WE SAWJane Birkin perform charming and sometimes sensual songs at the Pavilion Theatre.
Birkin is an intriguing mix of gamine, sexy French, and unapproachable British reserve.
Afterwards, we headed over to the Royal Marine Hotel, where it seemed that all of the festival’s 250,000 visitors had crammed in to see Hotel Kiev – a sound and light-projection extravaganza by Ukrainian group DakhaBrakha, with visuals by local artist Ciaran McClelland.
WE ATEJamaican jerk chicken, cooked by Millicent Brown, who has lived here for eight years.
“I miss the beaches and the food in Jamaica. There are no Jamaican restaurants here, but fortunately I’m a good cook.”
We also tasted a deliciously spicy Ethiopian feast, served up by Haymanot Brian, who is planning for Ethiopian New Year, which takes place on September 11th. The Ethiopian calendar is 13 months long, and this New Year’s Eve will usher in 2002.
WE WATCHEDteenagers take off their Ugg boots and trainers to kneel down and practise gamelan instruments, which are Javanese percussion instruments.
Even when played slightly out-of-sync, the music made by these instruments is haunting and melodious.
WE WISHEDthat they had been allowed to release 300 lanterns at the Eastern Lights ceremony on the pier.
Lanterns have different meanings around the world – in China they are “wish lanterns”, in Japan they are for prosperity, while in India and southeast Asia they are spiritual offerings.
In Ireland, however, they seem to represent littering, as instead of the promised sight of lanterns floating up into the night sky, they were all carried neatly back home again.
WE'RE PLANNINGto be back in Dún Laoghaire in two weeks' time for Mountains to Sea, the first Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown book festival. www.mountainstosea.ie
