Karen and Tory Lilley stand in front of the Enniskillen Christmas tree at the Diamond last year DP79
CHRISTMAS has come early for towns in Fermanagh after the Council made a U-turn on its decision to provide Christmas trees this year.
Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s, Regeneration and Community Committee had decided in September to revisit it’s policy of providing Christmas trees to the main towns.
At September’s meeting of the committee, ‘members were not content’ with the harmonisation option in which the Council would supply and erect Christmas trees in the main centres of population across the district.
Fermanagh District Council provided eight trees which were located in various locations in Enniskillen such as the Bowling Green, the Diamond, Round O, near Tesco, Erneside, Killyvilly and two locations in Irvinestown, the Bawnacre and Irvinestown Castle.
The total cost of providing these trees last year was £2,630.
However recently the council decided to reverse its decision and will provide the main towns with Christmas trees – a relief to many in the local community who would have been forced to foot the bill for their own.
Fermanagh and Omagh will now share a pot of £5,000 to erect Christmas trees in their towns, and this sum will be reviewed for Christmas 2016.
The news was greeted with delight from the Irvinestown Fair and Market trustees, who manage and look after the Christmas lights in the town each year.
Trustee Lorraine Maguire said, “We had a phonecall in the last few days to officially tell us the council would be providing us with a Christmas tree. Having a Christmas tree is a bonus and we are absolutely delighted, as it would take a big amount from the budget. We had to opt for an artificial tree to save money.”
Even though the council will provide a Christmas tree the cost for the lights is subsided by the council based on the population of each town and village.
Lisnaskea town will receive £4913.60 with a population of 2,960. Meanwhile smaller villages such as Pettigo and Killadeas who have a population of 63 will get £104.58 from the council for their Christmas lights display.
Irvinestown, which has the third highest population in Fermanagh outside Enniskillen, with 2,264 inhabitants will receive
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