Sky’s The Limit For Future Celebrations

Sky’s the limit

FOR FUTURE CELEBRATIONS

BY LLOYD GORMAN

Photo credit Allen Kiely

TOURISM IRELAND’S GREENING PROJECT STARTED 12 YEARS AGO AND IN THAT TIME HAS SEEN SOME VERY IMPRESSIVE LANDMARKS – SUCH AS NIAGARA FALLS – BRILLIANTLY BATHED IN IRISH GREEN.

There is no fear of the project running out of steam or new ideas, as the organisers proved in Dublin for St. Patrick’s Day when 500 drones were used to mount an incredible light show – called the ‘Orchestra of Light’ – in the skies above Dublin. The swarm of drones were programmed to produced symbols of Ireland’s world-famous traditional music and dance culture, Celtic art and modern images of Ireland and of course a message wishing the world A Happy St. Patrick’s Day. At a time when – for the second time in a row – the country could not turn out and enjoy the occasion this stunning light show was inspired and something that – at least some lucky people living in Dublin – would have been able to watch from through their windows. But the rest of us can also draw some enjoyment from it - Google the name or ‘500 drones Dublin’ and you will find the video. It may only be the second time a light show like this was produced (the first time may have been for New Years Eve 2020 in Singapore, just as COVID-19 was unfolding as a global crisis) but it would be surprising if it was the last. The technology involved is already well advanced and the drones can obviously be well coordinated, but there is no reason why a thousand drones with even more lights and capabilities could not lay on an even bigger show. Forget fireworks (which can be environmentally damaging and drive pets crazy), this could become the new standard by which big public events are celebrated. Planners for events to mark Perth’s bicentennial in 2029 are looking for big ideas to mark the occasion. Why not a drone show that writes the story of WA’s capital in the sky, from its ancient Aboriginal origins to its future ambitions?

IRISH MAKE LIGHT WORK OF GLOBAL DOMINATION

Perth boasted several of the 670 global landmarks bathed in green light for St. Patrick’s Day this year. Some of the by now usual suspects include Council House in St. George’s Terrace, the Bell Tower and even Optus Stadium, but there have been more recent additions such as the bridge across Elizabeth Quay and artwork on the Sky Ribbon bridge on State Route 4 on the way to Perth airport. Another bridge is an even more recent addition to line up of local landmarks to join in the global greening project - the Joondalup Drive bridge over Wanneroo Road. The new bridge was lit up thanks to a request by the Carramar and Tapping Residents Association. According to the Wanneroo Times Association president Ian Hammond, the idea of using coloured lights for special events and occasions had been raised during meetings of a reference group during the construction stage. The flyover bridge was opened in August 2020 but it wasn’t until March of this year that it got its first outing. It goes to show it is worth asking Main Roads WA and other similar authorities if they would consider allowing their infrastructure or buildings to go green for the patron saint of Ireland. Some of the other locations in Australia and New Zealand to take part this year include the following places, perhaps next year there will be even more if local groups and communities ask:

Below, clockwise from top left: Perth landmarks bathed in green for St Patricks Day included the Sky Ribbon bridge; Council House; the Bell Tower; the Joondalup Drive flyover bridge; and Optus Stadium and Matagarup Bridge

• Sydney Opera House • Reddacliff Place sculptures, Brisbane • Story Bridge, Brisbane • Tropical Display Dome, Brisbane • Victoria Bridge, Brisbane • Canberra Times Fountain, Canberra • Irish Embassy, Canberra • Kings Avenue Bridge, Canberra • Malcolm Fraser Bridge, Canberra • Telstra Tower, Canberra • The National Carillon, Canberra • Macquarie Mall, Liverpool • Melbourne Star Observation Wheel, Melbourne • City Hall clock tower, Newcastle • Centenary Square, Parramatta • Bell Tower, Perth • Optus Stadium, Perth • Sky Tower, Auckland CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

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LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL FOR DAYLIGHT SAVINGS

