Letterkenny & District Christmas Annual to hit the shelves next week

The 43rd edition of the Letterkenny & District Christmas Annual will be in the shops by the beginning of next week. 

Currently going through the finishing touches at the printers, the team behind the annual hope to have the popular 200 page book out by next week so that it meets the closing dates for posting to friends and relatives all over the world. 

“Townies everywhere, from Boston to Clydebank and Sydney to London, love to have their copies in time for Christmas,’ explains editor Kieran Kelly, “so we like to have it out by the end of November each year so that there is still time for the Christmas posting dates.”

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This year, once again the Annual is full to the brim of interesting articles, short stories, poems and old photos of Letterkenny that will bring a warm smile to many faces this Christmas season. 

“In total, we have contributions from over forty different writers, local historians and poets that maintain the high standards of Annuals past, which provide the reader with a rich tapestry of Letterkenny life both in the past and indeed in the present,” says Kieran. “On top of that, we have over 300 photos of the town and of popular characters over the years that were so kindly donated by so many people; as always it really is a Community effort putting this all together.”

As well as articles on various aspects of local history, the 2024 Annual provides the usual mix of interesting sports articles, reviews of the year past, Christmas stories and poems, as well as humourous memories and anecdotes of growing up in the town. It also has the traditional Townies Teasers Crossword and a Christmas Quiz to keep you entertained as you tuck into the box of Quality Street! 

“The Christmas Annual is an important tradition for the town of Letterkenny”, adds Kieran, “it’s part of our fabric, our DNA, if you like. As the town grows and changes around us, there’s something comforting in the Annual coming out – that we still have it around. For example, we all know that this year saw the demolition of the old Funland/Music Centre building, as well as the old ESB offices and the former Ulster Bank is under major renovations. This year was also the last of the Letterkenny Reunions. But yet, we still have the Annual! There’s definitely a comfort in that – that some things haven’t changed.”

First published in 1982 as a fundraiser for the development of the new Community Centre, the seasonal treat of the annual continued to grow in popularity each year, being edited by Jim Lynch (RIP) for many years. And even though the book continues to act as a fundraiser for the Community Centre, it provides the reader with so much more than that. 

“It’s a fantastic treasure trove of information over the years,” continues Kieran. “Like many other Townies, I am privileged to have the entire collection in my library, and I often dip into them to rediscover old stories and photographs that have been forever preserved in the Annuals. Likewise, in the future, I hope people will enjoy dipping into the 2024 edition to rediscover the photos and articles we have in this year. It really is a treasure chest of the social history of our town over the last forty years and something that, as always, everyone can enjoy.”

The 2024 Christmas Annual will be available in local shops from the beginning of next week.