"Daddy has turned into a swan, Mammy, look." More like an ugly duckling, in fact, but a cluster of men in white tutus and heavy lace-up boots were not the only strange, bird-like creatures spotted on the streets of Galway yesterday evening.
The 15th Macnas parade, directed by Dominic Campbell, snaked its way from Eyre Square to Dominick Street in the early evening sunshine, presenting every imaginable kind of winged creature and flying machine.
Despite the fact that last year's magical nighttime parade was bound to be a hard act to follow, the crowds lining the streets were highly appreciative. They cheered on the children from local schools and community groups who led the procession. Thousands of spectators of all age groups craned their necks, leaning from the roofs of bus shelters, fourthfloor windows and roof-tops, whistling and applauding as the 450 participants whirled past.
The title of the parade was "Listening Wind", and the very loose theme was of airborne creatures being blown off course, with a glancing reference to Homer's Odyssey. Gorgeous, jewel-coloured birdpuppets, black-and-red-striped crows, long-beaked birds on roller skates all struggled against the buffeting winds.
The pace was too sedate, with frequent stops which interrupted the flow and, for the most part, the energy needed to create the illusion of creatures in flight was lacking.
This parade didn't soar, but the colours were rich and vibrant: lilacs, deep purples, crimson; the Busby Berkeley Biplanes were ingenious, and the huge puppet heads of "Gravity Guards" who were trying to make sure all birds, balloons and flying machines remained grounded went down a treat. Who knows what might have happened if they hadn't been there?