Drogheda’s Lú Festival boosted by all-day pay parking charges

By Olivia Ryan, The Drogheda Independent

Motorists coughing up €1 at Drogheda’s all-day car parks might not know it, but they are helping to fund the hugely successful Lú Festival of Light.

The eagerly awaited Halloween event returns later this month for its fourth spectacular year, lighting up Drogheda from 24th to 27th October, transforming the town into a vibrant open-air gallery with dazzling light shows.

But. as with all public events, funding is key.

Drogheda councillors pledged their ongoing support for the festival by agreeing to “ring-fence” the monies accrued from parking charges at the town’s two long-stay car parks

The fees will help to provide additional funds for the Lú Festival of Light in 2026, it emerged.

The move was agreed at the October meeting of Drogheda Borough District, where the annual discretionary budget of €100,000 was also debated.

Director of Service at Louth County Council, Bernie Woods, told councillors that preparations were being made for the local authority budget for 2026.

She said the council were proposing to keep the municipal allocation at the same level as last year, at €100,000.

This would be kept under review, but there was “very little additional income at the moment,” said Ms. Woods, adding that it was “going to be a tight budget with no major changes to previous years.”

She added that councillors had the option to agree to the overall amount, and then decide at a later stage “how you choose to spent it.”

Councillors had the opportunity to raise additional revenue, she added, through pay parking increases and sports centre charges.

The funds raised from two all day parking car parks had been ring-fenced in previous years, she said, with between €36,000 and €40,000 allocated. Councillors could decide if they wished to continue that arrangement.

Cllr. Pio Smith proposed that the long stay parking charges are ring-fenced once again for the Lú Festival. Cllr. Paddy McQuillan seconded the motion.

Although this was partial funding for the Festival of Light, Cllr. Smith said it was his understanding that it was a vital source of money for the event.

Councillors also agreed to keep the all-day parking charges at €1 per day.

The €100,000 municipal allocation was agreed by members. It will be distributed equally among each councillor, who can then decide individually how they wish to spend their allocation.