North Tipperary Hospice are asking the public to join them in a simultaneous switch-on of Christmas lights next week.
For the last decade, the charity has erected and lit a Tree of Remembrance on the steps of Nenagh Courthouse but that tradition has been set aside this year due to Covid-19 protocols.
Instead, they’re asking people to switch on their Christmas tree lights at 6pm on Wednesday December 2nd, as a unifying symbol of hope as well as remembrance.
Paddy Heffernan is one of the main organisers at the North Tipp Hospice in Home Care Movement.
“We were lucky in that Coillte sponsored the tree for us every year which was put on the steps of the courthouse and lit for the month of December into January.”
“But this year for obvious reasons with restrictions on the numbers of people who can assemble – and that was a very labour intensive job – we couldn’t go down the normal route this year.”
“So by kind permission of the Court Service we now have permission to light one of the existing trees in the courthouse grounds and we’re using that as our tree of remembrance this year.”
