Dragons and demons light up Shandon

SEEKING to invoke an atmosphere of street carnival that is often absent from more conventional parades in the city, the Dragon of Shandon takes advantage of the towering church, narrow lanes and particular multi-ethnic ambiance of the city’s most famous area to create an event full of noise and spectacle.

At the heart of the parade is a 12m dragon constructed of sellotape. It will be accompanied by lamps and drums and assorted creatures and masked figures from the underworld. Expect also to hear howls and wails of anguish from the Cork Scream Choir.

Shandon is perhaps the perfect place for such a parade evoking comparisons with the dramatic Easter parades in Spanish villages with menacing hooded figures and with the sounds of drums echoing through narrow streets.