Dylan Harcourt Verses Paddy's Parade

This film is a   / mylesoreilly   production. Featuring Dylan Harcourt and his original song "You, Through My Eyes"

"It has been over a decade since I had the opportunity to document the St. Patrick's Parade, or at least, since I've felt the desire to shoot the event. Last March 17th, I woke up like any normal day, opened the curtains expecting to see rain, but miraculously, it was a sunny day. Whoa, wait, hang on, a sunny St. Patrick's day?? If anything was responsible for me not filming Paddy's Parade for over ten years, it has been the rain, which hasn't failed to participate annually.

So I left the house with my camera bag, to see what I could see. I didn't have a plan or permission from the Patrick's Festival, but I did have an official-looking laminate pass and a certain confidence in my stride, which meant I was able to join the parade itself. Hundreds of police and security guards thought I was official. The major visual element that tugged at my heart, being on that side of the fence, were many thousands of ecstatic smiling faces from the audience lining both sides of the street. My whole life experience of Paddy's Parade has mostly been trying to catch a glimpse of each float through a wall of hair and green hats. It was really something special to be in a position to observe the audience in such detail. There was a beguiling energy being communicated in all of their eyes. The spirit of the day, the event, a profound sense of anticipation, joy and wonder, magnified in everyone's expression.

I first heard Dylan Harcourt singing of Grafton Street last Christmas Eve. I walked past him and was immediately entrapped by his sincere and truthful baritonal voice. I asked Dylan if we could make a little video with his original song "You, Through My Eyes" which became this film. I pushed the boat out a little with the ambient backdrop. I hope he doesn't mind."