THE EXTRAORDINARY WORLD OF ST. PATRICK’S FESTIVAL PARADE 2010
Streets of Dublin come alive on St. Patrick’s Day
Wednesday 17th March, Dublin, Ireland
March 2010
Our national celebration, St. Patrick’s Day is one of the highlights of the year for the Irish and those who wish they were Irish! And all the Irish eyes will be looking at the world famous St. Patrick’s Festival Parade, taking place on Wednesday 17th March through Dublin city centre.
Our national day has become a worldwide celebration in many major cities across the globe and no more so than in our capital city. Wednesday 17th March will see the streets of Dublin transformed with the thousands of performers, characters and spectators that will take part in the greatest St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the world.
The theme for this year’s Festival Parade is ‘The Extraordinary World’ which has been interpreted by many street theatre pageant companies and will see an estimated 3,000 performers take to our streets. Uniquely commissioned and original pageants, performers and marching bands from all corners of the globe will wow some 650,000 people that are expected to line the 3km route, not forgetting the many millions more who will tune into the RTE 1 TV broadcast and the live RTE web-stream.
Providing live commentary along the parade route is sports presenter, Des Cahill and presenting the Festival Parade live on RTE 1 is Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh and Aidan Power.
Leading the parade as Grand Marshal this year will be International Soccer legend, Packie Bonner who is recognised as one of the finest contributors to Irish sporting history. Packie made his international debut on his 21st birthday in 1981 against Poland and went on to write his name into Irish football history on many occasions over the next 13 years and became first choice for Ireland winning 80 caps.
As Grand Marshal, Packie will begin his honorary duties on the day with a VIP celebratory breakfast in The Marks and Spencer’s Rooftop Restaurant on Grafton Street. From there he will be chauffeur-driven to the start of the Parade on Parnell Square to begin the journey through the heaving city streets. Once he has travelled the 3 km route he will finish up his day as the guest of honour at an official VIP lunch.
Eight pageant groups from Ireland and beyond will make up this year’s Festival Parade, which will wow some 650,000 people, each featuring their individual interpretations of ‘The Extraordinary World’ theme, transforming our capital’s streets into a kaleidoscope of colour. Festival sponsor, Irish League of Credit Unions, will bring Gulliver’s Travels alive with their pageant Lilliput. Spectators will be greeted by Gigantic Gulliver who awakens to find himself in Lilliput surrounded by performers wearing blue and white flower backpacks to reflect the Credit Union’s identity. Also part of the performance will be 50 energetic drummers and dancers representing the 50 years of Credit Unions in Ireland.
Kildare pageant company Artastic will transport you into a Topsy Turvy World of strangely magical creatures such as talking cats in bowlers hats, candyfloss mops and life-sized dolls.
The Cats Pyjamas based in the West of Ireland, which is run by brothers Peter and Conor Casteby, has been working with the Early School Completion Programme run by Dublin VEC to present their chaotic and imaginative extraordinary world.
Wexford group, Buí Bolg have taken their ordinary world of housework and golf and made it a weird and wacky extraordinary world of giant guinea pigs, polar bears and a lion ringmaster.
Also taking part in the Festival Parade for their fourth year is City Fusion which celebrates the diversity of Dublin City’s cultural landscape. Produced by St. Patrick’s Festival with the support of Dublin City Council, 90 individuals from as far and wide as Belarus to Tanzania will come together as one body to shine a light on The Shadows of Colour. Spraoi from the South East of the country have created their Eggstraordinary World with the help of a dedicated team of 300 volunteers from Waterford and beyond who helped design the giant chicken and eggs that will make up this pageant challenged by a group of chefs.
Celtic Mela by Inishowen Carnival Group will delve into the vibrancy of cultures in Ireland today. This pageant features a myriad of flowing back packs, hand painted silk flags, large props and puppet heads, with a vibrant mix of colour, music and imagery from Celtic, Indian and African cultures and featuring over one hundred performers from arts and cultural groups from across North East Donegal.
Also from Donegal, LUXe with their Isadora presentation will attempt to achieve utopian heights. The “Babel Tower Travellers” will draw you into a world of decorative Gypsy iconography, colour, music and symbolism.
Year on year the Festival Parade attracts performance groups from all over the world and this year will include a Mediterranean flavour. Spanish street theatre company, Sarruga, who are renowned for their giant sculptures inspired by mythical creatures, will be part of St. Patrick’s Festival Parade. Their giant insect, ten times the size of humans are primarily made of and decorated with painted heavy duty wrapping paper and acquire a spectacular beauty when illuminated from within or externally.
