Watch: Dragon of Shandon returns to streets of Cork

The Dragon Of Shandon parade returned for its 18th year tonight as thousands of people braved the rain.

The streets were packed as kids and adults dressed up for the occasion, keeping their costumes and face paint dry with raincoats and umbrellas.

Jessica Marbe with her kids Otto and Anna-Rose were among those who braved the rain, telling The Echo: “It would be better without it, but it’s still great - the kids are still having fun anyway!” 

The procession began with scary Halloween characters including a roller skating witch and cartwheeling skeletons; as well as The Lord Mayor of Cork City, Cllr Kieran McCarthy, who interacted with the crowds gathered.

Sarah Martin told The Echo that she and her husband have been coming to watch the parade since before they had kids, and remarked on how great it was to see the crowds on the streets despite the weather.

There were also lots of first time attendees, such as Carolina and Marcela, who have just moved to Cork, and brought along some sweets for kids in costumes, telling The Echo the parade was “amazing” and definitely worth standing in the rain for.

The two friends also brought golden retriever Sofia, who was dressed as a spider and enjoying lots of attention from other parade goers.

Cork Community Art Link (CCAL), held a series of workshops prior to the event, from float- and prop-making to skeleton puppeteering and face-painting, and ran a GoFundMe page which has raised over €2,200.

Several different groups created floats, costumes, and performances this year.

These included Blackpool Community Access Programme, National Learning Network, Sushia Inclusive Arts, Joan Denise Moriarty School of Dance, Circus Factory, Cobh Animation Team, Cork Ukrainian Choir, Buttera Exchange Band, Slí Danú, Tribe Dance Academy, North Monastery Co-Education, UCC Media Studies, Mars & Diane, Mexican Community in Cork, Cork Life Centre, Vicki & Dancers, Cork Volunteer Centre and The Kabin Studio.

There was huge creativity in the handmade floats, including a steampunk anthropomorphic train, a plane which dipped into the crowds, skeleton puppets which danced on marcher’s shoulders, and a towering throne for a witch.

Marking Cork Community Art Link’s 30th birthday was a giant birthday cake with 30 candles, with a motley crew of bakers with giant utensils behind, while a mock newsstand selling “The Evil Echo” was led through by some paper boys.

Dance groups, singers, musicians, jugglers, hula hoopers and stilt walkers, all dressed in terrifying costumes, entertained the crowd while floats played spooky music.

The impressive 36-foot Dragon of Shandon, made entirely out of tape, came out last, but it seemed no one was in a rush to get home.

Despite the weather, several families standing on Shandon Street, where the parade began, chose to follow the dragon on its path rather than return to their cars after watching the procession.