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Moment in Time: Huge crowds in attendance at switching on of Portlaoise Christmas lights in 2012

The choir performing at the turning on of the Portlaoise Christmas Lights in 2012. Picture: Alf Harvey.

Some of the great occasions in Portlaoise over the years have been when big events have taken over the town’s main street.

In recent years the Old Fort Festival has been a successful event in the summer, many years ago there was the jazz festival.

The St Patrick’s Day parade and the hugely popular Streets of Portlaoise 5K run have also been embraced by the wider public.

And so too the Christmas Markets and turning on of the Christmas lights.

In 2012, Alf Harvey was on hand to capture the occasion of the lights being turned on.

And as usual he snapped a selection of great images.

The hard-working Downtown Portlaoise team, with the late Phil Duggan in his usual jovial form, are photographed while there’s also a lovely photo of the late Kathleen O’Brien, a town and county councillor and a long-time champion for all things Portlaoise.

You can check out Alf’s set of images in full below.

Downtown committee members at the turning on of the Portlaoise Christmas Lights. From left: Ger Mulhall, Alison Browne, Phil and Margaret Duggan, Andrew Shaw, Edel Prendergast, Marcus Breslin and Jack Nolan. Picture: Alf Harvey.
Main street for the turning on of the Portlaoise Christmas Lights. Picture: Alf Harvey.
The Purcells, Leonards and Gings at the turning on of the Portlaoise Christmas Lights. Picture: Alf Harvey.
Tony, Aaron and Jessica Lynott at the turning on of the Portlaoise Christmas Lights. Picture: Alf Harvey.
Alex Whelan and Caoimhe Moore at the turning on of the Portlaoise Christmas Lights. Picture: Alf Harvey.
Alexandra and Maga at the turning on of the Portlaoise Christmas Lights. Picture: Alf Harvey.
Thomas and Maga Kozlowski at the turning on of the Portlaoise Christmas Lights. Picture: Alf Harvey.
Chelsea McEvoy, Michael Lawless and Shannon McEvoy at the turning on of the Portlaoise Christmas Lights. Picture: Alf Harvey.
The choir performing at the turning on of the Portlaoise Christmas Lights.
P cture: Alf Harvey.
Emma Roche, Sinead Grant and Claudia McCann at the turning on of the Portlaoise Christmas Lights.
Picture: Alf Harvey.
Santa arrives to turn on the lights at the turning on of the Portlaoise Christmas Lights.
Picture: Alf Harvey.
Santa at the turning on of the Portlaoise Christmas Lights. Picture: Alf Harvey.
Santa turns on the lights at the turning on of the Portlaoise Christmas Lights. Picture: Alf Harvey.

Some of the huge crowd that turned out for the turning on of the Portlaoise Christmas Lights. Picture: Alf Harvey.
Some of the many that turned out for the turning on of the Portlaoise Christmas Lights. Picture: Alf Harvey.
Party time at the turning on of the Portlaoise Christmas Lights. Picture: Alf Harvey.

SEE ALSO – Check out more photos from our Moment in Time series here