‘Use cancelled fireworks money to spread some Christmas cheer’

A PROMINENT member of Omagh’s business community has called for the money saved by cancelling the Halloween fireworks display in the town to be used to put on a spectacular show for the switch-on of the Christmas lights.

There was widespread criticism last week after Fermanagh and Omagh District Council announced that the fireworks displays scheduled for tonight (Monday) in both Omagh and Enniskillen were being called off, citing financial reasons.

A spokesperson stated, “Given the scale of the immediate financial pressures on the council, together with the wider cost of living crisis, the council has been required to re-prioritise its budgets to ensure that it can meet its core financial obligations.”

While many local families were angered by the decision, the president of Omagh Chamber of Commerce Colm Broderick praised the move as “good housekeeping”.

But he acknowledged that the timing of the announcement so close to the event was “unfortunate”.

Mr Broderick, who runs a well-known pub in the town, said, “I’d rather see shop shutters up, lights on and businesses operating next year on our streets, rather that seeing a fireworks display for a few minutes and having to pay more business rates.”

He added, “I’d like to see an effort put on the Christmas lights switch-on with Santa Claus or the Coca Cola lorry driving up the High Street. This will give many local families joy and a brief respite from what will be a difficult winter for many.”

Describing the council’s decision to call off the fireworks as “brave”, Mr Broderick said he could see “both sides of the story”.

“I know other businesses will have been holding spin-off events and may have less people in. But as a business community we don’t want to see anything which contributes to our rates going up,” he added.

Last week, council chair Barry McElduff said he believed a fireworks display this year “would not give the impression that people’s financial hardships were being taken seriously”.

Cllr McElduff said, “I acknowledge, as chair of the council, that this will be disappointing for many.

“But there has been a strong argument made that in the current climate that to spend £40,000 on fireworks only to see that money literally going up in smoke is not the best use of public resources.

“Personally speaking, I think this demonstrates that the council is taking the cost of living crisis very seriously.

“I think we’re facing an unprecedented time in financial challenges both in people’s households with energy bills and in terms of the council as well.”

The last time a fireworks event was held in Omagh was back in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic.