Christmas cheer is well and truly alive for one lucky Irish couple after a man decided to carry out a random act of kindness in their favour.

While dining out in Paulie’s Pizza on Monday last, the kind stranger arranged to cover the entire cost of their meal.

They only found out at the end of the meal when they asked for the bill, by which time the unknown man left.

And what’s particularly special about his good deed is that he does this every year - it’s his Christmas thing.

Redditor Colchique says up until that point the couple had had a “very nice, uneventful dinner” at the restaurant in Upper Grand Canal Street where they were celebrating a birthday.

After they called for the bill the waiter told them: "Look, there’s something I need to explain you. There was that guy, sitting over there..."

Colchique goes on to explain: "... He explained us that every year at Christmas he picks a random table and pays for them. He paid for yours, so everything has been paid by him. Is this OK? We didn't know what to do as we didn't know how you would feel about it."

“Both my (significant other) and I were obviously very, very surprised and amazed that a random, totally unknown stranger would do that out of pure altruism.

“Stranger if you're reading these lines, this was very nice of you and reminded both my SO and I that not everyone and everything is this world is shite. We are very thankful.”

And the spirit of Christmas is catching it seems - Colchique and partner left a tip for the waiter and asked him to divide the reaminder of whatever cash there was left between the last two tables in the restaurant.

Denying suggestions on social media that this was anything other than a spontaneous and generous act, Colchique says: “There is no way for me to prove it but I have nothing to do with Paulie's or marketing. Actually we were going to Manifesto in Rathmines initially but it was closed for some reason and since we wanted pizzas we headed to Paulie's Pizza instead.”