Dingle’s ‘crannín’ glory is too little, too late
DINGLE’S official town Christmas tree isn’t much to look at now, but it’s an investment in the future, according to Risteard Mac Liam of the local Business Chamber who admits that the rather diminutive specimen planted in the Garda barracks garden last week didn’t quite measure up to expectations.
The official lighting of the tree took place in front of a gathering of lantern-bearing children and the town band on Sunday evening and the somewhat underwhelming occasion brought back almost fond memories of the windblown monkey puzzle tree that had served – albeit badly – as the town’s Christmas tree for many years.
The monkey puzzle was cut down over a year ago and was to have been replaced by a six-metre tall, live fir tree in time for last year’s Féile na Soilse. That didn’t happen and, between one thing and another, the promised tree didn’t get planted during the year either.
Then there was the problem caused by Dublin City Council buying up Christmas trees all over the country to adorn the streets of the capital with the result that when the Dingle tree was finally sourced only smaller offerings remained.
‘A goddamn twig’ was one of the epithets applied to the new tree on Sunday evening, but even great oaks come from humble beginnings and Risteard is confident it’ll grow in stature with time – and perhaps generous applications of 10:10:20. “We hoped it would be bigger but it’s what was available at the time. People are disappointed, and we’re disappointed ourselves, but we’re building for the future,” he said.