IT HAS been decades since we witnessed or felt the enthusiasm that gripped Drogheda in the latter part of the year as the Local Heroes rode into town.

What started as a trickle of interest back in September with a public meeting in the Barbican, gathered pace, until a tidal wave of passion engulfed the town. Documented by RTE and Animo, and shown nationwide in a six-part series, the achievements of local volunteers numbered the hundreds, with a dedicated office in West Street for a year, ten new retail outlets, a Visitor's Guide, new branding, coach parking, links with FDIS in America, three hugely successful festivals that brought in almost €1.5m in revenue, and other successes too numerous to mention.

Highlights for many were the sight of West Street thronged with people to see chief mentor Senator Feargal Quinn switch on the Christmas lights, as well as the fireworks at Scotch Hall which attracted almost 10,000 people to the banks of the Boyne during the Christmas Bonanza Festival.

Vacant shops in West Street are starting to be a thing of the past as new retailers take a leap of faith and pop-up shops fill empty spaces.

Mentors Jerry Kennelly, one of Ireland's leading entrepreneurs; Gary Joyce, a highly experience marketing consultant; Noel Toolan brand specialist; Robert Macgiolla Phadraig, executive director with Sigmar Recruitment; and Pat Savage, an acknowledged European expert on innovative Forms of Work Organisation - along with Senator Feargal Quinn - had the onerous task of advising how to 'fix' some of Drogheda's more pressing 'problems'.

Following the first public meeting on September 7, which was chaired by broadcaster Pat Kenny, an ideas summit set out the main issues which people felt were holding the town back.

Visitors were divided into separate groups, with tables dedicated to tourism, SMES, Retail and Connectivity, and no idea was too big or too small.

'What really came out of the session was tourism needs to be promoted in the town and a big point made was how we have to make the most of what we have, including the river, walking tours, and other activities.' said Rory Scott of the d Hotel.

'Fast and furious' was how Drogheda Chamber president Padraic Kierans described the work that took place from then on.

'I am confident Drogheda is going to gain a real and lasting benefit from this process,' he said, paying tribute to all the volunteers who are already involved.

The groundwork for plans to generate more jobs in the town, which is the main aim of the process, got under way with Robert Macgiolla Phadraig's employment workshops proving very popular and with the launch of the www.droghedajobs.ie website, at least 100 positions for local job seekers created.

The Hub in West Street, under the supervision of Julie Ann Lawler and Diarmuid O Mathuna became an invaluable centrepoint, allowing people from all walks of Drogheda community to become involved.

The launch of the Timebank was another unique initiative, where the Hub holds a databank of people who are willing to give up an hour, two hours or whatever they can spare, to help in the regeneration of the town.

Boyneside Samhain was an exciting street event taking in the town's culture and heritage, the energy of the Boyneside and the mystery of Newgrange over Halloween.

Everyone was asked to wear blue or green and the town flowed with the colours of the Boyne and the beauty of Drogheda's artistic talent.

A talented group of writers and graphic designers worked round the clock to create a 48-page glossy travel brochure for visitors and tour guides from the UK were treated to a personal tour of the town from the Mayor of Drogheda.

The highlight for many was the return of the Christmas Bonanza Festival which was estimated to have injected over €2m into the local economy.

Over 20,000 people flocked to events over the three-day period, and some businesses reported a sales boost of up to 75 per cent over the same time last year.

It's estimated between 6,000 to 8,000 people packed into the town centre on the Friday night to watch Santa Claus arrive and Senator Feargal Quinn switch on the Christmas lights; and up to 10,000 people lined the banks of the River Boyne on the Sunday night to watch the spectacular fireworks.

The' iguide Drogheda on the Boyne' phone App was a new virtual guide launched in November and is aimed at promoting tourism, local businesses and jobs. Drogheda also became the first town centre to offer free Wifi.

Con O'donoghue says the project does not end with the airing of the final episode and is calling on the people of Drogheda to keep up the momentum created by the show.

'We see this as just the beginning of a long term strategy to continue to make Drogheda one of Ireland's premier towns and attract new business, create employment, bring many more tourists and continue to reinvigorate the town centre,' said Con, who spearheaded events like the Christmas Bonanza and Light up the Boyne.

'Local Heroes are here for the long haul and I firmly believe there will be fantastic opportunities for Drogheda in the coming months and years and we should be ready to embrace these and turn them into benefits for the town.'