LORD MAYOR OF DUBLIN
Paul McAuliffe:
BRINGING CHRISTMAS HOME
D
ublin’s Mansion House, residence of the city’s Lord Mayor since 1715, is the oldest such building in these islands. During the festive season, it’s probably the most Christmassy too. Its grand forecourt accommodates a crib featuring real animals. Its façade is illuminated by a state-of the-art led light display, part of the city’s innovative Winter Lights pageant. And on Christmas night, a very special someone is expected to descend its chimney for the first time in several years. That is because Dublin’s Lord Mayor, Paul McAuliffe, has two young children – and the stockings will be out. “We’ve a giant portrait of George IV that hangs on the staircase – it was unveiled by Prince Charles” says the Lord Mayor. “But I don’t think the kids will be paying much attention to the king when they come dashing down the stairs on Christmas morning looking for their presents!” “Christmas is such an important time in Ireland for families”, he says, “particularly because of our history of emigration. Of course many people come
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back to Ireland at Christmas time. But it’s an equally important time for those people who don’t get the opportunity to travel home. So we’re always thinking here about those people as well’. The Lord Mayor attends a variety of charitable events at Christmas-time, but in his case charity really does begin at home – all the money raised by the live animal crib, which is run by Dublin City Council in conjunction with the Irish Farmers Association, goes towards the Mansion House Fuel Fund, one of the oldest charities in Dublin that works to alleviate fuel poverty in the city. It is appropriate that the Lord Mayor’s own house plays a leading role in the city’s Christmas celebrations. The Winter Lights illuminations are a particularly effective demonstration of this Lord Mayor’s very pro-Christmas stance. Also to be illuminated are the facades of other iconic Dublin buildings including City Hall, The Custom House, The General Post Office and Trinity College. Sparkling seasonal lighting will be installed at O’Connell Street, Millennium Bridge, Parliament Street, Samuel Beckett Bridge,
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some of it designed in association with local schools and artists. According to the Lord Mayor, the installations involve 157,800 low power LEDs, 100 tonnes of equipment and 15,780 metres of cable. Believe it or not, however, this dazzling display is eco-friendly. “The lights on the bridge use less electrical power than a domestic iron”, he says. It’s not just about some pretty lights though. The Lord Mayor places this initiative in a bigger context altogether. He sees it as making an important addition to the city’s appeal. He points out that nowadays it is more about cities competing with each other rather than countries. “We’re competing with cities across Europe in many ways”, he says.
