Fat-cat property developers, clapping codpieces, Spice wenches and a Mutton Island "throne" - lasciviousness, licentiousness, and downright greed were given the lash in the streets of Galway yesterday when Macnas staged its annual parade. To cap it all, there was the occasional lash of rain, which didn't deter the 60,000 spectators lining the route. Nor did it quench the enthusiasm of over 600 participants, including representatives of at least 15 community and youth groups from the city and county.
Setting off from the Fisheries Field at 3 p.m., the Carnival of Fools wound its way via Eyre Square, Shop Street and Mainguard Street to O'Brien's Bridge and down Dominick Street to the Claddagh. Some 400 masks, 600 costumes and several floats made it the biggest parade yet - steered by the youngest director, 24-year-old Noilin Kavanagh.
In contrast to previous years, this year's theme was pointedly political. Some might regard the battle as over, but Mutton Island was depicted, complete with sewage pipes and flushing toilet. It was followed by a float of "fat cats" preening over Monopoly-board property, and a wrecking ball-and-chain, complete with an appeal to save old Galway.
Ray McBride, the Claddagh actor who took the unsuccessful court action over the decision to build a sewage treatment plant on Mutton Island, played Quasimodo, while Galway arts officer, James Harrold, could be recognised as the "fat cat" mayor. Developers and a local authority planner were also depicted by members of Galway's arts elite, who have made the parade the public highlight of the festival.
Abseilers scaled down buildings on the route, and drummers and brass musicians approached the Claddagh playing Tears of a Clown. Jeered by jesters, tax collectors, merchants, mummers, beasties, baby gargoyles and Spice wenches, the king of fools was crowned on the Claddagh spit. As one Macnas participant observed, "a great test of this city's institutional sense of humour".
This year two viewing areas were provided for people with disabilities, and do-it-yourself masks were on sale at the festival office. The one weak link was someone's implicit faith in Irish weather. The climax - a public swallowing of king, mayor, developers and planner by a 20 foot whale - collapsed when rain affected the electrics needed to inflate the cetacean.
"With all our clapping codpieces and lascivious behaviour, we still couldn't get it up," Gary McMahon, Macnas's press officer, remarked. "Try a dart of Viagra," one observer quipped. Undeterred, the revellers improvised as they ran over Wolfe Tone Bridge and under the Spanish Arch.
Over 100 artists, designers, production staff and volunteers planned what claims to be the biggest participatory community arts festival in the country. Several Galway eating houses provided sustenance for the workers in the week before, and the main sponsor was Thermo King.
Costumes were designed by Margaret Linnane, masks by Aine Lawless, and the floats were built under the direction of Pete Nelson. During all the preparation someone appears to have been keeping a close tab on the sewing box: 4,200 metres of cloth, 15 kilometres of thread and 500 litres of glue were used, and adrenalin was fuelled by an estimated 10,000 cups of coffee.
