GETTING THERE:YOU HAD to get up early to be sure of a place in College Green to see President Barack Obama.
Adrian Kavanagh from Dublin arrived at 11pm on Sunday to be first in the queue.
He was joined at 4am by two students from Cork, Maeve Beecher and Éanna Ní Néill.
By 11am yesterday, and having endured a torrential morning shower, several thousand people were in place on Lord Edward Street.
By 1pm, there were thousands more, with the queue stretching back to Christ Church Cathedral. Others came up the side road from Wood Quay and skipped ahead in the line.
The most notable thing was the predominance of teenagers and young students. It was like Oxegen for the politically minded.
It was uncomfortably crowded for many, especially those with children. The weather veered from squally showers to intense sunshine.
People took off their coats and then put them back on again.
Those queuing could feel the weight of people behind them, and there was a distinct absence of stewards or gardaí. Several others skipped the queues by jumping over the barricades.
“Stop pushing, ye’ll all get in,” came the voice over the tannoy.
Having joined the queue at 1pm, it took three hours and 40 minutes to get to the security tent where again it was extremely crowded.
Stewards opened up another channel for parents who brought children, but one mother was disappointed when she was told that she could not bring her buggy inside.
The tent was operated by gardaí, stewards from a private company and secret service agents in dark glasses right out of central casting who kept calling everybody “Sir” and “Ma’m”. They really do talk like that.
At least we got in. Thousands of others did not.
