7 Up Christmas on Ice

{{Short description|Ice rink event in Ireland}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}}

{{Use Hiberno-English|date=July 2014}}

File:Ice Rink, Smithfield - geograph.org.uk - 664900.jpg

7 Up Christmas on Ice was an annual ice rink event taking place in several towns and cities around Ireland. It was first held in 2002 and the last time in the winter of 2009. In the first year more than 90,000 people attended the event in Smithfield, Dublin. It was the country's first outdoor ice rink. 7 Up took over as main sponsor in 2003 when it was launched by Keith Duffy. It was one of Europe's largest outdoor ice rinks.{{cite web|url=http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2003/07/13/story23493739.asp|title=7UP chills out for a Christmas spectacular|date=2003-07-13|publisher=The Sunday Business Post|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051105214057/http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2003/07/13/story23493739.asp|archive-date=5 November 2005|access-date=2009-12-18|df=dmy-all}}

Main features were falling snow, a chocolate fountain, skating Santa Claus and disc jockeys. Each session lasts for one hour.{{cite web|url=http://entertainment.ie/festival/display.asp?ID=1827|title=7UP Christmas On Ice - Liffey Valley|access-date=2009-12-18|publisher=entertainment.ie|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615022248/http://entertainment.ie/festival/display.asp?ID=1827|archive-date=15 June 2011|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} It was championed by Gerry Ryan, The Late Late Show and TV3.{{cite web|url=http://www.discoverireland.ie/Search-Results/Details.aspx?touristItemID=75124|title=7up Christmas on Ice at discoverireland.ie|access-date=2009-12-18|publisher=discoverireland.ie|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101118050505/http://www.discoverireland.ie/Search-Results/Details.aspx?touristItemID=75124|archive-date=18 November 2010|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}

The Galway event was known as "Galway Bay on Ice". The 2009 event took place until 10 January 2010 and featured a {{convert|700|m2|sqft|adj=on}} ice rink as well as a Christmas market.{{cite web|url=http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/19678|title=Get your skates on — It's Galway Bay on Ice|author=Richie Mcarthy|date=2009-12-03|publisher=Galway Advertiser|access-date=2009-12-18}}

The event came to Letterkenny, County Donegal for the first time in 2008 and returned in 2009.{{cite web|url=http://www.derryjournal.com/journal/Ice-skating-rink-returns-to.5848897.jp|title=Ice skating rink returns to Letterkenny|date=2009-11-24|publisher=Derry Journal|access-date=2009-12-18}} In 2008, the entire event took place across multiple locations: Letterkenny, the RDS in Dublin and the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre.{{cite news|url=http://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/donegalnews/7UP-Christmas-on-Ice-is.4596022.jp|title=7UP Christmas on Ice is coming to Letterkenny!|date=2008-10-16|access-date=2009-12-18|newspaper=Donegal Democrat|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130217173341/http://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/donegalnews/7UP-Christmas-on-Ice-is.4596022.jp|archive-date=17 February 2013|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}

In 2008, four "celebrities" — Shane Byrne, Patricia McKenna, Lisa Murphy and Brian Ormond — took part for charity in a 7 Up Christmas on Ice "Celebs on Ice" Special which was broadcast live on The Late Late Show on RTÉ One during the last episode before Christmas.{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/about/pressreleases/2008/1219/televisionllscelebsonice19122008.html|title=The Late Late Show Celebs on Ice Special prepares to raise €75,000.00 for charity|date=2008-12-22|access-date=2009-12-18|publisher=RTÉ}} €75,000 was raised for their charities.

The 2009 event was launched by Jayne Torvill on 13 November that year.{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/radio1/thetubridyshow/2009-11-12.html|title=Thursday 12th November|date=2009-11-12|publisher=The Tubridy Show|access-date=2009-12-18}}