Jewish festival celebrated

A special ceremony of light in the heart of what was once one of Ireland’s largest Jewish communities was beamed live to New Zealand at the weekend.

The ‘Evening Echo’ ceremony in Cork’s Shalom Park began at sunset on Saturday to mark the last night of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.

Nine park lamps, which symbolise the candelabra used in Hanukkah, were lit at intervals. They remained lighting for several minutes before falling into darkness for another full year of the Jewish calendar.