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My life as a shopping centre Santa

From dealing with disbelieving children to getting kicked ‘where no one should kick Santa’.

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DEDICATED TO THE cause, Dan Young bleaches his hair and beard each November.

For the past 11 years, the artist and former actor has been playing the ultimate Christmas role: Santa Claus.

“For kids who come in believing, I like to give them a reason to believe. To the 12-year-old who’s starting to question things, I give one more year of maybe.”

Young is from Maryland in the US, but moved to Ireland after his father-in-law became ill in the 1990s.

He is Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre’s resident Santa – something that led to his children (now 18 and 20) asking a lot of questions when they were younger.

Years ago I was on O’Connell Street with my son and a bus drove by with my face on it. He looked at the bus and looked and me and asked, ‘Dad?’ I had to explain that I was going to play a role.

Young admits this was a bit confusing for his kids at first but they soon liked the idea, telling their friends at school: “My dad’s Santa.”

He was approached to take on the role after being spotted drawing caricatures at a children’s party. He said the then manager of Stephen’s Green was unimpressed by the fact Santa was being played by “a 140lb college student with a flat Dublin accent”.

I’m big guy with an American accent and a real beard … the deal-breaker was whether I would bleach my hair and beard.

The process takes four-and-a-half hours.

Young has won awards for his portrayal of Santa. He has a strong following and said some people come from abroad to see him each year as part of their family’s Christmas tradition.

I try to put my all into it. I want kids to know there is still some magic in the world.

So, what does he do when children, inevitably, ask if he’s the real deal?

I tell them: ‘Santa Claus isn’t so much a person as a spirit that is there 24 hours a day of every year. It may not always be in the North Pole, but it can be in the eyes of a teacher at school or a nurse or parent. If he has to be right there for some special reason he can be. He can even be looking out from behind a red suit and a beard, like right now.’

Young has had to deal with many issues on the job. Once a child kicked him “where no one should kick Santa”. “I was watery-eyed in those photos, looking like: ‘Where the heck am I?’”

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One moment that really stands out for Young is his relationship with a girl who had a debilitating condition known as ’butterfly disease’ which causes the skin to blister at the slightest touch. She visited him every Christmas and one year had improved so much that he was able to hug her.

‘I’m wiser when I’m him’

On other occasions, Young met children who had recently been bereaved.

“The first time it happened I didn’t know what to say … It’s strange, once I’m in character when I look in the mirror I see someone that’s smarter than I am. The stuff that comes out of my mouth when I’m him is so wise – he always knows just what to say.

One year a child came to me whose parents had died in a car crash just three days before that. I told her not to worry about them because Christmas was Jesus’s birthday and her mom and dad were asked to come to his birthday party.

‘They’re at his table right now. Don’t think they’re not missing you because they are, but you don’t need to worry about them because they’re enjoying the party.’ She hugged me. Her aunt burst into tears and hugged me too.

“I wondered where that came from. If we were all more like Santa, the world would be a better place.”

Irish people reveal what they know about the true meaning of Christmas…

Opinion: Christmas – the season of sugar-laced tantrums, queues, and unreasonable demands

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36 Comments
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    Mute Derek Moran
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    Dec 21st 2014, 8:42 PM

    Best santa ever

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    Mute Tom Collins
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    Dec 21st 2014, 9:12 PM

    Looks the part

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    Mute Alan Ryan
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    Dec 21st 2014, 9:01 PM

    Great story, now there is something in my eye, I have to go.

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    Mute Steve Tracey
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    Dec 21st 2014, 9:48 PM

    Alan you living on the coast too. Those blasted salty sea winds get my eyes as well all blurry

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    Mute Stephen Small
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    Dec 21st 2014, 10:53 PM

    Totally agree. The first time I brought my son to see him, I had goosebumps. I left the visit believing again again myself. Just an amazing, amazing guy.

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    Mute Rhiannon Smith
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    Dec 21st 2014, 9:00 PM

    Literally got the goosebumps reading that last bit. Well handled fair play Santa!

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    Mute Business Cat
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    Dec 21st 2014, 8:52 PM

    My wife brought pur son to this guy on Friday.

    A long wait, but worth the wait.
    He’s a terrific Santa.

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    Mute Barry Martin
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    Dec 21st 2014, 9:39 PM

    I swear it’s really him, I just know it is. This whole Dan Young thing is just a ruse.

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    Mute Miriam Soughley
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    Dec 21st 2014, 9:08 PM

    What a wonderful way to have handled such a situation. You are truly amazing.

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Dec 21st 2014, 8:52 PM

    Good man Dan. Getting great reports about you.

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    Mute Anon Ymous
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    Dec 21st 2014, 8:53 PM

    I’ve heard great things about this Santa too :)

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    Mute Miriam Soughley
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    Dec 21st 2014, 9:10 PM

    What a wonderful way to have handled that situation. You are truly amazing.

