URGENT MEETING: Warning no Christmas lights in Offaly town this year

A WARNING there will be no Christmas lights in Tullamore this year due to a severe lack of funding has been issued this week.

An emergency meeting takes place on this Thursday night to discuss financing the lights and all retail outlets and businesses are asked to attend.

“As it now stands there will be no lights in Tullamore this year,” warned Christmas lights committee member, Noel McCann.

Mr McCann said problems caused by Covid and the ongoing energy and cost of living crises literally meant there was no money in the coffers.

He added that unless the situation changed in the coming weeks there would be no possibility of erecting the lights.

He appealed to retailers and businesses to provide the necessary finance to ensure that Tullamore wasn't left without the lights this festive season.

The urgent meeting takes place this Thursday, October 6 at 7pm in the Bridge House Hotel.

Tullamore's Christmas lights are among the most impressive in the Midlands with the committee having purchased a large number of new lights last year.

It is said that the Christmas season only truly commences in the Offaly county town when the lights are officially switched on at the end of November.

In the past a Christmas market also took place in conjunction with the lights switch-on and thousands of people, many of them young children, thronged the streets for the spectacular occasion.

Santa Claus arrives from Tullamore railway station in a sleigh while local musicians entertain the crowds from a platform erected on one of the town's main thoroughfares.

A local celebrity is usually tasked with performing the official switch-on.

The lights costs tens of thousands of euro each year to erect and maintain and most of this is raised through sponsorship while Offaly County Council also provides financial support.

A small number of people are involved in the hard-work of fundraising with the Christmas lights committee which is associated with Tullamore and District Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber's AGM also takes place on Wednesday week next, October 12 at 7pm in the Bridge House Hotel.

All members and prospective members are urged to attend as the Chamber prepares to resume its full range of activities with the ending of Covid restrictions.