GLORIOUS SUNSHINE greeted fans arriving at Electric Picnic yesterday as an Irish festival finally caught a break with the weather.
It was an unseasonably warm 23 degrees at its peak yesterday. Van Morrison was not playing but his words “wouldn’t it be great if it was like this all the time” came to mind. The sun shone all day, though it did get a bit colder last night.
The decent conditions were particularly appreciated by myself and the 820 other cyclists who made the journey from Tallaght Stadium to Stradbally raising between €250,000 and €300,000 for Temple Street Children’s University Hospital neurosurgery appeal. All the cyclists had to raise €500 for the hospital to qualify for a free ticket.
Special events manager Angela McNulty said the event had captured the imagination of festival-goers and she thanked the organisers 2Wheels and the gardaí for making it possible.
“Where would you get 800 or 900 people in these hairy old times raising so much money for Temple Street Hospital. It has been fantastic,” she said.
More than hills and punctures, cyclists dread what the weather might throw at them, and worse than rain is the wind, but the elements could hardly have been more benign when we set off from Tallaght Stadium yesterday morning.
The first 10km of the 90km Tour de Picnic in aid of the Temple Street Children’s Hospital was nearly all uphill.
It is hardly the Col du Tourmalet in the Tour de France and you wouldn’t notice it in a car, but the stretch just after Tallaght on the N81 is uphill for 5km and every one of those kilometres gave a lie to the oxymoron “fun cycle”.
Once surmounted , it was all downhill figuratively and literally to Blessington for the first stop.
There were further hills on the stretch between Kilcullen and Athy.
“Jesus, not another one,” said one cyclist as a precipitous climb stretched out in front of us, but they were usually compensated by a downhill stretch on the other side. The last part of the journey from Athy to Stradbally was flat.
The arena was a welcome sight where everybody received a free ticket, water and a massage. They also clapped legendary fundraiser Jimmy Mee who did the entire cycle in a chicken suit.
For those on four wheels, traffic was lighter than in previous years mostly as a result of the opening of the new stretch of the M8. AA Roadwatch reported no major delays.
Among the early performers yesterday evening were the Kansas-born singer and dancer Janelle Monae who wooed the crowd with a set based on her debut album The ArchAndroid before playing the much smaller Body and Soul arena tent later in the evening. The Waterboys also played a crowd-pleasing set of some of their best-known songs.
British comedian Phil Jupitus was among the early arrivals, but rumours persist that Sean Penn, Natalie Portman and Christine Turlington will be among the celebrities joining in the fun over the weekend.
An appearance today by Tony Blair after his book signing in Eason looks unlikely.