€50,000 granted to replace demolished Laois Christmas tree

The famous Mountmellick Christmas Tree in Laois now no more, is to be reinvented thanks to a local committee and €50,000 in grant money just won by them.

The central steel column of the beloved 65 ft tree had to be dismantled recently for structural safety reasons after it was found to be seriously corroded (below: the structure on the ground).

Instead of a similar tree next winter, Mountmellick Christmas Tree Committee is embarking on an ambitious design reinvention. It will embrace local craft heritage and sustainable energy efficient lighting and take over two years to create.

The Laois project is one of 43 sharing €5.8M in funding announced under the new Creative Climate Action Fund II.

The money for the creative, cultural and artistic initiatives around Ireland was announced by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Ministers Catherine Martin and Eamon Ryan.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD spoke on the day of the grant announcements.

“The inclusion of three significant cross-border projects in the Creative Climate Action Fund, under the Shared Island initiative, signifies the ongoing Government support for ambitious activities which benefit the whole island and bring people together around common concerns. In this instance the funding will help to develop awareness, through creativity, of climate change, the single greatest threat facing humanity today. We must be the generation that turns the tide on climate change and biodiversity loss. The ongoing Shared Island dimension of the Creative Ireland Programme will harness the power of cultural creativity to bring communities together across the island.” 

Cathy Bishop is chair of Mountmellick Christmas Tree Committee.

"Mountmellick Embroidery and heritage museum and Yarn Bombing Mountmellick and an artist are going to provide guidance and assistance. The design will reflect Mountmellick's textile heritage. It's a plan that we hope to achieve by Christmas 2026 at the latest. We ask for people's patience and understanding," she said. 

The committee say that for the next couple of Christmasses, there will be real trees erected in O'Connell Square.

Laois Minister of State Sean Fleming TD welcomed the funding.

"The old tree that was in the town had been there for many many years and it is good to see funding for a new project to replace this old tree under the Governments Creative Climate Action Fund.

"The Mountmellick Christmas Tree Committee took the lead in this project and were supported by : Mountmellick Embroidery & Heritage Museum, Yarnbombing Mountmellick and artist Martina Coyle.

"This project can be described as: Reimagining the iconic Christmas tree of Mountmellick through the lens of eco-design and renewables; use of local lace and embroidery crafts alongside energy efficient lighting - to engage the community in rethinking their lifestyle and energy use.

"I want to compliment all those involved in this Mountmellick project for their skills and artistic talent to make this happen. I am already looking forward to visiting this new project in December," Minister Fleming said.

Commenting on the announcement Minister Martin said:

“The success of our inaugural Creative Climate Action initiative is hard to deny. The first 15 projects were in equal parts exciting, thoughtful and ambitious. The ambition of the artists and the communities involved were made manifest by dramatic light installations that demonstrated rising sea levels in Galway and Wexford, immersive agricultural programmes in Dingle and Tipperary, decarbonising projects in Limerick and Waterford, and the regeneration of repair and reuse culture in Westmeath. 

“However the real value of the initiative was the unrelenting desire for meaningful change amongst all those involved. I believe the projects that we are launching today will drive that momentum for change even further. I want to congratulate the breadth of imagination and considered thinking involved in each of these 43 initiatives. It is wonderful to witness and a real privilege to support.”

Welcoming the announcement Minister Ryan said:

“Climate change can be such a huge issue that people can too often feel overawed, or that it’s something they can’t do anything really meaningful about. This change can be achieved through fully exploring avenues for innovative and creative ways to inspire people to take action. Once again the Irish cultural sector and our enterprising communities have responded with initiatives that will challenge us all to make the changes needed to secure a better future for us all.  This is exciting and important work and I wish to commend everyone involved.”

Other projects include: Citizen project to map air quality in Galway. 
An inclusive Shared Island initiative that will empower neurodivergent communities to engage in climate action.
A creative arts programme that will bring together the communities of Carlingford Lough to engage with their marine environment.  
A nationwide campaign led by the advertising industry to create alternative visions of the future.
A site-responsive, interactive piece that aims to reduce a Waterford theatre’s carbon footprint.
Celebration and exploration of winterage practices in the Burren and sustainable farming 
A creative investigation of the impact of demolition in Ireland’s construction sector

The Creative Climate Action Fund II had received 239 applications from; Architecture, Creative Facilitation, Film, Participatory Design, Visual Arts, Cultural Heritage, Theatre, Service Design, Dance, Literature, Music, Traditional Arts, Festivals, Circus, Publishing and Press, and Animation and Augmented Reality. 

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The Creative Ireland Programme, in collaboration with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications is funding 40 recipients. A further 3 recipients are funded as part of the Shared Island initiative of the Department of the Taoiseach.

The programme is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications and the Department of the Taoiseach.