Before COVID stopped most of us being able to travel anywhere, one of the great joys of returning home to Ireland for a summer holiday came about as a courtesy of daylight saving. After living in Western Australia long enough you become totally acclimatised to local conditions and seduced by the lifestyle. But on a family trip back to Ireland in July about five years ago now I was pleasantly reminded of something that I had completely forgotten about. That in July or August the long days stretched late into the evening before darkness eventually creeps in and reclaims the night. The fact it could be bright as day until 10pm or even 11pm was a fantastic extension that stretched out fun filled days even more. It is almost five years now since we experienced that trick of time and the happy illusion has stayed with me ever since. Like so many of us, our hopes and plans to travel back to Ireland last summer and then again possibly for this year were dashed by the pandemic. With any kind of luck 2022 will be the year it happens, but even that’s not a sure thing at this stage. Amongst the many other things I was looking forward to was revelling in the never ending day dream of daylight saving. But time on that was running out. After deciding the issue a few years ago through a referendum, the European Union was due to phase out daylight saving in member states this year. Ireland and other countries have have practiced the mind bending art of turning clocks and watches back and forwards an hour since 1916 so it was going to be a big change for the country and quite literally the end of an era. The global pandemic and Brexit may have crippled the EU’s ambitions to cancel daylight saving or at the very least given it a stay of execution. Cutting it out was always going to pose some problems, but with entire countries in lockdown – often more than once - and their leaders struggling to cope with the economic and health crises posed by COVID, daylight saving has moved to the bottom of the pile of things to worry about. Then there is the unique predicament that Ireland faces. With the United Kingdom out of the EU it is not obliged to dump daylight savings in any case, and has no intention of doing so. In the event that Ireland did drop daylight saving, then two time zones would suddenly open up on the island of Ireland, split along the border between the Republic and Northern Ireland. Brexit – which fully kicked in at the start of this year – has already proved difficult to trade and relations with the rest of Ireland. As if things weren’t already tricky enough, splitting time on our small island would just extenuate and exaggerate these and other problems and unforeseen consequences. When the dust settled on the state election in March it was curious to see the issue of daylight saving pop up on the political front here. The issue has been defeated in four referenda in WA between 1975 and 2009 and still the question won’t die. Irish Scene contacted Wilson Tucker, the Daylight Savings Party’s successful candidate for a seat in the Upper House of parliament, to find out if there was any Irish connection. Wilson – who was in the process of trying to get back to WA from America – responded briefly to say that his grandmother was English and his grandfather was Scottish, so his roots are from our part of the world. But he has had the benefit of visiting Ireland in all the glory of daylight savings and ‘really loved the place’. Wilson – who was stateside (USA) when he was elected – has also lived in Canada about 15 years ago, where he made some very good Irish friends. “They are living in Dublin so I paid them a visit (and obviously to the Guinness factory also) and then went to Galway and the Aran islands. It was Summer time so the days were long and everyone seemed to be outside appreciating the weather (except at the Aran islands where it was pouring down, but I believe that’s generally to be expected!). Hopefully many more of us will get the chance to enjoy some of those long summer days again if only we could get back to Ireland for a summer holiday. For more about Wilson Tucker’s election to the Legislative Council see page XXX

Wilson Tucker on his travels to Ireland

‘DAYLIGHT SAVINGS’ AS OLD AS THE HILLS OF IRELAND

The flip side of daylight savings is that winter days are short but nights are long, with darkness settling in not very long after returning home from school, if memory serves me correctly. If the concept of adjusting a clock back or forward by an hour still intrigues and even baffles us today then we should remember and respect the genius of our ancient ancestors who figured out a way to use the planet and the solar system to pinpoint the switch from summer time to winter time, and vice versa. Newgrange in the Boyne Valley, Co. Meath is the best known example of how those early people knew when the solstice was and when the length of day was set to change, but it is not the only site in Ireland dedicated to this solar trick. Scientists estimate that Newgrange was built by stone age farmers about 5,200 years ago. The impressive mound stands on an acre of land and measures 13m (43ft) high and 85m (279ft) across and is surrounded by 97 large kerbstones, many of which - particularly the entrance stone - have ancient Celtic symbols and engravings on them. A remarkable place by any standard (it is a UNESCO World Heritage site), Newgrange is perhaps best known for its ability to mark the winter solstice. Just above the entrance to the passage tomb and internal chamber is an opening called a roof box. The entire structure is built and positioned to mark the winter solstice. At dawn on December 21st and two days before and afterwards, a narrow beam of light from the rising sun pours in through the roof-box and over the course of exactly 17 minutes gradually illuminates the entire passage and chamber, denoting the shortest day of the year as well as the start of a new year. This feat of amazing astronomical timekeeping pre-dates the pyramids by about 500 years and even Stonehenge. Less well known and less impressive in its scale, there is however a prehistoric cairn (man made structure of stones) in the west of Ireland dedicated to the summer solstice that proves this technology was no fluke of nature or one off. One of the main Carrowkeel cairns in the Bricklieve Mountains in in Co. Sligo also has a roof box through which the setting sun enters for about a month before and after the summer solstice. When the shaft of light hits the back of the two metre long passage (Newgrange has a 19 metre long passage) it is the longest day of the year.