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LAD Decorates House With 200,000 Christmas Lights In Memory Of Dad

LAD Decorates House With 200,000 Christmas Lights In Memory Of Dad

He even decorates his car with 7,000 lights

Amelia Ward

Amelia Ward

Meet the man who decorates his house with over 200,000 Christmas lights every year, in memory of his late dad and brother.

Cormac Hayes, 30, has now dedicated his holidays to the lights, turning his home into a tourist attraction in the Limerick area. He also raises money for the charities that have helped his family over the years, having made over €5,000 (£4,200 / $5,600) so far.

He began putting together displays of festive lights as a child, with the family home soon becoming known locally for the scale of its decorations.

Cormac wanted to carry on his family's Christmas tradition.
LADbible

Speaking to LADbible, Cormac said: "We started back in 1997 - my mam got a Santa, a snowman and set of lights. Then from there both my parents got big into it and by 2003, people started coming from all over to see the lights."

Sadly though, on 23 December 2003, his dad Timmy passed away from cancer.

Cormac's dad tragically passed away in 2003.
LADbible

Cormac explained: "[Timmy] was the main man behind the operation. We continued then until 2007 and stopped, which was sad of us to do.

"In 2016 my mam received a call asking if we were planning to sell our Christmas decorations and my heart went out to her with disappointment.

"I made a promise we would rebuild the lights in 2017."

Cormac promised his mum that he would bring the lights back.
LADbible

The next year, as Cormac promised, the family went all out with their lights, adorning their home with over 200,000 of them.

To add the finishing touch, he even created an absolute Christmas masterpiece, decorating their car with 7,000 lights and put a glowing Santa at the wheel, with a snowman passenger.

Cormac's car is potentially the best bit of his themed home.
LADbible

Cormac continued: "It brings friends we haven't seen for years calling in and we make new ones too.

"Each family that comes with kids, we hand out sweets to them - plus they love to tell us about what they're doing for Christmas.

"Since we reopened we donate to two charities: Milford Hospice Limerick, where my dad passed away, and the Children Ark Unit in Limerick, where my brother Noel - who was 12 - got great care until he passed away.

The family home is now a tourist attraction.
LADbible

"These are amazing organisations.

"I visit at Christmas to meet as many people as I can to see where the money is going and the wonderful work that they do."

Cormac says that the whole project helps the family get through the festive season and that they have plans to keep expanding.

Cormac wants to keep expanding his Christmas decorations.
LADbible

He added: "Christmas is a hard time of the year for us, but these lights bring happiness to us, and in my eyes, they make other people happy too.

"Each year we're getting bigger. My biggest regret was that we stopped in the first place, because it was something my dad loved to do."

Cormac's family's lights are in Shanagolden, Co Limerick. If you can't make it to see them in person, you can donate to their chosen charities here.

Featured Image Credit: LADbible

Topics: Daily Ladness