Update on the Arklow Christmas Market taking place on Sunday 13th December 12-6 pm
Due to the bad weather forecast for the weekend, Arklow Christmas Festival Committee has taken the decision to move the Arklow Christmas Market to an indoor location. They are delighted to have the facilities of Aras Lorcain, Castlepark and are grateful to Fr. Martin and John Carley for the use of this wonderful facility.
Aras Lorcain will be bursting at the seams with wonderful small craft and food businesses with home baking, festive favourites, crafts, cards, jewellery, and a host of Christmas novelties. Most of these will make ideal gifts for family and friends with something to suit all pockets.
Inbhear Mor Performance Ensemble will play outside and Carol singers will entertain inside making this a wonderful and magical day for everyone.
Let us all make this as amazing as possible. There will be barriers in place to ensure safety of the public and these will go across the road in front of the new Arklow Municipal District Offices, the committee asks all stall holders to have their products etc. onsite anytime from 11am (when Aras Lorcain will be open) and to be set up and ready to roll by 12pm.
Also shoppers will have the added bonus of street entertainment from the top of the town right down to the bottom and includes the Bridgewater Shopping Centre, so the whole town will be working together to make sure everyone gets that something special and keep business in the town of Arklow. Please support their endeavours.
Arklow Christmas Festival Committee thank everyone for their help, understanding and patience so far. Check out their Facebook page and website for more information.
Irish Water identifies preferred site for €30m Arklow Wastewater Treatment Plant
On 9th December 2015 Irish Water announced that it has recommended the Old Wallboard Factory, North Quay, Ferrybank as the preferred site for the new Wastewater Treatment Plant in Arklow. This location has been recommended by Irish Water based on the public consultation processes and consultation with An Bord Pleanála, Wicklow County Council and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The proposed project, which is estimated to cost in the region of €30 million will include:
- A new Wastewater Treatment Plant and pumping stations to treat wastewater for a population equivalent of 36,000.
- A pipeline to bring untreated wastewater to the Wastewater Treatment Plant and to bring treated wastewater from the plant to the outfall.
- An outfall pipe to safely discharge the treated wastewater to the Irish Sea or the Avoca River.
Irish Water will provide a quarterly update on the Arklow project during the period of the Environmental Impact Assessment on the project webpage in addition to updates to local media. Irish Water will continue to liaise and consult with all relevant project shareholders throughout this period.
Commenting on the announcement of the preferred site, Jerry Grant, Head of Asset Management at Irish Water said, ‘The selection of the preferred site for the Arklow Wastewater Treatment Plant at the Old Wallboard Factory Site, North Quay, Ferrybank marks a key land mark in the delivery of a Wastewater Treatment Plant for Arklow. Irish Water is committed to ending the discharge of untreated wastewater in Arklow, along with the other 44 locations identified in the recent EPA Urban Wastewater Treatment Report. As outlined in the recent Irish Water Business Plan, the utility has earmarked almost €2 billion in improving wastewater quality and capacity up to 2021. Over €30 million of this is due to be spent in Arklow.’
Second Weekend Live Entertainment Mile
This weekend will be the second weekend of the Live Entertainment Mile, which is part of this year’s Arklow Christmas Festival. Below are listed the acts that will be performing on 12th and 13th December:
- 4Scene
- Áine, Érin and Siún Curran
- Aoibhín Redmond
- Arklow Ukulele Players
- Avonmore Musical Society
- Fionn & Roisin Vigors
- Interchurch Carol Singers
- Leinster Baptist Christmas Choir
- Arklow Pipe Band
- Small Town Crisis
- The Vault Music Programme
Powers Souvenir & Gift Shop Customer Appreciation Day
Powers Souvenir & Gift Shop are Celebrating “60 years” in Business on Main St. Arklow and are having a “Christmas Customer Appreciation Day” on Saturday 12th December, from 10 am to 7.30 pm for all their customers.
Polish Carols Concert
Polish Carols Concert will take place on December 13th at 3pm in the church of Sts. Mary and Peters Arklow. Last year’s concert was wonderful and this year is sure to be as good. Concert is organised by Polish-Irish Educational Association.
Christmas Carols Concert – photo taken by Ewa Berchulska