Full church for opening of Ahoghill Christmas Tree Festival

Friday November 27th 2015

Schoolchildren cut the ribbon to declare the Festival open. The picture includes Mrs Rosemary Frayne, organiser, Mr George Coulter and the rector, the Rev Gary Millar.

St Colmanell’s Parish Church opened its Festival of Christmas Trees on November 26.

The church was full to overflowing for the opening which featured singing from four local schools – Diamond Primary, Fourtowns Primary, Longstone Primary and St Paul’s Primary.

The festival, which is raising funds for the NI Hospice and the parish buildings fund, was officially opened by the cutting of a ribbon by children from each of the schools.

The festival runs until December 1 and uses lights, scriptures, music, choirs and 40 wonderfully crafted Christmas trees to tell the Christian story from Genesis to the resurrection, with particular emphasis on the birth of Jesus at Christmas.

St Colmanell’s was full for the festival opening.

There are trees which reflect the beauty and joy of Christ’s birth and life and also more unusual ones which illustrate other aspects of His life and the wider and deeper meaning of the Gospel story.

Opening times are: