Dun Laoghaire Festival of World Cultures 2009 (2)

It's a wet start, my jeans are soaked. However the Dun Laoghaire area is slowly and surely gathering a crowd today, the first day of this year's festival. No amount of rain will affect proceedings: A Lute/Kora is being played outside the County Hall. A few hippies are watching, enraptured (as, indeed,am I). Hippies are usually well-off people who just want to get wasted. It's difficult to imagine the crusties beside me ever living in splendour. I guess there'll be more of this hippy chic to be seen in DL for the duration of the weekend.I'm not knocking these people, it's just that they never seem to be in the REAL world. And I haven't even mentioned spliffs...

I've moved inside the County Hall and there is a lot going on. Entertainment is being brought our way by an Irish traditional folk group and there is loads of organic food to be sampled. Healthy bread is neatly positioned with other calorie laden produce. A life-sized Snakes and Ladders board is rolled out on the ground and some kids are heavily involved. A word of advice: never ignore what goes on in the County Hall, it is a veritable Aladdin's cave and is most educational and informative.

Moving out of the County Hall, I'm heading to see Natty Wailer at the main stage in Newtownsmith. Please let it not rain! The carnival feeling begins to grow as I approach the area and the sound of drumming gets steadily louder. Be in no doubt, the children here are (or should be)having a great time. Many of the little devils and angels are having their faces painted and stuffed with food. Two Gardaí are supping 7up as more and more souls gather in anticipation of Natty Wailer's appearance. Everyone is relaxed, definitely no need to hurry.

"Greetings Dun Laoghaire - RASTAFARI", bellows Natty Wailer before breaking into Bob Marley's 'Redemption Song'. Natty is a natty dresser (sorry!), he's decked out in what looks like traditional gear. There's a couple of crusties at the front with another type of 'gear' keeping them happy. "Gettin' Irie", Natty sings and my jeans are now almost dry. Despite the lack of sunshine, everyone is skanking to the reggae beat. There's a good selection of dreads to be seen and the DL 'massive' are having a great time. But no-one's going to get heatstroke, judging from today's weather.

Natty continues to pepper his set with Bob Marley songs and it sounds wonderful. 'Stir it up' rings out over the field at Newtownsmith and the backing girls are sounding, and looking, terrific. The bearded Jamaican is in the correct environmnet. Thumping bass is, of course, a key feature and the band are as tight musically as Brian Lenihan's wallet. It was definitely a good idea to seek out Natty Wailer and I recommend others do the same.

Well I am now heading out of DL, going past what seems like hundreds of food stalls. Certainly you'd have no excuse to go hungry! Today was subjected to rain, sometimes heavy. But those at the festival were determined to have a good time and DL locals need no excuse to party. Tonight is going to be full of gigs and the Royal Marine Hotel will be the place to go to. Can't quite remember what's going on exactly but the blurb suggests great activity with late buses running. But for me today's goings on are enough and I have enjoyed the wide selection of events.

Tomorrow is the final day of the festival and I'm planning on going to the People's Park to check out what's in store in that part of DL......
© Ian Callagy 2009