Dun Laoghaire Festival of World Cultures - Day 2

Arriving in DL to see the second day of the great annual day, out for the citizens of the famous seaside town, we were greeted with rain and my corduroy jacket and trousers were very quickly as wet as a ducks bottom. You could well imagine, in such circumstances, a degree of disappointment however no one I saw exhibited such emotions and peoples spirits remained undiminished. County Hall was my destination where I had volunteered to help out at the Amnesty stand. My presence was welcomed by my colleagues but, as there were enough members there, I didn't need to stay for long.

Before I left the hall, though, I had a look around the place and there were plenty of different stands each representing their own organisation. As well as Amnesty there were: Trocaire, Vegetarian and a number of environmental groups in the concourse. Paul Cunningham of RTE gave a talk to those gathered to hear what he had to say on how we can save the planet. A tall order but definitely worth a try. It is heartening that such people care about this pressing issue which will inevitably affect us all.Traffic was heavy, unsurprisingly, and parking your car would require a detailed plan of action. After the County Hall I went over to the Pavillion for a look.

There was a group of Indian men wearing what looked like traditional costume and were most cooperative when I asked to take a photo of them on the Digital. Around the vicinity of the Pavillion there were people serving up food. Not your usual burnt chips or undercooked burgers here. Everything made for tasting including Vegetarian pies and spring rolls. The mouth would water in anticipation. The stereotypical image of Indian food is spicy mouth burning fare, but there was a number of delicacies for people to try as well.

Tonight's headlining musicians are BANAYA (west African Griots) and they are due to appear in the Pavillion theatre at 9pm. All World Music enthusiasts will be excited. The blurb states: "Orchestral Malian compositions and Senagalese Mbalax unite with powerful Gospel voices." The second day of the festival may have been conducted under wet conditions but we can, at least, be dreaming of a west African climate whilst listening to the wonderful music.

More tomorrow......