Brilliant Ballycullane is a festive wonder C
HRISTMAS is a time of year when people reconnect with loved ones and unwind in the warmth of familiar places.
People will travel from far and wide to return to Ballycullane this Christmas and they will find that Christmas spirit in the village is just as they remembered it many moons ago.
The village in the heart of the district boasts an honourary official this year as Cllr Michael Whelan, whose father Seamus was a well-known and popular councillor before him, has taken over the reins as chairman of New Ross Municipal District.
The village has never looked better and you get that welcoming feel as soon a you cross the hump back bridge into the village or as you approach from the other side.
Like all villages in the county Ballycullane has endured some tough times in recent years, but businesses have proven their resilience and have bounced back stronger than ever.
The festive season is always a special time of year in Ballycullane and with the wide range of shops and the excellent, friendly service on offer there are so many reasons to shop local this Christmas in the South Wexford village.
The fantastic Tintern sports complex and the parish hall are at the centre of the community. Local residents are being urged to continue to shop local and use local services as this keeps jobs in the area.
With a world champion winning ploughman in the area and a great ploughing tradition with the Boley Ploughing Club, the people know how to pull together and so do the businesses.
With Christmas lights adorning many businesses there is a real feeling of Christmas in Ballycullane.
Located 20 minutes from New Ross and 30 minutes from Wexford town, Ballycullane is en route to many local beaches in the Hook area, and historical attractions such as Tintern Abbey and Hook Head Lighthouse.
Ballycullane has a strong trading history and in the past the village had a court house, weigh bridge, abbatoir and a railway station servicing major routes.
With the changing times many of these features of the town are no more. However, Ballycullane still retains essential village services which include a shop and forecourt, post office, Garda Barracks, primary school, church, public house, fast food eatery, engineering and stone works business and an excellent sports complex just outside the village.
Ballycullane has had a very successful history in the Tidy Towns competition and its committee is very hard working throughout the year to make the village look its best for residents and visitors alike.
The Parish Hall is a historical building located next to the church and has played many roles in village life down through the years: school, picture house, concert hall, dance hall, to name but a few.
As times have changed there is an even more diverse range of businesses based in and around Ballycullane.
Ballycullane is a friendly, welcoming village, well worth venturing into this festive season.