Midleton Kickstarts Christmas in County Cork
County Mayor asks people to support local businesses that have reopened following flooding
The Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Frank O'Flynn, is encouraging people to show their support for the town of Midleton following the recent devastating floods with a series of events planned in the build up to Christmas. The Christmas lights will be turned on during a day-long programme of events on Sunday, November 19th welcoming the festive season in County Cork.
The Courtyard at Sage Restaurant will be transformed into Santas’s Grotto until 3.00pm with a special sensory event taking place from 10.00 am until 12.00 noon. There will be a Christmas Fair at The Fair Green sponsored by GEDA construction and Pirate Pete Magic Shows at the Midleton Park Hotel throughout the day.
The highlight of the day will of course be the turning on of the Christmas Tree lights by local girl Orla Hennessy at 6.15pm. Orla was 6 years old when she was diagnosed with Severe Aplastic Anemia, a rare and life-threatening blood disorder. Orla’s only cure was a bone marrow transplant which took place last October with older sister Shannon as donor. There was a 1 in 4 chance of a sibling match and Orla only has one sister so the family feel very blessed. Orla attends Ballintotis National School, a school involved in the reindeer project. As a result of her, illness Orla missed all of Senior Infants, but thanks to teachers Aisling and Niamh providing home tuition, she was able to return to school and rejoin her friends in first class with her friends. Orla’s family are extremely grateful to all the Doctors, Nurses and staff at Crumlin and the Mercy Hospital who were outstanding and vital in getting Orla to where she is today. Luckily Orla’s is a success story.
Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Frank O’Flynn said,
Mayor
The Midleton Christmas Lights Committee have put huge work into making sure the turning on ceremony is bigger and brighter than ever. We have witnessed incredible community spirit in the town of Midleton and surrounding areas in recent weeks. Everyone came together to support the homes and businesses damaged by the worst flooding in decades. These businesses are now reopening, are about to enter what is traditionally the busiest time of the year for them and it is so important that we all continue to shop local and support them. Sunday’s event will reflect this spirit and more and I am asking people from near and far to visit Midleton and to pick up some unique Christmas gifts.
Christmas preparations are well underway in towns and villages across the county to encourage people to experience the best of what County Cork has to offer while supporting local business, jobs and communities.
Cork County Council is also providing for special car parking arrangements across its own operated car parks throughout the month of December. Visitors are encouraged to check the offers in their local area.
Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Valerie O’Sullivan added,
Valerie O'Sullivan
Chief Executive
We want to make it as easy as possible for people to shop locally and to experience the magic of Christmas on their doorstep. It has been a challenging few years for all businesses which is why it is so important that we all make a concerted effort to visit towns like Midleton and to support the retailers and companies that are the lifeblood of our communities.
Midleton Christmas Lights Committee representative Rebecca Darcy said, “We want to ensure that as many people as possible get to experience the magic of Christmas in Midleton this year. Santa’s Grotto is free to enter and the gifts have been kindly donated by the BWG Value Centre in Little Island. We are also working closely with the St Vincent de Paul to enable local families they support to enjoy the festivities. The annual Christmas Fair runs from midday until 8.00pm and there will be plenty of food stalls and crafts. We will also have a DJ, local groups performing and fun characters making their way around the town. The aim of the day is to encourage people to visit Midleton for the turning on ceremony, to get a taste of the fantastic businesses and craft makers and for them to return again and again to shop local.”
Tickets are available for the Magic Show with Pirate Pete at the Midleton Park Hotel and all funds raised will go towards the Christmas lights. Tickets are available from:
www.ticketsource.eu/midleton-christmas-lights
Local traffic diversions will be in place for a time during the day in the town.