Hundreds of neighbours take to the streets to celebrate community

Food, singing and dancing bring streets to life for Ireland’s first Street Feast

Today, communities across Ireland took to their streets, parks and front gardens for Ireland’s first nationwide Street Feast.

People across Ireland sat down to a local lunch with their neighbours, to celebrate their street, area or community.

“It’s about having more life on the streets. It’s an all-for-fun, not-for-profit, DIY celebration” Sam Bishop one of the co-founders explained.

“I like having parties in the street!” said Ciaran Campbell, aged 5, who attended a Street Feast in Donnybrook.

“We had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon with family, neighbours and friends” said Anita Wester, who recently moved to the street, “We danced on the street, there was music, I met my neighbours at the end of the road for the first time. I’m looking forward to saying ‘Hi’ on the road when I see them from now on”

A visual feast of bunting, tables and chairs and people sitting down and sharing food, replaced the cars on our roads and streets. Cars were cleared and roads were closed as neighbours played street games like skipping, hopscotch and potato-and-spoon races.

“I think it’s a fantastic initiative” said Minister John Gormley, who visited his local Street Feast in Ranelagh, Co. Dublin. It’s very important that we get our communities involved in our public spaces. It’s great to see them being used in such creative ways”

Street Feasts also took place in Cork, Kerry, Galway, Mayo, Offaly, Wexford, Wicklow and Meath.“Today was great” said Barabara Brennan who organised a Street Feast just 5 weeks after moving into a new house in Ashbourne, “We’ve already been talking about doing it next year and how much bigger and better we can do it, and how much everybody is enjoying it”

www.streetfeast.ie