The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
That festive feeling
A MONTH OUT FROM THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF YEAR, KILLARNEY GETS READY IN THE MOST WONDERFUL MANNER
Thomas Byrd and Certa Davidson with Minnie at the Christmas in Killarney Santa Parade in Killarney on Saturday.
WE’RE still the best part of a month from Christmas, but it certainly didn’t feel like it during the magical weekend just gone in Killarney.
Few places do Christmas as wonderfully as Killarney, and that point was emphasised by a Saturday evening parade featuring cartoon characters, elves, floats, and much more snaking around the town on a route that took in Beech, Mission, and East Avenue Roads, College Street, Plunkett Street, Main Street and New Street .
The parade is such a big deal around these parts that even Santa and his reindeer took time out ahead of their busiest time of the year to greet the boys and girls one month out from the most exciting time of year.
And Santa has even gone one step further for Killarney as he pledges to take part in further parades on the route around the town, each scheduled for 6pm on Saturday nights between now and December 23, and again from 6pm on New Years’ Eve (December 31).
“It’s hard to say exactly how many people were there on Saturday night, but I will say it was clearly a hugely successful parade,” Paul O’Neill of Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce told The Kerryman. “It was a lovely, crisp evening, but the atmosphere was nothing but warm, particularly amongst all the children, If attendances in recent years are anything to go by, we’ ll have great crowds for our parades in the weeks ahead, too,” he added.
The Magic Parades series is the centrepiece of the “Christmas in Killarney” celebrations, but these next few weeks in the town will be packed with plenty of festive fun aside from that, as Paul went on to explain.
“The local restaurants will be participating in ‘Dine in Killarney’ over the next few weeks, and we’ll have Santa visiting his Killarney grotto down Milk Market Lane.
“Amongst other things, many of our retailers are participating in our raffle, so be sure to shop local to be in with a chance of winning some great prizes. The parades are very much our centrepiece though; they bring a lovely crowd into the town and we’re looking forward to the next one already!”