World Parks Day - Part 2

Blog - 16th September 2014

World Parks Day Festival - Part 2

Massive turn out for the Festival on Sunday and big crowds in the park generally. Drive up the main road of the park from Parkgate Street any Sunday and find cars parked bumper to bumper both sides half way to the Phoenix monument. Last Sunday it was like this all the way to the monument. The Visitor Centre car park was even full by noon.

I’ve often wondered how many people use this fantastic resource every weekend. Apart from the usual crowds at the Zoo, the Visitor Centre, Farmleigh House, the Papal Cross, the People’s Gardens and the regular walkers, joggers and picnickers, last Sunday had the added attractions of a polo match, a vintage car rally, a football tournament organised by SARI and of course the World Parks Day Festival.

Crowds thronged the road from the monument to the Mountjoy roundabout for the Festival from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. I’m not good at estimating numbers but it was like Jones’s Road on an All Ireland final day. Chockers we’d call it in Dublin - country people would probably say it was wedged ‘Sure ye couldn’t draw a leg’. The festival was organised by the OPW who always put on a great show. Centre stage as usual was the children’s disco. Even One Direction got an airing - who’d have thought!
There was a spectacular trapeze act - swinging from the trees - left Tarzan in the hapenny place. The glamour was provided by a trio of good lookin young wans (can’t remember the name of the group) singing swing. Chatanooga Choo Choo, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boys ... that type of thing. A bit like the Andrews Sisters - not that I’d remember them but my grandfather used to tell me about them.
Then there was the face painting, the hat making and a selection of craft stalls and food vendors. I was selling my prints of the Phoenix Park and Dublin scenes and business was very good on the day. My first customer at 2 p.m.bought 5 framed prints. What surprised me was that I had never sold any of these particular five prints before - you just never know what appeals to people.

Many thanks to Terry Butler, Irene Barry and all the OPW crew. Looking forward to the next one already.