Big plans for Tullamore NYE 2020 concert

Major plans are afoot to ring in the New Year in Tullamore with a concert to mark Tullamore 400.

At the July monthly meeting of the Municipal District of Tullamore on Thursday, Cllr Tony McCormack tabled a motion to have the Municipal District put together a program of events to celebrate Tullamore 400 - when Tullamore was signed into the charter to become an official town.

"I brought this up originally to have a celebration to mark the new enhanced O'Connor Square and town improvement works. But during my research I saw that 2020 actually marks the 400th anniversary of Tullamore being signed into the charter of towns."

Cllr McCormack envisions a street party in the Square on December 31 to be only the first of three major celebrations, as well as smaller monthly events right throughout the year!

"New York has the ball drop in Times Square, Scotland has Hogmanay, and Dublin has its New Year's Eve concert but there is nothing in the midlands to mark New Year's Eve.

"I think this would be a great thing for Tullamore, that could be replicated not just for 2019/2020, but every year.

"It would be a family occasion that would draw people from all across the midlands," says the FF councillor who adds that it would not take away from hotels, bars and the restaurant trade on the night.

"The concert would get started at 10.30pm, so people could go for dinner beforehand, and finish at 12.30 so that the youngsters could carry on to the nightclubs.

"We'd have an MC counting down to the New Year, and we have plenty of talent around Tullamore and Offaly to make this a great occasion," he adds.

There are, however, plans afoot to have an even bigger concert midway through the year.

"This would attract national and international acts - it's a big task and I don't want to say too much, but there are already people involved who have worked on major projects before," Cllr McCormack explained.

"It could also be something that could become an annual event."

Cllr McCormack would also like to see monthly events run right throughout the entire 12 months of 2020.

"I'm thinking monthly celebrations and then three major ones to mark this historic year," he says adding that all sporting groups and organisations will be invited to get involved.

"Of course we will have the opening of the new Tullamore Arts Centre in December and we could ask the musical society to do something special to mark this occasion.