It’s been called the “‘biggest private party in Europe” and this year’s staging of the Trinity Ball again turned Dublin’s south city centre into a parade of tuxedos and finery.
Basement Jaxx, Le Galaxie and HamSandwicH were among the acts playing for the 7,000-strong crowd spread across the college campus.
For first-year students Philip Nolan and Clare O’Donohoe, up-and-coming domestic acts such as Walking on Cars and Years and Years, were the big draw as opposed to some of the more illustrious headliners.
“I think the line-up is pretty good actually. It’s not as big as others but I still think it’s good,” said Nolan. “It’s like Oxegen and your debs combined, because you’re in suits and you’re outside, which is really strange. It’s a festival with a bit of class.”
Good buzz
For 56-year-old Tony O’Byrne, the occasion has retained many of the qualities that drew him to his first Trinity Ball.
“There’s a good buzz about the place and it’s a good night. It’s a nicer gig to come to than it was many years ago. It was a lot bigger – there was more trouble then.”
Restaurants in the immediate vicinity of the college did more stylish business than usual on account of the number of diners in formal dress.
Having waited for hours on end in the freezing cold some months back to buy their €80 tickets, early arrivals were full of anticipation as they vied for a prominent place in the Nassau Street queue to get a prime stage position ahead of the 10pm start.
But one tradition favoured by many Trinity Ball revellers in years gone by was not available this year. Stopping off for breakfast in Bewley’s on Grafton Street was never going to be an option since the cafe is closed for a major makeover.
