Spraoi in the Park brings colour, magic and a range of creatures and performers out in Waterford.
The Spraoi parade usually takes place during the August Spraoi festival, but this year the decision was made to hold it as part of Spraoi in the Park, a new family friendly summer festival organised by the arts group held in the recently renovated People's Park in the city.
An afternoon time slot for the parade was another new departure for Spraoi, which went down well with the estimated thirty thousand children and adults lining the route who enjoyed the colourful spectacle,
All kinds of wonderful, and all creatures great and small.
As Spraoi director TV Honan explains, this parade has been made by Waterford people and is a celebration of
Popular art, and we make no apology for that.
The Thomas Francis Meagher Fife and Drum band led the parade whose theme was 'Mr Menagerie and his Clockwork Creatures.' Three hundred local performers supported by hordes of volunteers helped make the parade one of the best the city has seen in years,
A fantastic array of colour, life and magic.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 5 July 2009. The reporter is Damien Tiernan.
