Popular Limerick Christmas lights not to return this year as family is ...
THE HAYES Christmas Lights, a festive tradition in Shanagolden, will not be returning for Christmas 2024, much to the disappointment of its yearly visitors.
The lights display, organised by Cormac Hayes, is taken a break for this year's festive season.
The event first "came to light" in 1997, when Cormac's mother, Mary, first bought a light-up Santa and Snowman. Despite his father, Timmy, thinking she was "mad", and claiming that you'd only see those kinds of decorations in America, he started buying lights the following year.
The tradition continued until his father passed away on December 23, 2003, and the lights display stopped completely by 2005.
Cormac, now 35, decided to bring the display "back to life" in 2017, and has raised almost €100,000 for various local charities since.
Each year, he spends eight and a half weeks putting up his display before the Christmas season. This feat is undertaken each evening after his shifts at O'Neills Deli Supplies, which start at 4am each day.
Though his boss wonders where he gets the energy, Cormac explained that he passes University Hospital Limerick every morning and thinks of the "people inside there that won't be able to come out for Christmas", and that keeps him inspired.
READ MORE: 'One Limerick, One Book' initiative expected in 2026
"Everyone asks me how many kids I have, and I kind of go, well, if I had kids, I don't think I'd have this much time," Cormac explained.
Despite this, when he creates his Christmas displays, he says: "I'm not looking at it as an adult, I'm looking at it as a child".
"I have a child in my heart, as simple as that."
Santa, reindeers, snowmen, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, seven foot giraffes, the Grinch, penguins, crocodiles, rhinos, polar bears, a crib, and a real car are all sights to be spotted within the typical Hayes Christmas Lights display.
The display usually opens for visitors in the evenings throughout the holiday period, but the lights won't be shining bright this year.
Explaining his decision to take a break from the lights display this December, Cormac said his priority is getting to spend this Christmas with his mother and his family, doing "all the things we've never got to do since we opened back up in 2017".
Giving thanks to his community for their support over the years, he promises "1000%" that the lights will be back bigger and brighter than ever next year: "If you've seen last year's display, it'll be another quarter bigger, I can promise you that".
With lots of new "mad ideas" for the display, Cormac has already started ordering lights for Christmas 2025.
