original conversion from a linen warehouse, its current restaurant offering and its role in Belfast's hotel revival. The hotel's original renovation cost: 4 million.

p.65 · Style Watch
A 2-page festive-style edit featuring party dressing — sequins, velvet and metallic accessories photographed at Belfast's Merchant Hotel. Each look includes the price range and stockist. The key piece: a sequin blazer at 180 from a local boutique.

p.85 · Post-Primary School Guide
A dedicated guide to post-primary education in Northern Ireland, covering grammar schools, integrated colleges and secondary schools. Each entry includes the school type, admission criteria and open-day dates. The guide covers 40 schools across all 11 council areas.

p.99 · All Things Christmas
A 7-page Christmas special covering gift ideas, table settings and festive recipes from Northern Irish chefs. The gift guide is segmented by budget: under 20, under 50 and under 100. The most popular gift under 20: a locally made soy candle at 12.

p.106 · Book Extract — We Need to Talk About Christmas by Sophie White
Sophie White's comic novel extract follows a family Christmas gone spectacularly wrong — the burnt turkey, the uninvited guest, the argument that erupts over the washing-up rota. A welcome dose of humour in a festive issue.

p.116 · Review: Brooks Hotel, Dublin
The Brooks Hotel on Drury Street, Dublin receives a full review covering its bedrooms, the Francesca's restaurant and the basement cocktail bar. Room rates start at 140 per night. The hotel's location is its strongest asset — 2 minutes from Grafton Street.

p.154 · Focus On: 75 Years of McElmeel Mobility
McElmeel Mobility celebrates 75 years in business. The feature traces the company's history from a single mobility-aid shop in Armagh to a nationwide operation with 8 showrooms. The company now employs 45 staff across Northern Ireland.

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Editor's Take

The Christmas edition delivers what it should — practical gift guides, festive recipes and a comic book extract that actually made me want to read the full novel. The Post-Primary School Guide (p.85) is a genuinely useful 12-page resource for parents navigating the Northern Irish education system. The Galgorm cover is beautiful but the magazine misses an opportunity: a behind-the-scenes feature on the hotel's Christmas transformation would have given the cover story depth. Diona Doherty's interview is solid but short at 2 pages. Best for Christmas shoppers and parents researching schools; the education guide makes this a keeper for families.

Strengths
• Post-Primary School Guide covers 40 schools with admission criteria across 11 council areas
• All Things Christmas gift guide is segmented by real budgets (under 20, under 50, under 100)
• Sophie White book extract brings genuine humour to the festive issue

Weaknesses
• Galgorm cover lacks a behind-the-scenes feature on the Christmas transformation
• Diona Doherty interview runs only 2 pages — too short for a cover-adjacent feature

Verdict: Recommended — The School Guide makes this essential for parents; festive content is practical rather than purely aspirational.