Sunday, March 27, 2011

How we spent Paddy’s Day (in photos)

 We spent St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin this year.  As you know we have been in Dublin for a few months but James’ project has now come to an end, so we took the opportunity to go down for a couple more nights, have some fun and see the parade and pack up all our stuff!

I desperately wanted to get Lucky Charms for Ollie for St. Patricks Day… but they don’t make them here in Ireland.  They used to, but don’t anymore and we know a store that imports them from America.  Unfortunately there had been a rush of people buying them and they were out of stock, so I bought him Fruit Loops instead.  They are rainbow coloured so still count I suppose.

We got Ollie dressed in his green hoody and I painted a little green shamrock onto each cheek.  After we were ready we had a look at what festivities would be taking place!  There were apparently some fairground rides in Merrion Square and the parade was due to start at 12.  My dad advised us that Dame Street would be the least busy place to watch the parade go past.

Ollie went on his first fairground ride!  He went on a kids teeny tiny rollercoaster.  It was only €3 so we gave him 2 rides.  The first ride he spent in a taxi cab and the second he rode the train.  He LOVED it.  It was so cute watching him go past again and again and to be honest it made me feel a little bit choked up… he was so big and independent!!

After his first go on a rollercoaster was over, we went on a ferris wheel together.  He loved it too!



When we got to Dame street we waited for about 1 1/2 hours for the parade to reach us.  Ollie got really fractious and bored (and who could blame him!) and we had to occupy him with more Fruit Loops!  There was a lovely old man and woman in front of us and the man chatted to him a bit.

I’m not sure I understood the theme of the parade at all.  To me it didn’t seem to have a lot to do with St. Patrick’s Day but it was apparently based on a story by Roddy Doyle.  It was so much fun to watch though.  There were bands from all over the world, youth groups joining in and some weird displays.

I love bands.  I especially love how loud the drums are.  Ollie preferred the random and strange things that passed instead.




Town was busy, though not quite as packed as I had anticipated.  We had a voucher for our lunch, so got paninis and drinks and ate them in the sun.

We passed a store we love and to our surprise they had Lucky Charms in stock.  Ollie got to have his first taste of lucky charms after all!

I think we will go to Dublin for St. Patrick’s Day again.  There is a much more fun atmosphere there than up North… and so much more to do.  We didn’t get to do everything, there were storytellers and facepainters and lots of other events for families!

…and that’s Dublin over with now.  It’s strange to be saying goodbye.  We won’t have another opportunity to go because Ollie starts school in September.  Ollie was born in Dublin and we spent his first few months there so it holds a special little place in my memory.  We even passed the hospital he was born in and I told him and pointed it out, but I doubt he even knows what ‘birth’ or ‘you were born there’ means haha!

3 comments:

  1. The parade and festival look like fun! Which cereal did Ollie like best?

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  2. Looks like a fun parade! How cool to be in Dublin for St. Patrick's day!

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  3. Your son is such a cutie! Looks like you had an awesome day!

    www.aplummerslife.blogspot.com

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