LIKE three wise men, Limerick and Kerry GAA stars Nickie Quaid, David Clifford and Tadgh Morley brought their trophies with them to switch on the annual charity Christmas light display at a County Limerick home.
For the past 23 years, Tony Noonan, (66), has transformed his home on the summit of a hill at Tullig North, Templeglantine into a festive lights winter wonderland.
“We’ve tens of thousands of LED lights wrapped all around the house and the front, it’s looking fantastic, they say the international space station can see it when it’s all lit up,” beamed Mr Noonan.
The energy crisis could not pull the plug on the massive operation as Noonan secured a donation of a generator from Richard Egan Electrical in Kilmallock.
“We have put in a brand new generator to drive the lights the cable have been changed to the ESB standards, and special insurance to drive the generator – so we are ahead of Transport Minister Eamon Ryan.
“We’re expecting him to come down and pay for the diesel; and I think Bertie Ahern is coming with him, so things are looking good, Bertie is going to do a whip around for us,” he joked.
Visitors to the house and donors over the years have raised €250,000 for charities, including €28,600 raised last year.
All Ireland winning Limerick hurler and All Star winner Nickie Quaid; Kerry footballer of the Year and All Ireland winner Tadgh Morley and Ian Corbett captain of senior county football championship winners Newcastle West signed autographs and posed for photographs alongside the Liam MacCarthy and Sam Maguire cups.
“I do this because I want to light up people’s lives in these dark times, because we are all coping with the aftermath of Brexit, we still have Covid, then there was the war in Ukraine and then the cost-of-living crisis, so I hope this helps give people a smile,” added Mr Noonan
“We have Santas, sleighs, snowmen, christmas trees, the whole shebang, and everyone is welcome and donations are purely optional.”
All proceeds will go to Milford Care Centre, Limerick, CARI; Limerick Suicide Watch; and Recovery Haven Cancer Support House in Tralee.
