Mayo town facing dark Christmas without festive lights
A shortfall of more than €50,000 threatens to leave Westport without any Christmas lights this year
A West Mayo town is facing a dark December as a funding shortfall threatens to leave the town without festive lights.
A funding shortfall of more than €50,000 threatens to leave the town without any Christmas lights this year.
Westport Chamber has ‘reluctantly’ had to step in and has four months to raise the money to save the Christmas lights after Mayo County Council withdrew funding for the lights in 2024.
A government grant last year helped keep the Christmas spirit alive and lights on but with a tender set to go out later this month, time is not on the side of Westport Chamber.
President of Westport Chamber, Dermott Langan, raised the urgent issue at their recent AGM in the Leeson Enterprise Centre.
Serious challenge
HE highlighted that the funding of the Festive Christmas lighting in the town is a very serious challenge and as of right now the council have no funds to support it.
Last year, the cost of installation for the Christmas lights was €52,213.50 but this does not include any capital funds needed for replacement or additional lights.
He contrasts Westport with Castlebar, where councillors have pooled some of their GMA funding to allocate €60,000 to the Castlebar Christmas Lights and events.
The councillors in the Westport-Belmullet Municipal District chose not to pool their GMA funding and instead allocate it themselves individually.
Langan is calling for greater pooling of GMA funding in the Westport-area.
At the meeting, Cllr Peter Flynn committed to giving €8,000 of his GMA funding.
Speaking to the Mayo News, he said: “It's a lot of money but the amazing Christmas lights attract kids and parents from all over the county plus visitors from all over the country throughout the month of December which is crucial to local businesses during the winter period.”
Cllr Brendan Mulroy has committed to allocating a portion of his GMA funding and will decide on the amount at a later date.