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IT’S BEGINNING TO look a lot like Christmas, now that the Christmas lights have been switched on at Grafton Street.
The festive lights were turned on this evening with help by Little Blue Heroes Foundation representatives Áine Nolan (age 4) from Clontarf, Dublin and Alyssa Reid (age 8) from Prosperous, County Kildare.
Dublin Town Grafton Street Christmas lights were switched on by Alyssa Reeves 8 and Aine Nolan aged 4. Bryan_Meade
Bryan_Meade
Little Blue Heroes is a Garda charity that provides practical and financial support to families of children who have serious illnesses, while allowing children to become Honorary Gardaí.
The lighting up of the Grafton Street chandeliers precedes the turning on of lights at Henry Street, South William Street, Capel Street and throughout the city centre.
“There is nowhere quite like Dublin City centre at Christmas,” said Dublin Town CEO, Richard Guiney.
He added that the Dublin Town Christmas lights “are by far the biggest task we undertake for our business members and people of the city, and beyond, each year”.
In total, it takes 30 people working through the night over four weeks to erect the lights and every bulb and fixture has to be tested by Dublin Town’s lighting contractor in advance.
Dublin Town Grafton Street Christmas lights were switched on by Aine Nolan aged 4 pictured with Garda Keith Moroney Bryan_Meade
Bryan_Meade
Guiney added that the lights are the “major catalyst of the city centre Christmas buzz, as well as attracting footfall”.
He noted that thousands of people will take selfies beneath the displays and remarked that “shopping and socialising in Dublin City centre under the iconic Christmas lights is a key Christmas experience for many”.
Dublin Town said that all the lighting used is low energy LED and regulated by time clocks.
It added that the Grafton Street display uses one third of the electricity of a domestic shower.
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