A DUBLIN man who is committed to raising cash for local charities has covered his house in Christmas lights for a tenth consecutive year.
Every December Dylan Walsh transforms his home in Finglas into a dazzling holiday light display to raise funds for local charitable organisations.
Dylan Walsh celebrates the 10th anniversary of his festive light display, now powered by Electric Ireland’s solar panels to support charity fundraising in a more sustainable wayThis year he is supporting Hear Me Out, a youth mental health project based at the Finglas Youth Resource Centre.
For 2024 he is being supported in his endeavours by Electric Ireland, who have donated and installed eight solar panels and a home battery system at Mr Walsh’s property.
Homeowner Dylan Walsh (left) and Advertising Manager of Electric Ireland Aistė Petraitytė (right) work together to light up the Finglas community for a good causeThese panels will sustainably power the thousands of Christmas lights he has on display, as well as reducing his energy costs throughout the year – allowing him to invest more in his annual fundraiser.
“This year marks the 10th year of my Christmas lights display, and I’m so grateful to Electric Ireland for supporting me and making the display more sustainable,” Mr Walsh said this week as he switched on his lights.
“The solar panels and battery system will now power the lights and allow me to focus on raising funds for charity.”
He added: “It’s wonderful to see how something as simple as Christmas lights can bring people together for a good cause and put a smile on their face.”
Children’s faces light up as they experience the magic of Dylan Walsh’s Christmas lights displayMr Walsh first lit up his Cappagh Green home in 2014. Since then his impressive lights displays have raised almost €55,000 for good causes.
For 2024 he is hoping to raise €5k for his chosen charity, of which he has already raised €1k.
In addition to gifting the eight solar panels and battery storage, Electric Ireland has also agreed to donate €3k to Dylan’s charity – over half of the overall fundraising target.
Ms Petraitytė and Mr Walsh stand in front of his newly installed solar panels“Our mission is to make our customers’ lives a little bit brighter, that means everything Electric Ireland does has the ambition to make customer’s world that bit better and brighter through our product range and services leading to a net zero future,” Lisa Browne, Head of Marketing & Customer Insights at Electric Ireland, said.
“Dylan’s incredible Christmas lights display has been spreading joy in the Finglas community for over a decade,” she added.
“His dedication to his community and charitable work resonates deeply with us.
“When we learned about his initiative, we were inspired to help make his tradition more sustainable and make his day brighter.
“By installing solar panels, we aim to help Dylan save on energy costs so he can continue bringing light and joy to his street, community, and charity for years to come.”
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