Letters to be sent to parade committees over Lidl floats
By Mary Dennehy
A LETTER is being written to the committee members of a number of nationwide St Patrick’s Day parades that contained floats on the destruction of Lidl on Fortunestown Lane.
Pictures and videos of the floats, which featured JCBs, mini-Lidl stores and people with their faces covered, went viral over the bank holiday weekend.
One of the Lidl floats during St Patrick's Day celebrations
Sinn Fein councillor Louise Dunne hit out at the floats, branding them “disgusting” and claiming that they “generalise” an entire community.
Speaking with The Echo this week, Tallaght South Sinn Fein councillor Cathal King said: “I know some people were laughing at the floats and saying it was nothing serious and was just about Lidl.
“However, it was not about Lidl, it was about the people of Tallaght and having a banner with words ‘Tallaght Thugs’ written on it was completely inappropriate.
“How an organising committee could allow something like this [in a parade], it stigmatises the people of Tallaght – especially the kids.”
He added: “I remember growing up and looking for summer work and once they heard you were from Tallaght that was the end of it.
“This is gone now but I hope it doesn’t become an issue again for our young people.
“These floats stigmatised a whole community and I don’t see the humour in it at all.
“It isn’t just a bit of craic and is definitely not funny to people living in Tallaght.”
Lidl Ireland poll
Lidl Ireland shared images of two floats on its official Facebook page, and created a poll asking followers which float they thought was best.
The poll received mixed reactions, with some claiming it was just a bit of fun while others branded it inappropriate and in bad taste.
Cllr King said: “I will be raising it with Lidl that this poll was inappropriate.
“I think it was wrong.”
Cllr King said that a number of Tallaght councillors are looking into the floats and where they were located, with letters being sent to the committee members of the parades.
Lidl Ireland did not respond in time for print to a query by The Echo.
