It's been a long time since an Irish artist was number one for Christmas

Well done to Dermot Kennedy for knocking Mariah Carey off the top this year.

After 27 weeks in the charts, Dermot Kennedy has claimed the top spot on the Irish Christmas number one chart, with his single 'Giants'.

Not only that, but there are two more reasons for Kennedy to celebrate his chart success at the tail end of 2020. The Dublin singer also features in the number two spot on the chart, with 'Paradise' from MEDUZA managing to keep Mariah Carey's 'All I Want For Christmas' back at number three.

The 2020 re-release of his 2019 album 'Without Fear' also claimed the top spot on the album's chart for Christmas, with his 15th non-consecutive week at number one.

Kennedy's claim also means that it has been 15 years since and Irish artist has been crowned the Christmas number one spot. Mario Rosenstock's 'Leave Right Now' in 2005 was the last such title, which was followed by Simon Cowell's 'X-Factor' monopoly in the years afterwards.

No doubt Dermot Kennedy's recent stint on the 'Late Late Toy Show' helped thrust him into the top spot on the Irish Christmas number one chart this year.

The singer managed to spring a huge surprise on 14-year-old Michael Maloney during the live show, and the pair both ended up performing 'Giants' together in the studio. Following his appearance, Kennedy sent out a heartwarming message to all of the children who featured on the show.

He said: "It felt like 'The Late Late Toy Show' gave our whole country a bit of a boost the other night, at the end of such a hard year.

"Those kids do such a good job of reminding us what’s truly important. It’s such a special event, and I’m so so glad I could play a small part in it. Performing my song with Michael was an absolute pleasure. Thank you."

Here's his surprise appearance again, in case you need a reminder.