Santa Express brings festive magic to Mullingar

Mullingar Railway Station was filled with Christmas cheer as the Santa Express returned for two days of festive fun on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 December.

Organised by 9th Westmeath Milltownpass Scout Group, the Santa Express welcomed hundreds of families from across Westmeath and beyond, offering a volunteer-led community event built around live entertainment, festive characters and family fun.

The station was alive with music throughout the weekend thanks to performances from the Defence Forces Band of the 2nd Brigade, Mullingar Town Band, Sweet Tunes Choir and Mullingar Gospel Choir, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for families as they arrived.

Children also enjoyed meeting festive characters at the station, including the Grinch, Elsa and Olaf, as well as Belle, Spiderman and Elf on the Shelf, providing plenty of smiles and photo opportunities.

A highlight of the weekend for the Scout Group was the honour of a visit from Eoin Callanan, Chief Scout of Scouting Ireland, who joined volunteers at Mullingar Station and acknowledged the scale of the event and the commitment of the volunteers involved.

Sunday morning also brought national attention to Mullingar when Today FM’s Weekend Breakfast with Alison Curtis broadcast live from the station as part of the 'Today FM Comes to Town' feature. The outside broadcast added a real buzz and brought the festive atmosphere of the Santa Express to listeners across the country.

On board the Santa Express, families were treated to live music and sing-alongs from local performers Daragh McCabe, Sean McDonald, Cara Barnard and Dylan Hanly, alongside visits from Santa, Mrs Claus and the onboard elves, ensuring a lively and memorable experience for children and families.

“The Santa Express is a special, volunteer-led event for our Scout Group and the wider community, and we’re proud of what our volunteers and partners have created,” said Fiona O’Shea, Group Leader of 9th Westmeath Milltownpass Scout Group.

Inclusion remained a core focus of the event, and a dedicated sensory experience was provided on every service. That element was supported once again by Thinking Toys. Áine Conacur, owner of Thinking Toys, has supported the Santa Express every year since it began and travels from Killaloe, County Clare, to ensure that children who may find busy environments challenging can fully enjoy the experience.

The Scout Group also extended their sincere thanks to the many local businesses and sponsors who supported the Santa Express, whose generosity helped make the event possible. Their backing played an important role in supporting a volunteer-led community event that continues to grow year on year. They also thanked Iarnród Éireann for their continued support and facilitation of the event once again this year.

The event organisers also acknowledged that the 3.15 service on the Saturday afternoon was unable to proceed with the train journey element due to a technical issue on the train. While the journey itself could not take place, families were still welcomed on board and the festive experience continued.

The organisers extended their sincere apologies to affected families, thanked them for their patience and understanding. They have been in contact with all affected families to offer an alternative train journey experience in January, or a partial refund. They also acknowledged the rapid response of Iarnród Éireann, which allowed services to resume as planned on Sunday morning.

Funds raised through the Santa Express will support 9th Westmeath Milltownpass Scout Group’s plans to develop a dedicated Scout Den for their local community. Visitors were also invited to support Focus Ireland, Iarnród Éireann’s charity partner, with all donations collected, along with a contribution from event proceeds, being donated to support their work with families in need.