The Goo 1
Festival Focus JOHN BRERETON Celebrating its 12th
edition on Sunday May 28th, the Rockin Road Festival is a little gem of an event that happens annually in the grounds of ChildVision, Grace Park Road in Drumcondra, D9. With live bands, DJ’s, bouncy castles, face painting, vintage clothing stalls and some of the coolest cars and motorbikes you will see this side of Havana or L.A, this family friendly festival (kids go free) is a great day out while also being a vital fundraising tool for Ireland’s only dedicated centre for children with sight loss. I caught up with David Bagnall, who, along with his wife Sandra, puts in countless hours to organise the Festival. How did the Rockin Road Festival start out David? The Festival started purely by accident. I was having a coffee with Oona Fortune who was then working in the Button Factory. She mentioned during our chat that a local car club, The Goonz CC, had been planning a photo shoot around the Dice Bar, but that permission had been withdrawn. I work in ChildVision, we have a lovely little castle as our main building and we had a sweeping driveway and green fields and I said I would ask if they could use it for the photo shoot. Over the days we discussed having a band, then 2 ….then we had 8 and it became a fundraiser for ChildVision. And so it continues. It's a great family event, was this a vital element of the festival from the onset? When I was 17 living in Finglas, I put on my first gig, on the back of a truck. We had the D11 Runners, Aslan, Pleasure Cell and Alien Comfort. This was how I learned about live music. I remember all the kids/ families enthralled at the bands playing and I wanted to recreate this feeling. Added to this is the fact that all the musicians who play normally do their gigs at night, at big festivals or far from home. One of the bonus points for me and them, is that their kids, grandkids and wider friends/family get to see them in a fun and safe environment. So, yes, family is hugely important and mirrors the values of ChildVision. How important is the charity element of the festival? Charity is often seen as an uncomfortable angle to events. But unfortunately it is a daily topic for discussion in organisations throughout the country. Government funding pays for the basics, but there's lots of items and services that are not covered, but are as important to individual children/students as the basics. So over the years the Festival has funded items from inexpensive items such as cutlery/plates that are ergonomic, water filtration systems for the 2 nurses stations and even customised wheelchairs called Jenx Chairs which start at €1,500 and upwards. All therapies and counselling are not covered either, so we have sourced these PAGE 18 as well as a hardship fund when required. The funds also paid for respite holidays which we all know have great benefits for both the client and their families. How do you keep motivated running an event like this? Sandra and I get so much joy from the feel good stories, the young skinheads dancing to Rockabilly, Ukulele bands and Blondie, a visually impaired student playing tunes (she’s on the bill again this year), Lucys Lounge vintage clothing, bouncy castles, the vintage cars & bikes. What I really love on the day is all the smiles, people meeting once a year or some who haven’t met for 30 years and reliving memories, and the variety is awesome. I’m happy that I took on a new thing at seventeen, that is still doing some good as I hit sixty. Giving back a bit is good for the soul! The Rockin Road Festival is on Sunday May 28th in The National Education Centre for Blind Children, Grace Park Road, Drumcondra, D9. (bus routes: 1, 11, 13, 16, 33, 41, 41B, 41C, 44 to St Patricks College). Doors: Midday til 8pm. Adm: adults €10, kids are FREE. The Skalps, Trouble Pilgrims, The Bopalulaz, Stereotypes and Emma Hynes are some of the live bands scheduled to perform.