All alone on Patrick's Street

I was in Cork city last Sunday when, coincidently, the annual Corpus Christi procession was taking place.

As a result, the city’s principal thoroughfare, Patrick Street, was blocked off for the occasion.

Standing outside Waterstones, just next to Daunt Square where the religious ceremony was winding up, I had a fit of eccentricity and decided to walk down the length of Cork’s premier street.

It was a surreal experience not just because of the rare opportunity to walk down the middle of a vehicle free Patrick Street but also to observe how the general population reacted to the occasion.

I found myself all alone on the wilderness of the street as hundreds of citizens milled about on the footpaths either side of me.

All dutiful citizens continuing to obey the law even though it had been suspended for those few hours.

Even the famous Cork jay walkers, who can usually be seen strolling about amidst the heavy traffic, were absent.

Perhaps their confused brain radars only operate when traffic is present.

As I approached a pedestrian crossing it was interesting to observe a group of people pushing the pedestrian button, look up and down for traffic and then cross.

What were they expecting, to be run over by the only traffic on the street – myself?

Mmmm…Maybe they were.