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A HOMEOWNER IN Artane says he’s notified gardaí after a ceramic decoration worth around €150 was stolen from a massive lights display at his home.
76-year-old Des Murphy has staged the display at his home on Thorndale Avenue for the last 13 years, and donates all the funds raised to local charities.
“It’s been getting bigger every year,” he told TheJournal.ie. “I have four singing Santas, and around 250 plugs, all of which have to fit into 16 sockets.”
He said the item, a large ceramic Santa, sleigh and reindeer which he purchased abroad, was taken from the display on Monday.
It’s not the first problem he’s had with thieves. Murphy said he found someone trying to steal decorations last year too.
“He was behind the tree. He said he was ‘just looking’ but I kind of caught him in the act.”
Murphy said the problem was a “bit of a pain” but that he wouldn’t be put off from his efforts.
Takings have been down considerably since the start of the boom, but Murphy still expects to take in “around €8,000″ this year, in comparison to a figure of €16,000 “a good few years ago”.
The money goes to a group of Irish charities and organisations, including the Peter McVerry Trust, Alone and St Michael’s House.
Murphy said the display had been a huge draw over the years, even attracting well-known northside residents from the area.
“We’ve had Bertie Ahern here, Joe Duffy too. They bring their kids along, you know”
He also had some advice for any prospective competitors: “Head to Woodies the day it opens after Christmas”.
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The guy is doing something that raises a lot of money for charity particularly homeless charities at Christmas who in their right mind would begrudge that? Apart from anything else it’s great cheap entertainment for kids- I remember well getting bundled into the car every December by my dad who would drive us around Dublin to look for the best light display! absolutely fair play to this man – ill certainly be heading out to his display this year to donate a few bob! I hope he gets loads of publicity from this!
Because it’s gaudy and tasteless. Raising money for charity is all well and good, but I certainly wouldn’t want to live next door to a recreation of Clarke Griswald’s Christmas wonderland for two months every year. If I wanted to organise an all night rave in my front garden to raise a few bob for concern would that be okay too? Make them apply for planning permission, at which point neighbours with a modicum of taste can object.
Utter snobbery! Big difference between an all night music rave and a light display for kids.
What’s the difference exactly? If such a tacky display disturbs and offends me why should I be subjected to it for 2 months of the year? Similarly, if a bunch of pilled up lunatics on my front lawn is deemed disturbing or offensive by neighbours I shouldn’t be allowed host a rave. One man decks his house out like a firecracker and you say the rest of his neighbourhood should just have to endure it. I say his selfish display should not be allowed infringe on the enjoyment of everyone else – either get the permission of those on whom it will impact or do not put them up. And for Christ sake, finding this kind of thing tacky is hardly snobbery, it’s just eyesight.
If a display of Christmas lights disturbs and offends you it’s little you have to be worrying about……. Merry Christmas!
You are the Grinch, aren’t you Silent Majority? :)
What’s happened this country? 10 years ago this sort of behaviour was widely considered to be tasteless American nonsense, now it’s an unpopular opinion to describe it as tacky?! Have we really become so Americanised in such a short space of time?
Slient are you subjected to this each year? Do you know that there are strict restrictions on how long the lights can stay on too and that the neighbours can report them to the council? Clearly this man’s neighbours enjoy it! You seriously have some problems if you are giving out about an oap who is raising a huge amount of cash for charity that I would love to part take in rising! Do you know how difficult it is to raise 100e this day and age for charity?! I do! Its not easy even if you are giving stuff out in return!
Stop been so grumpy and go decorate your tree! I shall be this weekend along with frank sinatra singing in the back ground! Enjoy life its to short to complain about someone doing good.
You’re mourning the state of the country over a Christmas display that raises thousands for charity. You seem to think you’re above everyone here with your “eyesore” opinion to I shall endeavour to put this in a way you’ll understand: Acquire.A.Grip.
In fairness it’s a lot of lights and I for one wouldn’t like to live opposite them. Not to mention the amount of electricity consumed, all for nothing. And before you say ‘for charity’: the lights themselves do not convert into charitable donations. They are merely a gimmick to make people donate money they (supposedly) were generous enough to give in the first place. So it’s all for naught, and a real nuisance to his neighbours too, I bet.
