Get your skates on for Mullingar WinterFest 2024

Ice skating is returning to Mullingar this Christmas.

The 2018 and 2019 WinterFest skating events attracted huge numbers, and the ice rink is back under the title ‘WinterFest – Mullingar Skates’.

Mullingar Chamber and Westmeath County Council, in association with Crossroads Leisure Limited, announced the details this morning.

Event Dates

Running from Friday November 22 to Sunday January 5, 2025, the event will be open for public sessions on weekdays from 2pm, and the last sessions will begin at 6pm.

At the weekends there will be eight sessions, commencing at 11am and the last sessions begin at 6pm.

Earlier sessions are available for schools, Monday to Friday, until December 19. These sessions are at 10am, 11am, noon and 1pm, and are available at reduced rates.

Booking

Early booking is advised at irelandskates.ie.

Location

This year’s event will be located at the Westmeath County Council staff car park at Blackhall, Mullingar adjacent to Sunday’s Well Road, Lynn Road intersection.

Economic Output

Previous events run in 2018 and 2019 were an outstanding success with each event bringing in excess of 50,000 skaters to Mullingar and an estimated 50,000 others and, at an average spend of €50 per person equates to an economic output for the town of over €5m.

Reception

James Bourke, president of Mullingar Chamber, said: “We at Mullingar Chamber are delighted to bring this event back to Mullingar in 2024. This has the potential to bring thousands of additional visitors and a significant boost to the local economy during the event period.

“Mullingar Skates, along with the other WinterFest 2024 plans, which the chamber will unveil in the coming weeks, should be a significant boost to our town centre and add to the festive period for our retailers, restaurants and bars.

“I would like to thank Deirdre Reilly at Westmeath County Council for her support for delivering this event and for providing the location at Blackhall, as well as the other executives in Westmeath County Council, and the elected members.

“I would also like to commend the work done by Mullingar Chamber past president John Geoghegan for aligning the commercial arrangement between the parties, and to thank another past president, Tom Hyland, for having the vision to bring this to Mullingar in the first place, in 2018.

“Over the coming week, Mullingar Chamber will be announcing the full WinterFest schedule of events, which will provide a strong festive spirit in the town and focus on local retailers and operators in the retail and hospitality sectors.”

MacDara Hosty of Crossroads Leisure said they are delighted to be bringing their operation to Mullingar: “Since 2010, we have created and delivered some of the most iconic festive ice-skating experiences in the country and are delighted to be adding Mullingar to the list this year.

“We operate only real-ice ice rinks in welcoming environments and do our absolute best to ensure the highest possible safety and enjoyment standards for every skater who skates with us.

“To celebrate the launch of Mullingar Skates, we have decided to do a pre-launch sale on all tickets, across all sessions at €11.99 per skater including booking fees, available until midnight on Friday October 18 – it is the cheapest ice-skating ticket in Ireland!”

Cllr Ken Glynn, mayor of the Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad, said: “This is another example of the economic benefit that can be borne from our Festivals and Events funding. This grant scheme is supporting the development of festivals that are driving domestic tourism and helping to improve the visitor experience.”