LAST UPDATE | 5 Dec 2025

“EMERGENCY” FUNDING HAS been secured to “save” the pulled-down Christmas lights in Drogheda.

The incident happened at the junction of West St/Peter’s St/Laurence’s St in Drogheda when capping from a building fell and this in turn pulled down Christmas lights.

Image of the Christmas lights after they were pulled down Louth County Council Louth County Council

The junction is currently closed to traffic while the area is made safe and Council crews are on site to manage traffic and clean up debris.

The public has been asked to avoid the area if possible.

Debris from the capping that fell from a building Louth County Council Louth County Council

Fianna Fáil Senator Alison Comyn, who is from Drogheda, remarked that the incident was a “narrow escape”.

“The lights struck the back of a car,” she said in an online post.

“Part of a building has also come loose,” she added.

She attended the scene and said she was “relieved no one was seriously harmed” and remarked that the “sense of shock was very real”.

Comyn also commended the “swift response from the emergency services and Louth County Council”. 

Meanwhile, Comyn said there has been a “commitment of emergency funding” from Minister James Browne to restore Drogheda’s Christmas lights.

She thanked Browne for “acting so quickly to ensure that Drogheda will not lose its Christmas spirit.”

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage confirmed it will provide once-off financial support to Louth County Council to reinstate the damaged Christmas lighting.

Minister Browne said his Department “recognises the importance of Christmas lighting in bringing that bit of festive cheer and enhancing local businesses’ footfall during the coming weeks locally”.

Comyn said she will be “working closely with Louth County Council as they move to restore the lights as soon as possible” and added that “Drogheda deserves a safe, bright, and joyful Christmas”.

Fine Gael TD for Louth Paula Butterly meanwhile said she received the same news from her party colleague and Minister of State for Local Government, John Cummins.

Butterly said she reached out to Cummins to see if it would be possible to provide funding to repair the Christmas lights.

“His rapid decision means we can restore the festive lighting and keep the town looking its best for families, businesses, and visitors in the run-up to Christmas.”

She added that it was “extremely fortunate no one was injured” and thanked local authority staff and emergency crews “who reacted immediately to make the area safe”.

Louth is one of five counties currently under a Status Yellow wind warning.

This alert came into place at 11am this morning and will remain in place until 5pm this evening.

Met Éireann had warned of strong to gale force and gusty southeasterly winds, which could potentially result in difficult travelling conditions, debris, and loose objects becoming displaced.