Red-nose delight as city centre lights up

!!!HO! HO! HO!

The countdown to Santa’s arrival started in Cork last night as thousands of people lined the streets to witness the switching on of the city’s Christmas lights.

Lauren Murphy from Noonan’s Road, off Barrack Street, performed the switch-on at Opera Lane

Afterwards Lord Mayor Cllr Terry Shannon joined more than 300 children who, under the direction of soprano Sonya Keogh, performed a scene from Cinderella, which is being staged as this year’s panto in Cork Opera House.

Santa made a guest appearance on the balcony of the Opera House to the applause of the multitude below.

Mr Shannon, along with comedian Maeve Higgins, later switched on the lights in Bishop Lucey Park and the Grand Parade.

Families formed a huge queue which stretched all the way down Tuckey Street to get into the park which has been transformed into a Winter Wonderland by global event specialists, Arcana.

The city is holding a 15-day festival which will include special food and craft stalls on the Grand Parade. The same street will be the venue tomorrow for a free big-screen showing of the Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street.

The city council is hoping that more than 140,000 will visit the festival.

The event is being sponsored by the Irish Examiner, Bord Gáis, Fáilte Ireland and 96FM/103FM.

“You don’t need to go to Germany for Christmas markets, you have it all here in Cork,” Bord Gáis chief executive John Mullins told the crowds.

Cork Chamber of Commerce chief executive Conor Healy said people should support local retailers.