02.12.2017
Magical Christmas Tree Festival Now Open at St Patrick’s Cathedral
St Patrick’s Cathedral is introducing a new festive experience in inner city Dublin this year with its month–long Christmas Tree Festival. The festival, which is the first of its kind in the inner city, was officially launched last night (Friday December 1) by RTÉ radio and television broadcaster, Áine Lawlor.
Featuring trees and wreaths which have been beautifully and imaginatively decorated by local businesses and community groups as well as those associated with the life of the cathedral, the festival will continue until Epiphany at the end of the first week in January.
Launching the festival Áine Lawlor said it was just one of the many ways the cathedral could reach out to those beyond its walls and among others highlighted the Christmas Eve Service of Nine Lessons and Carols which is broadcast live on RTE Radio One each year. She said great thought and effort had been put into the decoration of the trees and wreaths.
Listening to the quartet of the Cathedral Choir who sang carols at the launch, she said she was reminded of the things that made Christmas special as we grow older. “Each year as we get older and we look at what has changed as well as the things that stay the same, the gaps and additions that have occurred during the year, we see that in the middle of the darkness of December we get can together and celebrate light and love and community and birth. We thank St Patrick’s for what they do at Christmas,” she commented.
Dean William Morton said the concept for the festival travelled south with him from St Columb’s Cathedral in Derry/Londonderry. During the festival the cathedral expects to welcome tens of thousands of visitors, all of whom will have the opportunity to view the trees. He thanked all the local businesses, suppliers and groups who had decorated a tree or supplied a wreath.
“The aim of the festival is to build up the social fabric of the cathedral by connecting people with people and the cathedral with people. It also aims to raise funds towards the replacement of the main roof of the cathedral which will cost €6 million… We could not have done this without the generosity of our sponsors and we are hugely grateful to all of them. A debt of gratitude is also due to the members of the Christmas Tree Festival Committee who have worked so hard to put the event together. In St Patrick’s there is generosity of spirit and generosity of enthusiasm,” he said.
Following the launch Áine presented residents from the nearby Moyne House, an Iveagh Trust property at nearby Bull Alley, with a certificate for best wreath in recognition of the thought and effort they put into decorating their contribution to the festival.
The Christmas Tree Festival, which also features the beautiful Adeste Crib from Ark, can be viewed with general cathedral admission. Christmas Festival Family Nights will be held on the evenings of December 20, 21 and 22 after Evensong with the Cathedral open to the public from 18.15 – 21.00 free of charge. Any community groups wishing to visit the festival should contact Kelley at community@stpatrickscathedral.ie There will be a Christmas Gift shop open during this period.
Keep up to date with the festival at www.stpatrickscathedral.ie
