Campaign to keep Christmas lights on to lift spirits
Updated / Thursday, 7 Jan 2021
16:38
Midlands Correspondent
A Roscommon councillor is leading a national campaign to encourage towns and villages to leave their Christmas street lights on until the end of January, in a bid to lift spirits during the latest wave of the pandemic.
Valerie Byrne, from Elphin, said up to 100 towns all over the country have already joined the movement, which is intended to show residents that there is light at the end of the tunnel as the new vaccines are rolled out.
Ten Roscommon towns have already been joined by Westport in Co Mayo, Newbridge, Co Kildare and dozens of smaller villages around the country.
Roscommon town is leaving the Christmas lights up for all of January
15:12 Thursday, 07 January 2021
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Will you be leaving your lights up a little longer?
Image via Facebook/Elphin – Our TownThey’re are two types of people in this world – those who take down the Christmas decorations before January 6th and those who just want Christmas to last
a little longer.
If you’re the latter, one town in County Roscommon is on board with you. The community of Elphin is leaving its Christmas lights on throughout the month of January.
The town has made the decision as the community feel people need hope during the latest set of Covid-19 restrictions.
A Roscommon town’s idea to keep their Christmas lights on throughout January to give people a ‘bit of hope’ amid a third lockdown has got a great reaction online.
Today, is traditionally the day many people across the country take down their festive lights and decorations, as January 6 marks the end of the Christmas season.
But Roscommon Councillor Valerie Byrne says leaving the lights up in Elphin is one small way of giving people a lift this month.
She says so many people had commented positively about the lights since they were switched on in December that she asked the local committee if they could be left on for the next numbers of weeks.
She told
Newstalk Breakfast: “This Christmas we were saying we’re going into a new year, and the vaccines are on the way. Then after Christmas there was a slump because the numbers have gone up so high.
“If pubs are closed, if restaurants are closed… all the towns and villages will be very dark. If we left the lights on until the end of January, at least we’d have the days getting longer and nights getting shorter.
“It’s a bit of light and a bit of hope for someone.”
Councillor Byrne also encouraged other towns across the country to follow Elphin’s example and leave the lights up a little while longer this year.
One Town In Roscommon Is Planning On Extending Christmas For A Few More Weeks
Listen to this episode
Are you over Christmas at this stage or would you like just another couple of weeks of those festive feels?
Elphin in
County Roscommon have decided to leave their Christmas lights up for a few more weeks to help keep the locals spirits up after a tough start to the year. Roscommon Councillor, Valerie Byrne spoke to
Dermot and Dave about this decision.
You can listen to the full chat below:
One Town In Roscommon Is Planning On Extending Christmas For A Few More Weeks