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    Mute mrs b
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    Dec 21st 2014, 9:52 PM

    I’d say it’d be a hard job at times !! Fair play to him for giving it his all.

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    Mute Kathleen Kavanagh
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    Dec 21st 2014, 10:50 PM

    Hope he receives something a little nice after his high standard of patience required on this job!

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    Mute mcgoo
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    Dec 21st 2014, 11:22 PM

    Do ya think he is like…..the real one?

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    Mute maura
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    Dec 21st 2014, 11:44 PM

    Yes I certainly do.

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    Mute Gabriel Holmes
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    Dec 21st 2014, 11:11 PM

    Great stuff Santa , well done and keep it up

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    Mute Ollie
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    Dec 21st 2014, 11:12 PM

    Lovely

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    Mute Gerry brooks
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 12:41 AM

    This Santa was brilliant, spent a lot of time with my girls and was not in any hurry to move them along, my only gripe was the surroundings where Stephens green centre had him, HUGE lack of atmosphere and the area around his grotto did not have any Christmas feeling, Santa brilliant surroundings not, combine this Santa and arnotts or jervis and you have the polar express.

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    Mute Niamh Tallon
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 2:42 AM

    This man IS The Real Santa, I believe!

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    Mute Niall Binéad
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 7:19 AM

    Unfortunately, all my own kids are that bit older now to be brought into town to visit, but, I know where I’ll be bringing my grandkids to see Santa! Hope you’re there for a very long time to come Santa!

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    Mute cornflaker
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 7:20 AM

    I’ve always thought that if Someone set up a business of hypnotizing adults to believe in santa just for a few days over Christmas they’d make big money. “Sorry lads, no more pints for me, the big man is on his way. I’m off home.” The wife would love it actually now that I think about it. Best and giddiest memories of my life.

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    Mute Dan Young
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    Dec 23rd 2014, 12:58 AM

    Oh Wow.

    Thanks everyone so much for your kind words. You don’t know what it means to me. Yes, it can be taxing at times and doing it 7 days a week can be exhausting. But once again I face my last day of the season and I already miss it. Thanks again and I hope I have a chance to see you later.

    See you all in two sleeps. You just won’t see me because you’ll be asleep. ( Christmas Eve, remember?)

    Dan Young

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    Mute ohmadge85
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 8:09 AM

    What an amazing Santa, I’m sobbing into my porridge

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    Mute Ger Kelly
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 12:27 AM

    Dear Santa a PS4 would be a brilliant pressie for me cheers!

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    Mute Maggie Fernandez
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 9:15 AM

    He’s a brillant Santa – really gentle and very wise. Love him. Keep up the good work.

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    Mute Dan Young
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    Dec 23rd 2014, 1:02 AM

    I’m not sure if this went the first time, so here goes. (I’m not the most savvy about networks).
    I just want everyone who posted to know how much your comments mean to me. It get’s tiring and it does pull a lot of time away from my family but I have one day left this season and miss it already.

    The very best of Christmases to you and hoping to see you in the future. (But not Wednesday – you’ll all be asleep)

    Dan Young

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    Mute Laura-May Ward
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 9:36 AM

    Was in Dublin this weekend… kinda wish I’d gone to see him myself!

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    Mute Pauline Harney Keogh
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 10:10 AM

    I believe.

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    Mute robert breen
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 12:46 PM

    … in what?

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    Mute AARO-SAURUS
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 5:39 PM

    A thing called love, obviously.

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    Mute Pauline Harney Keogh
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 8:03 PM

    You guys obviously not watched Miracle on 34st.

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    Mute ChocSaltyBallz
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    Dec 23rd 2014, 7:47 AM

    What a great Santa keep up the good work ya got me very emotional there you must see a lot of kids that need that bit extra poor things

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    Mute Laurie Berry
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 11:02 PM

    He is the best! We saw him today and my 7 year old hasn’t stopped talking about him since! Thanks Santa, you are what it’s all about, thanks journal for posting this, otherwise we would have missed this fantastic experience.

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    Mute Dan Young
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    Dec 30th 2014, 1:23 AM

    Orla, I’d like to thank you for something that I didn’t know I was looking for;
    confirmation that what I’ve been doing has worth.

    fter your story and the contacts made, I think I’ve reached the stage to start writing my book.

    When Derek told me about the interview, I thought that it was another ‘the Santas of Dublin’ story. I didn’t know it was to be about me.
    Thanks

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    Mute hjGfIgAq
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    Dec 30th 2014, 12:17 PM

    Thanks for getting in touch, Dan. I’m glad you liked the piece – it got a really great reaction. Let me know if you start the book! Happy New Year :)

    1
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