'We can’t stop Christmas': Cork city councillors disappointed by decision not to hold Christmas lights switch-on event

The chief executive of Cork City Council Ann Doherty said she was “surprised” by the reaction in the Council Chamber on Monday evening to the news that a large-scale public Christmas lights switch-on event would not take place this year.

Ms Doherty confirmed at November’s sitting of Cork City Council that the event would not go ahead due to safety concerns related to crowd crushing and difficulty in facilitating emergency access.

She said a meeting was held among stakeholders following the event in 2019 - the last time a large-scale switch-on took place - during which she said it was strongly advised that the event could not go ahead in its current form again.

Councillors raised their frustration at the decision, saying that more planning should have been put into launching Christmas in Cork.

Speaking to The Echo, Sinn Féin councillor Kenneth Collins, who called on Monday evening for a suspension of Standing Orders to allow for a discussion on the importance of the event, said that he was “disappointed” with the chief executive’s response.

We need to promote the city, we need to promote Cork, we need to show what we are and when we do things, we do it good.

Mr Collins suggested a parade or pageant in collaboration perhaps with the Everyman and the Opera House to bring the characters of the panto onto the street to “make it like Disneyland on Patrick Street and make it feel like Christmas”.

“We can’t stop Christmas. This event is the highlight for some people and there are people who can’t afford Christmas and if you had an agreement with the Opera House and the Everyman who are doing the pantos, it would promote what they’re doing but you'd also have children enjoying all the characters. We can make something bigger and much better to walk on the island,” he said.

Mr Collins welcomed the chief executive’s commitment to stand back and hold a workshop in January to evaluate Christmas 2023 and look ahead to 2024.

Independent councillor Ken O’Flynn said he is “absolutely mesmerised” that more planning had not been put into holding a Christmas light switch-on event and that there are many European cities that host a dedicated switch-on event.

“In mainland Europe, there seems to be no problem switching on lights - all over the world actually. 

A lot of these are ticketed events and what you do is that you have people that apply for the free tickets and you leave in your thousand, or five thousand people, depending on what you can manage.

He described the decision not to hold a switch-on event in the city as “a huge disappointment” and said despite having 12 months to get it right, that “nobody got it right”.

Fine Gael councillor Joe Kavanagh said during Monday’s meeting that Cork City Council is a victim of its own success in relation to the growth in popularity of the switch-on event, describing it as “a credit to Cork City Council” but acknowledging the growth in the numbers in attendance.

Independent councillor Thomas Moloney said that while the City Council is a victim of its own success, it is not a reason to call a halt to the event but a reason to reevaluate and reassess and put a health and safety plan in place, while Labour councillor John Maher clarified that nobody wants to put anybody in any danger, but highlighted the success of last month’s Guinness Cork Jazz Festival which offered many pop-up events, attracting thousands to the city centre.

Addressing councillors, Ms Doherty said she was “surprised by the conversation” and clarified that the event as it was “is not safe with the numbers”.

Speaking about the suggestions of a parade, she confirmed that it would be a budgetary issue and would have to be looked at.

She asked people to embrace that Christmas will be different in Cork this year and for people to “give it a chance”, saying she heard everything said by councillors and committing to stand back in January and evaluate.

Encouraging people to promote Christmas positively, the Lord Mayor of Cork councillor Kieran McCarthy said Christmas is not cancelled in Cork and that Cork "will be very much open for Christmas". 

"There is a strong vibrant programme in place. Big and small shops, restaurants and pantomimes are all ready to go. Our Christmas lights will go on this weekend.

"The Ferris Wheel and the new lighting project Solas is ready to go. There will be a festive atmosphere. As someone very passionate about Cork and as Lord Mayor I am very excited as to the next few weeks and the lead into Christmas."

He said that while he has heard the public's disappointment around not having a formal turning on of the lights, crowd control challenges have "snookered us the last few years" and that he and his colleagues in Cork City Council have taken the matter very seriously and explored the options available but have had not had success this year.

“But that does not mean that Christmas is cancelled in Cork; it is quite the opposite. A new Corkmas Christmas experience has been designed and installed at Emmet Place, and will be enjoyed by thousands of people over the coming weeks. 

"I am very much looking forward to launching the Solas Christmas lighting experience and I am sure my excitement will be shared by visitors to our terrific city centre."

He said that the negative narrative constructed by some individuals "does absolutely nothing to promote Cork and encourage people into town" and said there is an onus on all citizens to promote it positively.

"There are many opportunities over the next few weeks to bring people in town to help business and to engage in the festive spirit whilst meeting up with friends and family," he said.