Council defends decision not to have Light Up Limerick event for turning on of Christmas lights

LIMERICK City and County Council has defended the decision not to have a large-scale one-off event to mark the switching on of the city's Christmas lights this year.

The local authority says the lights will be turned on in November but that there will be no official event on O’Connell Street - as was the case each year before Covid-19.

Instead, the money will be used to ensure there is a larger array of festive events and attractions in the city over a longer period this Christmas. 

Responding to a query from Cllr Brigid Teefy at a meeting of Cappamore/Kilmallock councillors, Donn O’Sullivan, head of marketing and communications with the council said the total budget for Christmas in Limerick events and activities this year is in the region of €165,000.

Previously, around €100,000 of that would have been allocated for the one-off event to mark the turning on of the lights. 

Mr O'Sullivan told Thursday's meeting that the continuing revitalisation works at O’Connell Street are another reason why the Light Up Limerick event will not take place this year.

The local authority, he added, is seeking to extend the Christmas offering in response to feedback from stakeholders who want a longer dwelling time for visitors. "We are not cancelling Christmas," he said.

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Gordon Daly, Director of Community, Tourism and Culture has also moved to explain the rationale behind the decision.

"We know that people might have been expecting a Light Up Limerick this year but the decision was made to use the funding for the one-off event to extend Limerick's Christmas offering to make it bigger and better and for longer," he told Live 95's Limerick Today. 

As the finishing touches are being put on Limerick’s Christmas offering, the energy-efficient LED lights will be turned on next month.

To make sure Limerick soaks up the Christmas spirit, a new company has been engaged to organise the festivities.

Milestone, which has been responsible for the Christmas Market in Galway for a decade, has been tasked to create events throughout several locations, to help promote Limerick as the place to be during Christmastime.

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In addition to Limerick City and County Council-funded events, King John’s Castle, the Limerick City Traders’ Association, and others will have their own events taking place to ensure there is a generous sprinkling of Christmas spirit across the city.

Free parking will be available in the Council Car Park off Nicholas Street at weekends, allowing people to Park & Stride the short distance into the city centre, while on-street parking on Sundays will be free.

Head of Tourism with Limerick City and County Council, Eileen Coleman, said: “We are really looking forward to Christmas in Limerick this year. Milestone are a well-respected company with an impressive track record delivering unforgettable Christmas experiences. We are finalising our plans and look forward to sharing them with the people of Limerick and further afield in the coming weeks.”