London and Antique searching down Portobello Road
I was there the following year to watch the 1999 Paddy Day celebrations fizz into spectacular pyrotechnic action over the city and the River Liffey on the day before the Big Parade with the Aer Lingus Skyfire display. Fuse lighter and orchestrater of this son et lumiere was firework Wizard, Syd Howard, (remember his Symphony of Fire at the Finale of the Atlanta Olympics?). From then on we visitors were caught up in a city-wide street party and Carnival until the Great Parade. Then it was Party Time through to the Millenium! Yes, the Dubliners started their Big Party 9 months early!
Dubliners were proudly confident that their 1999 Paddy Day Parade would be the most colourful and boisterous Day of Irish Pageantry anywhere in the world. And 200,000 visitors to the City ensured that it was just that. And it has been the same ever since.
The Big Parade got rolling at 11 a.m. Starting at Christchurch Place in the shadow of the 12th century Norman Cathedral, it made its colourful and joyful way along Lord Edwards Street, Dame Street, and College Green, past Trinity College into Westmorland Street, and up over the old toll bridge Ha'penny Bridge. From there it continued the length of O'Connell Street, passing the General Post Office immortalised in the 1916 Uprising, continuing past Daniel O'Connell's statue, before ending at the Parnell Monument.
And then it was more Party! Things got a bit hazy then, but I'm told I had a great time!
Check out the Irish Times. They cover the Parade live on their web site. Can you see me? I'm the guy waving at the camera! And that's me in the picture on the right getting into training for next year's Paddy Day Parade at my local London watering hole.
Related suite101.com Sites:
Letter from Ireland If you can't find the time to down a pint or two of Guinness with Martin Loughnan at his local watering
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