If you’ve been burdened by Covid anxiety or Christmas burn-out take a short break to watch this absolutely magical festive film (see below), made in Ballina in recent weeks.

The Jackie Clarke Collection has teamed up with Anula Productions – a local video production company – to craft his heart-warming report on how Mrs Claus and her elves helped to save one Ballina girl’s Christmas.

Anula Productions is run by Andy Smyth and Paula Rouse who worked with Ann Marie Forbes, acting manager at the Jackie Clarke Collection, to script a poem in the style of “The Night Before Christmas”, telling the story of Ballina girl Holly’s magical encounter with Mrs Claus and her elves.

It’s an utterly enchanting production that not only warms the heart with festive cheer but showcases the Ballina shopping experience at its very best.

Ann Marie Forbes said the Clarke Collection has been inundated with positive feedback to the video ever since it went live last night. One man proclaimed that it had helped him forget about all of the stress around at present and feel like a child at Christmas again.

“I think it’s even more magical because of the year we are after having,” Ann Marie said.

“We’ve just been at such a loss in the Jackie Clarke Collection with missing all of the children that would normally come in to us to do activities at Halloween and Christmas,” she explained and paid tribute to Austin Vaughan of the Mayo Library Service for supporting the initiative together with the hugely talented producers, Anula Productions and cast.

The video stars Jacinta Kearney as Mrs Claus; Sarah O’Boyle as Holly; Linda Hegarty as the mum and Maggie Igoe Hegarty from the Clarke Collection’s volunteer programme as well as local school children Aobha Brennan, Laoise Brennan, Basil McHale, Chloe McHale and Ali Smyth as Mrs Claus’ elves.