Ireland’s Christmas Drive is getting louder, longer and furrier, with new research revealing that familiar festive songs are setting the tone for journeys home across the country this Christmas.
New research from CarsIreland.ie shows that Fairytale of New York is the most-played Christmas song in Irish cars this festive season, followed by Driving Home for Christmas and Last Christmas.
According to the survey, 73% of respondents plan to travel home by car for Christmas, while 83% say the drive home is an important part of their festive tradition. On average, Irish drivers’ longest one-way Christmas journey is around 110 kilometres, with 21% planning to bring their pets along for the ride. Meanwhile, 53% say bad weather is their main concern when travelling over the holiday period.
22 December 2025: CarsIreland.ie, one of Ireland’s leading car marketplace platforms, has revealed the top songs Irish people will have playing during their drives home this Christmas. A survey of more than 1,100 drivers identified the nation’s favourite drivetime sing-along carols, alongside insights into how and when people are travelling for the festive season.
The research found that Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl is the runaway favourite, with more than one in four respondents naming it as their top Christmas driving song. Driving Home for Christmas by Chris Rea came in second place, selected by just over one in five drivers, while Last Christmas by Wham! took third spot, with one in ten associating it most with the festive drive home.
British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, the artist behind Driving Home for Christmas, died yesterday at the age of 74, his family has announced. Rea passed away peacefully in hospital on Monday 22 December 2025 following a short illness, with his wife and their two children by his side, a family spokesperson said.
Top 10 songs to listen to while driving home for Christmas
Fairytale of New York – The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl
Driving Home for Christmas – Chris Rea
Last Christmas – Wham!
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas – Michael Bublé
All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday – Wizzard
Feliz Navidad – José Feliciano
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Andy Williams
Merry Christmas Everyone – Shakin’ Stevens
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee
More than four-fifths (83%) of respondents see the drive home as a key Christmas tradition, with sing-alongs (86%) topping the list of in-car activities. Almost one in five (18%) plan to set off on Christmas Eve morning, while travel on December 23 and Christmas Eve afternoon were the next most popular departure times.
Of those travelling by car, 19% expect to drive up to 200 kilometres, while 53% anticipate a journey of less than an hour. 10.4% face a journey of more than three hours, with cars expected to be busy as 82% bring passengers and 21% bring pets.
However, the festive drive is not without concern, with 53% of drivers citing bad weather as their main worry.
Commenting on the findings, Sinead McCann, Marketing Manager at CarsIreland.ie, said:
“It's clear that driving home is a special Christmas tradition for many Irish people, with the excitement building for time with loved ones, celebrations, and great food. We want to remind all drivers to drive to the conditions, take rest breaks if needed, and, most of all, enjoy the sing-alongs this festive season.”