International marching bands will join the parade from as far a field as India, North Carolina, Louisiana, Bulgaria, Austria, France, Spain and the UK, while representing the Irish marching bands will be the Clondalkin Youth band. Not breaking with tradition, the Parade Ceremonial Section will be led by the Army No.1 Band, the Band of An Garda Síochána and Dublin Fire Brigade of Pipes and Drums.
Each year St. Patrick’s Festival Parade is an opportunity to celebrate our culture and heritage on the most prominent national day. This year Ireland will continue to lead the way with an unforgettable parade and national celebration transporting you to ‘The Extraordinary World’!
ENDS
For more information, images and interviews please contact:
Alison Kelly / Paula Donaghy
086 1955 722
alison@insightconsultants.ie / paula@insightconsultants.ie / press@stpatricksfestival.ie
Note to Editors:
Full Order of the Parade, Ceremonial Section, Bands and Pageants taking part in St. Patrick’s Festival Parade as follows
BANDS
The Army No. 1 Band
The Reserve Defence Forces Colour Party
The Band of An Garda Síochána
The Garda Mounted Unit and Dog Unit
The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Emer Costello, travels in style in the spectacular Lord Mayor’s state coach.
Dublin Fire Brigade Pipes and Drums
North Carolina State University Marching Band
Director: Dr. Paul Garcia
From: America
"The POWER Sound of the South" has performed all over America including for NFL games for Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles and Carolina Panthers. The band’s aim is to ‘dare to be different’...each year they start the season with one goal in their sights: to make it the best ever!
Musicverin Lyra
Director: Roswita Rehner
From: Weiner-Neudorf, Austria
Founded in 1908, Lyra celebrates its 102nd anniversary this year. Under the excellent directorship of Robert Rother they delight audiences all over Austria with their originality and talent. Thrilled to be at their first Dublin Parade, they promise to wow the crowds with traditional costumes and Austrian airs.
Lume de Biqueira
Director: "Mestre Gaiteiro"
From: Spain
From Madrid, Lume de Biqueira is one of Spain’s most esteemed Pipe Bands. They have performed all over Europe; at the Dublin Parade 2004, they won Best Overall Band and Spirit of the Parade. Mixing traditional Celtic rhythms of Galicia with Brazilian rhythms of samba, they provide a rousing evocation of Brazilian beats.
Clondalkin Youth Band
Director: Vincent Dolan
From: Ireland
In their 25 years marching, CYB consistently rank among the top bands in Ireland. In 2009 they won the All-Ireland concert band championships, won a World Gold Standard Award and have numerous European gold medals. They are under the expert guidance and baton of Mr. Vincent Dolan.
Mulêketú
Director: Sean Tahiri
From: France
Since 1999 Mulêketú have performed samba-reggae music and dance, drawing from South American and Caribbean rhythms. From samba-reggae sounds to twirling colourful rhythms of samba, afro, comparsa, maracatú, funk and afoxé, their dynamism adapts brilliantly from both stage to street.
Acadiana High School Marching Band
Director: Mr. Jared Gray
From: America
Acadiana High School opened its doors in 1969 and from the very beginning has garnered abundant success. They routinely receive superior ratings and recently competed in Phoenix, Arizona as part of Fiesta Bowl activities. They are truly dedicated to the ongoing self-edification through the arts.
Revolution Show Corps
Director: Oliver Richardson
From: UK
This year celebrating their 30th birthday, Revolution hails from Queensbury, UK. They have performed at New Year’s Day parades in London & Paris, toured Belgium and Holland and appeared on ‘Last of the Summer Wine’! Last year they were promoted to the top Division in the British Youth Band Association.
Dohl Foundation
Director: Johnny Kalsie
From: UK/India
Created in 1990, the Dohls have travelled the world, often headlining at major events such as WOMAD. The Dohls are the ultimate groove machine of whirling arms and booming beats, the eclectic fusion of rock, pop and electronic elements, they offer a mix of true world-class music.
Glaziked
Director: Pierre Cardiou
From: France
Formed in 1946 in Pouldergat, Brittany, Glaziked have performed consistently, perpetuating the work of previous generations. The name Glaziked comes from the traditional blue cloth of the region – Getz in Breton from which their spectacular costumes are created. The evocation of Breton culture makes this band a must see.
PAGEANT COMPANIES
COMPANY: ARTASTIC
PAGEANT: A TOPSY TURVY WORLD
Based in Kildare, Artastic will take you on a journey through the extraordinary wonders of “A topsy turvy world” where nothing is quite as it seems and strangely magical characters are simply the ‘norm’. Inside this world you will meet talking cats in bowler hats, life sized dolls on their way to the ball. Liquorice shops, candy floss mops and spinning tops being chased by clocks! A giant cake would not look altogether out of place either...