Not a nuisance in the slighest. It’s a well loved display, luckily for Thorndale you don’t live there.
Well if the neighbours don’t mind, then fine.
My nanny lives around the corner and my family are in the area. I look forward to this every year :) I have no problems with this at all!
Silent majority a.k.a silent minority. Miserable and depressing reading your waffle I’d say your great crack,cheer up its Christmas.
It’s not Christmas- it’s not even December for over another two weeks FFS!
Tacky, tasteless and self indulgent- the modern Irish way.
@sharon I wouldn’t assume all the neighbours love it just because they don’t complain out loud. Look at all the put downs Silent Majority is getting here – they might fear being ostracized
@ silent Majority , millions tune in every week to gaudy and tasteless on the tv, Sell-outs being tacky and gaudy in the name of a ‘talent’ show, I know which I would rather be looking at!
I usually can’t abide cheap and tacky displays, but in all fairness, he is putting a lot of time and effort in , and raising much needed funds for struggling charities, is that not the true spirit of the season? or are you too bothered by how things look?
I would much rather see somebody showing kindness, and thinking of others, than see the ‘perfect’ Christmas display, I prefer things to ‘be’ right, and not just ‘look’ right.
Fair play to him I say!!!!
It’s not a nuisance to the neighbours. I rented for two years a few doors up from this house in Thorndale and I loved it :)
Somebody is getting a bag of Coal for Xmas.
And an orange. Just one, mind.
Or a rock to be thrown at him
Ye pack of miserable f*cks, cheer up it’s less than 6 wks
Still too early. Christmas is depressing enough as it is without festive loons ramming it down our throats in November.
If you’re depressed get help. But don’t try to put it on everyone else.
Lousy beesturds !!
I lived in Thorndale for many many years. Nobody has a problem with Mr. Murphy’s display. NOBODY. Silent Majority, or in this case Silent MINORITY, you’re a miserable sh*t along with the other scrooges. Get yourself a life you’re pathetic.
It’s not December yet, I feel people’s over reliance on using Christmas to make themselves feel better about their lives worrying…
Serves him right for putting a horrendous display like that up at the beginning of NOVEMBER!!! Tacky and cheap looking!! I really pity his neighbours!
Are you his neighbour and did you rob it?
The object was stolen it was not robbed.
Robbed is an English term for stealing
Robbery is overt and theft is covert. They are very different.
You really are an a*se.
Shut up ya looney.
I bet they had tracksuits tucked into white socks, barcode tattoo on neck a tight haircut wit a few strands to the front flattened! But when you can’t do anything to kids below the age of 18 what’s the point in even giving out..guards will tell you their hands are tied..I would like to tie the culprits hands and have a chat in a barn somewhere and introduce them to mr baseball bat…
What sort of assclown would do that to a oap
I have family who are neighbours of Mr. Murphy’s. Never heard anything but positivity from them.
The real crime here is someone decking their house like a bloody fireworks display. Planning permission should be required for such vulgar displays.
Ah, but this is for charity, which apparently makes all the difference.
Object worth 150euro is stolen in Ireland.
Hopefully they will just hold them hostage until the 8th December to teach him a lesson for putting his Christmas lights up too early!!
Ba Humbug!!
;-)
Lets find that thief and belt them with candy canes!
Is this news? A bauble gets stolen in Dublins northside.
Why do we need all the bullshit that the capitalist retailers impose on us?
It maddens me even to see all the spotlights and floodlights around people’s houses,over piers,and up into trees.Why ?
This is the sort of thing I think of when I think of Ireland’s charity industry. Why can’t people just give money to charities they care about without needing a wasteful light display? Why do they need a gimmick? The same goes for all of those ‘Climb Mount Everest for the blind’ trips and the like.
‘Takings have been down considerably since the start of the boom’ – the end of the boom perhaps?
Sexual frustration, Can be a terrible thing. Hang in there Patrick.
Patrick, your confession is admirable. Do not despair, help is available.
Check Bertie’s back garden… Wudn be his first time !!!
If I was him i would be more worried about the next ESB Bill.
Hope he s done it right and hacked into the neighbours electricity to fuel this display.
Looks very tacky.
I hope they at least left a Xmas card.
Ah come on to f**k, its hardly “irreplaceable”.
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