At the Fireworks
WEXFORD FESTIVAL Opera kicked off in emphatic style on Friday night, with a fireworks display that delighted the thousands of people who lined the quay.
This year, the festival opened for the first time in its history on a Friday night and there was an electric atmosphere in the town as crowds gathered from early in the evening to secure the beest vantage points on a quay already peppered with colour and light from the Spiegeltent and funfair attractions.
While rain and wind stopped play on last year’s opening night, there was no such issue this year as the mild, dry conditions were perfect for both the crowd and the fireworks.
The ceremony was conducted, as usual, by Maurice McCarthy who introduced the various dignitaries.
Festival Chairman Ger Lawlor welcomed the crowd to the quay for a what was a historic first for the festival - the Friday night opening. He applauded the volunteers who had started the festival 67 years ago and paid tribute to all those who had kept it going, growing it from strength to strength in the years since then.
Mayor of Wexford, Cllr Tony Dempsey commented on the fantastic occasion that opening night always was, and how it was a highlight in the calendar of so many Wexford people. He also paid tribute to the founders of the festival, quoting John F Kennedy and referring to them as people who dreamt of something and thought ‘why not?’
He also commended all of those involved in various events around the festival, which sees the whole town come to life in a burst of artistic creativity.
Finally, Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jospeha Madigan had the honour of declaring the festival officially open.
She said: ‘Every year, as the shortest, darkest day approaches, one of the brightest lights in Irish culture is switched on. It is dazzling, it is exciting, it brings Wexford intensely alive and it brings visitors from around Ireland and around the world. Wexford Festival Opera is intrinsically and completely of this place and of this community.’
She said civic pride was something that Wexford could give lessons in.
‘Perhaps it is the intimacy of the place, and the small scale of the old streets. But from a small scale, a great global opera festiva, known and regarded across the world, has grown over generations. The heart of this great endeavour is you, the local community. Without you, this festival would not have begun and could not have continued.’
With the formalities dispersed with, the excitement was palpable as the crowd turned their eyes to the sky, kids clambered onto their parents shoulders, and the iconic opera music blasted through the speakers as the first flares flew into the sky. Explosions of colour filled the sky, soundtracked by the opera greats and one or two more contemporary numbers to keep younger members of the audience happy.
The final crescendo of pyrotechnics and music was greeted by loud applause and cheers from the thousands of happy spectators for whom the Festival Opening, or ‘Fireworks Night’ is one of the most anticipated nights of the year.