Bumper festive trade in Nenagh
The transformation of Nenagh over Christmas into a brightly illuminated winter wonderland attracted crowds of shoppers to the town, resulting in bumper business for local shops and businesses.
“It was amazing – brilliant,” was how Kenyon Street butcher Denis Quirke described the festive trade. “It was the busiest Christmas ever in Nenagh. It was huge, I never saw anything like it.”
Mr Quirke said the efforts made by Tipperary County Council and everyone involved in the shop local campaign yielded wonderful results for shops like his. “Another [public] car park wouldn’t go astray, but it is as it is. But people were very understanding of that too, I think.”
Mr Quirke said businesses in the town core have continued to survive despite many challenges. “The blend of shops in Nenagh has kept the town centre together and we have fought back well against the larger retail outlets.”
Philip Talbot, the proprietor of Talbot’s Menswear in Mitchel Street, also reported bumper festive trade. “I was very please. I surpassed all my previous records, in actual fact,” Mr Talbot revealed. He added: “There’s huge credit due to the local council for the efforts they made to attract shoppers and to other groups for various initiatives undertaken.”
Mr Talbot said his line of clothes for very large people was particularly in demand. “People are coming to me from not just the county of Tipperary but from all over Munster because in addition to ordinary sizes in menswear I now have several lines of out-sized clothes as part of my overall business.”
The festive atmosphere began to really kick in over a week before Christmas when large numbers flocked to the castle grounds to attend the Christmas at the Castle event, staged over the penultimate weekend running up to December 25.
The 12th century castle and gardens were aglow day and night under a spectacular lighting system that left visitors and locals in awe. The height of the celebration on the site came on Saturday and Sunday, December 16-17, when the grounds resounded to the sounds of excited children enjoying all the delights of a funfair and meeting a very authentic looking Santa and a real-life version of The Grinch.
Other attractions included a festive market, artisan market stalls and live music, with a huge array of local produce and artwork on sale.
The council backed event proved to be a major success, with Nenagh Municipal District Administrator Rosemary Joyce reporting that the castle and grounds were buzzing with activity over the two days. She thanked all involved in the successful venture, in particular Nenagh tourism officer Victoria Lee and Spain AV.
The event was all part of a campaign by Tipperary County Council to get people to shop local, and judging by the crowds on the streets and shops in the run up to Christmas the mission proved to be a major success.
Free parking in all the public car parks in the runup to the festive period brought much business into the centre of the town where the streets resounded to seasonal music and lots of superb entertainment. One of the highlights was the Christmas Gathering Singalong in Quintin’s Way on the Friday before Christmas.
The event was hosted by the newly formed Nenagh Community Events Team and featured entertainment by Jennifer’s School of Music, Portroe Choir, Acoustic Reign, Naoise Scully, Callum Delahunty and Grace Shesgreen. Proceeds from the highly successful event are going to the Silver Arch Family Resource Centre.
Earlier in the day some of the streets in the town were gridlocked for a considerable period when an articulated lorry was forcibly stalled on the tight junction intersecting Sarsfield Street and John’s Lane. Traffic was diverted from the area as members of Nenagh Fire Brigade and gardaí combined to ensure that the driver eventually managed to negotiate the difficult junction.
FESTIVE HIGHLIGHT
The highlight of the festive season was on Saturday, December 23, with the staging of the annual Christmas Tractor Run through the streets of the town at 6pm. Heavy rain failed to dampen spirits as large crowds lined the main streets to view the amazing festive lighting that local farmers mounted on their tractors, resulting in yet another spectacular parade. The tractor run was the culmination of fantastic day in town with all kinds of entertainment on show.
The tractor run was a charity event with funds going to the Billy Goulding Fund and Nenagh’s A Team youth clubs for autistic children and young people.
Indeed, the season of goodwill was very much in the air, and that was clearly in evidence as the Nenagh Community Food Bank at Loreto house distributed 222 parcels to people throughout North Tipperary on its final day of opening just before Christmas.
Although the atmosphere at the distribution centre was full of cheer, the founder of the food bank, Sandra Farrell, said the event was tinged with sadness tool.
“It is sad to say that today was our biggest ever foodbank in five years with 222 food parcels distributed to the people of North Tipp,” said Ms Farrell, underlining growing levels of poverty being witnessed by those who operate the facility.
Ms Farrell and her team of helpers were also working on Christmas Day when the local Christmas Day Meals on Wheel service she founded delivered 256 dinners around North Tipperary. “I’m extremely grateful to so many that made this possible,” said Ms Farrell afterwards.
Many of her friends and family rowed in to help; Martin Morris and his family gave over the Hibernian Inn on Pearse Street for the day where the chef Declan Bourke cooked up all the dinners with great help from many, including in particular Dee O’ Brien and Danielle Morrissey.
Ms Farrell said the initiative would not have been possible without a team of willing volunteer drivers, food sponsors, and so many people who donated gifts and other items.
Other successful charity events included a Christmas Day Run and Walk organised by local man Tony Hassett, and Christmas Day swims at Youghal Quay and Dromineer.