It was a great day. It was a great few days.
This year I was on double duty.
Last year I marched with a group, this year I was assisting for the international bands contest and then for the main parade.
It was a little last minute. But there it was. First thing on Sunday, headed down, didn't know what to expect. I'd walked down.
I was pleased to find that there was tea and biscuits, toilets, all the civilised things. It was a friendly meeting and then we headed to the start point.
We stood for a long time as the bands and the rain arrived. The rain was hard and heavy and windy. The girls in short outfits and those without ponchos suffered a little.
Eventually everyone was lined up. I was up front, shepherding a USA band, I loved the USA bands last year so it was good. We waited, a bit of rain fell, and the band behind struck up a practice, my band decided to dance to them. It was fun.
We marched, through the streets of Limerick and had a great time. At Arthurs Quay I enjoyed the music and craic as the bands gathered and eventually I walked home. A great day.
Then yesterday, St Patricks Day, the same again but much more hectic.
I walked down again, and was there in good time. Tea and jambons and biscuits.
We headed to the barracks, and I was put on front line, checking and guiding groups, trying to keep excited children and families out of the path of cars going in and out. It was a hectic few hours.
Then we moved to the zones of mad chaotic people, milling, shouting, playing.
The chaos started clarifying into groups, many groups, big excited groups, and we started to move.
A little.
We moved down towards the gate but had to wait for some time. It was rather hard trying to shepherd a lively group and keep them bouncing off the vehicles. Then we were off through town. As last year the streets were packed with people and I was hard at work keeping an eye on everyone rather than looking at the crowd, the usual high fives and so on but I was keeping an eye so no children were left behind and that they didn't get too boisterous.
I marched the route with them, I had one leg splinted and both with supports, and I was full of meds from a recent severe respiratory infection, but on top of the world and marching well. A fantastic day.
At the end, again, sinking into a bench on Arthurs Quay. Legs given out, tired. Then I walked back up, saw some of the floats as I walked, and headed for base. Base had sandwiches, nice ones, tea, toilets, a good atmosphere.
I hung out in town for a while, enjoying the atmosphere, same as last year, but noisy teens got a bit much, and then the rain came down, and I was glad to crawl onto a nice dry bus and head home.
At home I was totally zoned out and lazy, watched some things on the tablet, ate, did this and that, and hardly bothered with life, had an early night.
This morning, achy, well and able, walking well, up and about as normal.
Good times, great festival.