COMPANY: BUI BOLG
PAGEANT: BIZARRE BAZAAR
According to the Wexford company if you do the ironing, play golf or have a beard, then you would fit perfectly into Buí Bolg’s “Bizarre Bazaar” where you will catch a glimpse of the weird and wacky world of ordinary life in “merry-go-housework” and “around-a-golf”. Presented by giant guinea pigs, polar bears and a lion ringmaster, this promises to be a dazzling display of the peculiar and puzzling antics of so the called “ordinary” world, or as Bui Bolg sees it . . . extra – ordinary!
COMPANY: THE CATS PYJAMAS
PAGEANT: TIDY UP PLEASE
Brothers Pete and Conor Casteby behind The Cats Pyjamas have created a total mess you might say at first glance as strewn about the bedroom floor are dolls, toy soldiers bricks and balls! But, to the child who knows these allies so intimately, this ‘chaotic’ bedroom floor that is subject of constant nagging and cries of “TIDY UP PLEASE!” is in fact an Extraordinary World. A place known best to the toddlers wide-eyed imagination, where everything is in its place exactly as it should be! So, sit on the floor, get as low down as you can and watch closely as this Extraordinary World comes to life!
COMPANY: INISHOWEN CARNIVAL GROUP
PAGEANT: CELTIC MELA
Celebrating just a taste of the vibrancy of cultures in Ireland today, this Donegal pageant features a myriad of flowing back packs, hand painted silk flags, large props and puppet heads, with a vibrant mix of colour, music and imagery from Celtic, Indian and African cultures.
COMPANY: SPRAOI
PAGEANT: AN EGGSTRAORDINARY WORLD
This South East group will add an eggclectic dimension to this year’s theme. An Eggstraordinary world with an eggciting new eggstravaganza for the parade will see a giant chicken laying giant eggs. Eager to get their hands on these are a large group of chefs and cooks but these eggs aren't to eager to be scrambled or mayonaised! All this madness is accompanied by a chorus line of feather dancers while a show-stopping singer astride a giant frying pan which provides the soundtrack.
COMPANY: LUXe
PAGEANT: BABEL TOWER TRAVELERS
This pageant explores our planet, where we wander its surface confounded by multiple languages. LUXe’s “Babel Tower Travellers” seek to weave connections that transcend our many cultures. On their quest to achieve utopian heights they draw us into their lofty dream with the flamboyance of decorative Gypsy iconography, colour, music and symbolism. Donegal based “LUXe’s” 2010 presentation “Isadora” brings together artists and performers from across Ireland with spectacular costume and inflatable sculpture.
COMPANY: CITY FUSION
PAGEANT: THE SHADOWS OF COLOUR
Now in its fourth year celebrating the cultural diversity in the city of Dublin, City Fusion creates a vivid display of individuality, exploring the beauty of light and colour that co exists with the shadow of darkness resonating in us all. They ask you to consider whether or not St Patrick did truly manage to banish all those snakes from Ireland or are some still lurking in the shadows of our very midst?
COMPANY: SARRUGA
PAGEANT: INSECTS SHOW
This Spanish pageant company inverts your reality and makes you see the world as if you were the most insignificant specimen in it. Giant insects, ten times the size of a human being, create this extraordinary visual extravaganza.
COMPANY: KinetiKa (UK), Emergency Exit Arts (UK), Dhol Foundation (UK), Dun Laoghaire Youth Dance (Ire)
PAGEANT: KALINGA
The ‘Kalinga’ pageant presents some serious prowling, gliding, spinning and dancing as two extraordinary creatures from the Bay of Bengal will make their way to Dublin for this year’s parade. The regal Bengal tiger (Kinetika, UK), and a stunning sea turtle, carrying a resident ‘house’ DJ (Emergency Exit Arts, UK), will be joined by drummers from the Dhol Foundation and Dun Laoghaire Youth Dance in an amazing display of colour and scale.
COMPANY: Beat Initiative, Bui Bolg and Rhythm Corporation
PAGEANT: LILLIPUT
At 6 metres high you will need to stand back to take in Gulliver on his voyage to Lilliput. Washed ashore in the fictional land of Lilliput, this pageant presents Gulliver stranded in a meadow greeting the community of tiny inhabitants. 50 energetic community performers from the four corners of Ireland celebrating over 50 years of credit unions serving communities throughout Ireland, bring the Lilliputan meadow alive.