Saor Patrol, a Scottish band “with their vibrant pipe tunes and drum rhythms [that] please and excite many a crowd” certainly lived up to their reputation when they played for the crowds in front of Brown Thomas on Patrick Street this afternoon.
I came upon them when they were nearly finished but the few minutes of music I heard was exciting and lively, and my son Adam totally enjoyed the spectacle. When the crowd clapped in appreciation, Adam joined in, and almost jumped out of his buggy to dance to the beat!
They were playing in Cork City Hall today as part of the Your Mental Health awareness campaign by the HSE. Depression and other mental health problems still have an awful stigma in this country. People can be reluctant to talk about those problems, families and friends hide them away, or pretend they don’t exist, but they’re health problems like any other. With the right treatment at the right time most people can be helped.
Listening to Saor Patrol certainly lifted my spirits. I was tired and worn down but their music reinvigorated me!
Edit – I was wrong. The mental health event they were promoting is a Scientology event. Not a HSE one. Can’t believe those maniacs managed to hire out City Hall. I definitely do not want to have anything to do with that crowd. Ugh.
http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/2008/06/27/story66081.asp
This wasn’t a HSE event, it was organised and funded by the teh CCHR (a front group for the Church of Scientology) to promote their “Psychiatry: An Industry of Death” exhibit in City Hall. As you can read on the CCHR website at http://www.cchr.ie , they actually campaign that “psychiatric and psychological services should not be funded
by the State” as each of “ADHD, bipolar disorder, depression or schizophrenia” is an “invented psychiatric disorder”.
Ah crap, it was a Scientology event? Bet they pushed vitamins and their special “give us all your cash” programmes.
For the record, I don’t endorse anything Scientology advocates. Treating mental health problems requires drugs when necessary, counciling and whatever it takes.
I feel dirty for blogging about it now. Bloody maniacs.
Good music though
Great Music, enjoyed.