Popular Limerick Christmas lights display cancelled
Organisers confirm the festive display will not return this Christmas
A MUCH-LOVED Christmas lights display in Limerick will not be going ahead this year, with organisers confirming the disappointing news in a social media post.
Hayes Christmas Lights, organised by Cormac Hayes in Shanagolden, County Limerick, confirmed the news in a statement shared on social media due to “circumstances beyond our control”.
The display has a history stretching back almost three decades, beginning in 1997 when Cormac’s mother Mary Hayes first purchased a light-up Santa and snowman.
Despite her husband Timmy initially thinking she was “mad” and thought that decorations like those were only something you would see in America, Mary continued to add to the collection, adding more Christmas lights the following year.
What began with two decorations gradually grew into a loved family tradition. However, following Timmy’s death in December 2003, the display eventually stopped completely by 2005.
More than a decade later, Cormac decided to bring the Christmas lights “back to life” in 2017, reviving the tradition and creating a festive attraction for the local community and visitors from far.
Since its return, the display has also raised almost €100,000 for various local charities, making it about much more than Christmas decorations.
Behind the scenes, bringing the display to life was no small task, with Cormac spending nearly eight and a half weeks each year putting up the lights and decorations.
The display has not taken place since Christmas 2024.
In an announcement on the Hayes Christmas Lights Facebook they expressed their sadness and thanked everyone who had supported them throughout the years.
The post read: “It is with great sadness that we have to announce that Hayes Christmas Lights will not be going ahead this year due to circumstances beyond our control.”
They apologised for any disappointment caused and wished everyone a Christmas filled with “happiness, love and festive magic.”
The display usually welcomes visitors on evenings throughout the Christmas period, but this year the Hayes Christmas Light will remain switched off.