Victorian Limerick Lives For A Day – A Haunting in the People’s Park Posted on November 1st, 2011
More than a thousand visitors came to the People’s Park on Saturday 29th October to sample the spooky Victorian delights on offer for Halloween weekend.
The Winter sun came out to shine on Halloween treats for adults and children including a treasure hunt, face-painting and parade led by Mayor of Limerick, Cllr Jim Long, a ghoulishly good band, Victorian dance and music and Victorian photo booths.
The Environment Department, Limerick City Council originally tasked art collective Gothicise, composed of students, graduates and staff of LSAD, to come up with a day-long festival that would endow the park with a haunting quality to celebrate Halloween in the city.
The theme ‘A Haunting’ drew on the rich Victorian past of the People’s Park being explored through a parade, song, dance, participative events, Victorian plate glass photography and quilting demonstrations.
“The Park is such a wonderful space; we wanted to add another dimension of time, with the past of the Park intermingling with its present just as with Halloween, the spirits of the dead traditionally intermingle with the living,” said Tracy Fahey of Gothicise.
Among these re-created events was the Costumed Promenade, led by Mayor Jim Long, 815th Mayor of Limerick, art student Eibhlis Slevin and the CBS Pipe Band. This was an event based on Victorian times when people used to promenade in the Park to show off their new clothes.
Over 400 children took part in the Haunted Halloween trail, organised by Ciara Nolan, featuring ghost-dress art pieces by Holly Burnard.
They also enjoyed the waltz dance classes provided by students from the World Academy of Music and Dance in UL, the ghostly name badges and the face-painting courtesy of LSAD students.
Mayor Jim Long said: “We’re delighted to have so many people enjoying the Park and reclaiming it as their space and part of their history. We hope have more of these events in the future, celebrating these great, free, fun city-centre parks. I would also like to thank all the people who voluntarily gave their time to make sure everyone in the City got a chance to enjoy the event.”
