THIS year marks the 21st year of Waterford Spraoi and as part of the festivities the company have created a visual celebration of the festival and all of the people who have helped to make it what it is today.
Based in Blackfriars (entrance near the former BPM records) “The Key is Spraoi” features six TV screens showing highlights of all of the parades from Noah’s Ark in 1993 right up to the present day. Spraoi Team member Michael Duffy tells us all about it.
“The title, The key is Spraoi, is a nod towards the amount of times that we walked up and down the Quay and also because we’re celebrating our 21st birthday,” Michael said. “The exhibition is made up of a lot of props that we have saved up over the years such as masks, two large giraffes, a camel and some donkeys. It’s a lovely space here in Blackfriars, somewhat of a hidden gem in the city, possibly too hidden, and it would be great if more people could find it and share their own memories of Spraoi with us.”
There are postcards hanging throughout Blackfriars where people have already shared their memories of previous Spraoi Festivals. Here are a snippet of those great memories:
“The first year I joined the Spraoi Parade I was a slave. The parade took its original route through Johnstown. As Part of being a slave we had to pull a float but we were all kids aged between nine and 12 and we weren’t strong enough to pull it across the bridge outside the Wander Inn. The parade was held up for ages – It was brilliant! I’ve since gone on to be a Grasshopper, a mouse, an alien and a diver, with plenty more to come!”
“I think it was 1997 Spraoi, my friends and I carried a Viking Ship down the town to the Clock Tower to start the Fireworks. My shoulders were in bits!”
“When my Nan lost my little cousin. We’re not allowed talk about that at home. Spraoi 06.”
“First Spraoi Parade – dressed as a pirate on roof of Supermacs throwing water balloons on to the crowd below. Some craic!” That was Councillor Mary Roche!
The Key is Spraoi will be open from now until Sunday, August 4 so if you’re in town, why not pop in, say hello and share some of your own thoughts and memories of Spraoi. As Judy Lanigan wrote on her postcard “I love Spraoi!” – That just about sums it up!
