Local people praised for Hallowe'en success

The Return of the Ancients Halloween Street Carnival Parade as performers from across the world join with local people and groups to take part in one of the highlights of the week long festival watched by tens of thousands of people in Derry-Londonderry. Picture Martin McKeown. Inpresspics.com. 31.10.18

An estimated 120,000 people took part in the extended programme of events across the city, with the people of the north west extending a warm welcome and ensuring a festival to remember for visitors from across the world.

As well as the main parade in Derry city centre, there were also large turnouts for parades in Strabane and at Carndonagh in Inishowen, which staged its first parade in decades.

Despite the tens of thousands taking part, there have been no reports of any serious trouble during the festivals .

Speaking at this week’s monthly meeting of Derry City & Strabane District Council’s Governance and Strategic Planning Committee meeting, committee chairperson Gus Hastings said local people had been pivotal to ensuring the festival was a roaring success.

Colr. Hastings told fellow councillors at the Guildhall on Tuesday: “I want to take this opportunity to thank all the people right across Derry City & Strabane District Council for the way in which they conducted themselves during our festival.

“Regardless of where you where, at any given time there was something there for you,” he added.

Colr. Hastings’ comments echo those made recently by Jacqueline Whoriskey, Council’s Festival Events Manager, who was at the helm of organising the festival. Praising all those who took part over the nine day festival, including the 830 participants in the main parade, she said: “We have always said, Hallowe’en starts and ends with people themselves. Everybody here owns it.”