Collapse of Drogheda's Christmas lights "embarrassing for the town" - councillor tells meeting

The collapse of Christmas lights in Drogheda in early December must not be "repeated" according to Independent Councillor Declan Power. 

Speaking at the January meeting of Drogheda Borough District, Cllr Power referred to the collapse of festive lighting at the Thosel Crossroad junction of West Street, St Peter’s Street and Laurence Street, which resulted in the temporary closure of one of the town’s busiest junctions.

He said the resulting road closure that followed effectively paralysed the town at the height of the Christmas trading period.

“Traders were embarrassed, locals were angry, visitors were confused, traffic ground to a halt, deliveries were delayed and taxi drivers were forced to reroute.”

He said the incident "exposed serious weaknesses" in the management of infrastructure in the public realm. 

“Power boxes, supply points, anchoring systems form part of our public realm and when they fail, public safety is compromised, safety cannot be outsourced, reflected, or addressed only after something goes wrong.”

He called for Louth County Council and ESB Networks to carry out a "comprehensive audit" of electrical infrastructure and "replace anything anything that is no longer fit for purpose".

"Temporary generators or trailing cables across pedestrian area are not an acceptable solution for a town of this size and ambition,” he said.

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Cllr Power said "the response to this motion frankly suggests that this is not really a council issue and this is simply not true”. 

“Its about leadership, its about futureproofing Drogheda so that we can safely host events, requiring electrical output".

In a written response, Louth County Council said the supply and maintenance of Christmas lighting in Drogheda is the responsibility of the Drogheda BID Company. However, Director of Service David Jones said the council has committed to upgrading junction boxes in 2026.

While acknowledging the council are "not blameless" He said things happen, things go wrong" and said it's important not to play the "blame game".

Cllr Power said other towns were already ahead of Drogheda and made a comparison with Queen Maeve's Square in Sligo. 

He said it "demonstrates what good practice looks like. In ground pop-up electrical power units, suitable for festivals and concerts. No trip hazards. Infrastructure installed once and used repeatedly."

"This is not a luxury infrastructure in 2026. It's basic competence". 

Cllr Power concluded that “we owe it to ourselves to ensure the ghost of Christmas past 2025 is never repeated”. 

The motion received cross-party support, with Fianna Fáíl councillor James Byrne saying those responsible "need to sit down and make sure this doesn’t happen again”. 

While Mayor of Drogheda, Cllr Michell Hall asked for a timeline on the repair the junction boxes, to ensure it's done in preparation for the Lu Festival in October. 

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme