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New light to be shed on Buncrana
05.11.09
Christmas lights committee replace 12,000
festive lights
by Damian Dowds, Inishowen
Independent
The ‘will they, won’t they’ question of whether
Buncrana would have Christmas lights created
many newspaper headlines over the years.
But all that has been put to bed with the news
that the town’s Christmas Lights Committee has
purchased 12,000 new lights and plans are well
under way to ensure that the town will be ready
for the big switch on Sunday, December 6. The
lights will be switched on by pupils from local
primary schools and Santa Claus will be in
attendance, arriving in the town on a big red
fire engine.
Cllr Nicholas Crossan, a spokesman for the
committee, said that compliance with health and
safety standards meant the new bulbs had to be
bought.
“Some of the lights and cables are more than 15
years old and need replaced,” Cllr Crossan said.
“We have 12,000 new LED bulbs and almost 1,000
metres of new cabling and Buncrana will be
brighter and better than ever this Christmas. |
“The lights are for the
children of Buncrana and to help capture a wee bit
of the Christmas magic when they come to meet
Santa.”
Paying tribute to the hardworking members of the
committee, Crossan said that they are looking at a
variety of new methods of raising funds.
Letters will be sent to all households requesting
donations towards the lights, while traders in the
town will also be asked to contribute.
“We’re conscious that money isn’t as plentiful this
year and it’s very hard to keep going back to the
same people year after year,” Crossan said. |
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“We’re not expecting
huge donations from households, but if we can spread
the load and everyone contributes a little then
we’ll get there.”
Other fundraising events include a cookery
demonstration in the Inishowen Gateway Hotel on
Wednesday 25 November with local chef Pat
McLaughlin, sponsored by the Inishowen Gateway
Hotel, SuperValu Buncrana and Doherty Roe Elite
appliances. A limited number of tickets are
available for this event from the organisers.
The annual bucket collection will be held on
Saturday 28 November, while a palm reader, Jim
Quinn, has already attended a fundraiser in
O’Flaherty’s and public demand means that he may
return for another session before the big switch on.
Mr Quinn predicted that the new lights will be a
great success!
Buncrana Town Council last month pledged €1,000
towards the cost of the lights. |
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