‘Tis the season to be jolly. Well, not for the residents of Keady, it isn’t!
One local councillor hasn’t been shy in expressing his displeasure at the town’s Christmas tree offering this year – which he says is half the size of last year.
SDLP’s Thomas O’Hanlon is not buying into the notion that all good things come in small packages.
Posting the above image of Keady and Portadown’s respective Christmas trees, Councillor O’Hanlon, commented: “One of these Christmas trees is in Keady, the other is Portadown. I’ll let you guess which one is in Keady – put up by the same Council.”
Councillor O’Hanlon said he thought it was a joke when he first saw it, “or that it was mistakenly put up in the town centre instead of inside the TMAC Centre”.
“This tree is about half the size of last year’s, he said. It is an absolute disgrace. As one wise craic said, ‘there’s a bigger tree in Mone’s shop window’.”
The Keady Christmas tree of 2023
He added: “The street lighting through the town has been installed and there are more lights to go along the front of the TMAC in advance of our Christmas light switch on.
“We’ll not let this go. An ‘it’s only Keady’ attitude won’t do! Residents and businesses in Keady and other rural communities pay their rates too…”
And residents were quick to agree with Councillor O’Hanlon, with one describing it as “a joke”, another saying it’s an “absolute disgrace” while one woman commended him for “bringing ‘grass roots’ politics to new heights”.
The Keady Christmas switch-on will take place on Thursday, December 5 between 6pm and 8.30pm.
