Simon O’Brien and his daughter Holly at the Christmas lights big switch-on in Gorey on Saturday.
THEY said ‘ let there be lights’; Santa pushed the plunger; and the streets lit up with festive cheer. An estimated 10,000 people filled Gorey’s Main Street on Saturday night to help the town’s traders kick off the Christmas shopping season.
Santa arrived on his elevated sleigh and headed for the stage where his ‘ ho, ho, ho’ greeting was returned one hundred-fold by the youngsters in the crowd.
Festive entertainment on stage helped spread the Christmas spirit, with performances by the Bunscoil Loreto Choir, the Polish Association Choir, Cathal Byrne, Mandy Callaghan and Friends, Aoife Parle, followed by a children’s disco by DJ Dave Redmond.
‘ The crowd stretched the whole way down the main street,’ said Claire O’Connell, who sits on the Christmas lights committee. ‘It was amazing how the whole community pulled together. We’re ecstatic and overwhelmed with how it went.’
Santa paid a special visit to the cordoned off area for spectators with special needs to say hello to the children there.
The lights committee is hoping to raise €10,000 to extend the lights. New lights have already gone up on the side streets, and a new light across main street arrives soon. A big draw takes place on December 19. Tickets are just €2 from various local shops.
There was another massive turnout on Sunday for the Christmas street market organised by Gorey Chamber, with 40 stalls offering a range of festive fare. Gorey Chamber has organised late opening each Friday before Christmas in 60 local shops. Watch out also for park and win on the four Saturdays, and there’s also a golden receipt competition for shoppers. Ask in store for details.