Christmas lights switch-on this Friday night

The festive season will officially start in Moate this Friday night, November 28, with the switching on of the town's Christmas lights.

An impressive array of illuminations, the lights have been installed throughout the town by the hard-working Moate Christmas lights committee who, in keeping with annual tradition, have come together to ensure that the town is festively aglow on the countdown to Christmas.

While festive lights line each side of the main street, the decoration of the large Christmas tree with colourful baubles in the centre of Moate is a notable feature of the work which the committee has undertaken this past number of weeks.

The official Christmas lights switching on ceremony will start at 6pm on Friday night with performances by Moate students from the Leinster School of Dance. Students from St Brigid's Primary School will fill the air with festive tunes in advance of the arrival of Santa Claus at 6.15pm.

Representatives from Midland Warriors RFC will also be on hand to supply hot chocolate, teas, coffees and treats during the course of the evening.

The main event, the switching on of the Christmas lights, will take place at 7pm.

Secretary of the Christmas Lights committee Bo Allen has commended the work of the many committee volunteers who have "been very active" putting up the lights "for the last three weeks".

"This year, we have added €10,000 worth of lights to our display. We have added a new festive display at Ave Maria Terrace and along the greenway at Moate station. The town will look really well when the Christmas lights are turned on from this weekend," Bo said.

A total of €100,000 has been invested in the town's Christmas lights through the years and Bo expressed his thanks to all those who continue to contribute towards the annual festive display.

"It is a massive community effort and I want to thank our main sponsors, Westmeath County Council, St Brigid's Credit Union and PMI, as well as all the local businesses without whom we wouldn't be in a position to have such a Christmas light display in Moate," Bo concluded.