Christmas lights cost €12,000

The total cost of the Christmas Lights in Kilcullen came to €12,640, a recent meeting of Kilcullen Community Action heard. Donations towards the expenditure have so far totalled €8,850, with more expected to come in.

The response to the appeal for funding was 'very good', Niall McDonnell said. He noted that in Carlow, where the Chamber of Commerce had spent in excess of €30,000 on lights last Christmas, only about a third of the cost had been recouped from donations.

KCA chairman Kieran Forde noted that much of the 2008 cost was on infrastructure, and in future years the charge would be much less. He paid tribute to J J Warren for both putting the lights in place and collecting the donations from businesses and individual supporters.

Ray Kelly said there were still difficulties in getting a reasonable costing from the ESB for the power to the lights, despite the fact that they were provided by a voluntary body.