THE people of Limerick are invited to take a festive walk down memory lane this weekend in the heart of the Georgian city centre.
The Crescent on O’Connell Street will see a number of events taking place this Sunday (December 22) with a festive neighbourhood gathering bringing together many elements of a Georgian Limerick Christmas.
There will be the magic of street theatre, panto, choirs, sacred Latin recitals, and jazzy melodies, while Santa Paws, Limerick’s first dog Henri, will be on hand for children and other dogs to meet.
The event starts at 1pm with a recital of Christmas hymns in the former Jesuit Church, now run by the Christ the King Sovereign Priests, with a chance to view the recently redecorated church and festive crib.
People will then be invited to listen to the dulcet tones of the Milford NS Carol Singers, a children’s choir under the direction of teacher Orla Murray.
After that, there will be fun and games from Goldilocks and The Ring Master from Limerick Panto Society’s sell-out run of Goldilocks. A flash mob of dancers from the panto will also perform.
At around 2.30pm, a host of performers and animators from the local community and Lumen Street Theatre will wow the crowd with a piece of immersive street theatre looking at A Christmas Carol for inspiration, but with a genuine Limerick twist.
Finally, at around 3.30pm, jazz band 16 Tons of Jive will take the main stage to dance the evening away providing lots of Christmas hits to see families dancing and enjoying themselves on the Georgian streets of Limerick.
Mayor of Limerick John Moran said that “Henri, Damien, and I are so looking forward to seeing this wonderful public space come alive in a pet-friendly way for Christmas”.
“I want to thank the organising committee, the sponsors, my colleagues at Limerick City and County Council, and others who have made this all possible and made it clear that all, young and old, are welcome.”
Mayor Moran added that “this Christmas, we have been able to trial many new initiatives in Limerick and I hope we can build on those in years to come as we turn Limerick into a Christmas wonderland”.
Chair of the organising committee, Lorna Hodkinson, said that “this year we have a unique opportunity to create another active space in the heart of Limerick’s Georgian Quarter and many different groups have come together to make this happen”.
