title The Ukulele Hooley, People's Park, Dún Laoghaire, Ireland - 22nd August 2026 intro We're off to Ireland again for a trip of multiple parts, starting out with a couple of nights at Da Gorls' house in Monkstown Farm, south of Dublin. We start the first full day with a bus ride down to Dún Laoghaire and a walk down to the People's Park where there's a ukulele festival, via a quick stop at the yacht club to see the men's ILCA 7 dinghies come in from some race training. We take a break from the ukuleles to walk to the end of East Pier, before returning to the park to see some of the Big Jam - the part of the festival where the audience properly gets to join in. That evening we're at HX46, a pan-Asian café in Gráinseach an Déin which supplies us with some excellent scran. imgp2088 We're in a random van to the airport imgp2090 Funky stylings at Stansted's Wetherspoons imgp2091 The secret seating area has been demolished imgp2094 Fred, Isobel and Harry at the gate imgp2095 Isobel chats to an old school friend imgp2096 It's queue-tastic once again imgp2098 The plane and its tug is ready to go imgp2099 We're at Dublin airport imgp2100 Fred on the long walk from the gate imgp2103 Harry in Da gorls' kitchen imgp2104 Fred's scored a fruity cider imgp2108 Fred makes some breakfast imgp2110 We mill around before heading to Dún Laoghaire imgp2111 Big silver tags by the DART in Dún Laoghaire imgp2112 An old van advertising Cullen's Vintage Carousel imgp2115 The men's ILCA 7s are in town for racing imgp2116 A bunch of ILCA 7s imgp2121 Alastair Brown's Team GB ILCA 7 imgp2125 Painted mackarel on a building imgp2127 The flags of nations imgp2132 Isobel and the boys roam around the People's Park imgp2133 Da Wheeze and Evelyn on a park bench imgp2135 Some of the audience strums along imgp2137 Zoë Bestel is on stage imgp2141 Zoë Bestel plays ukulele imgp2146 Noddy appears with Maude the dog imgp2147 More ukulele strumming in the crowds imgp2150 The Rathfarnham Ukulele Group are on next imgp2155 The leader of RUGs gets in the zone imgp2166 Isobel's chatting to Meagan in the park imgp2180 A bit of Rock the Boat breaks out imgp2185 Clapping from a RUGs member imgp2186 There's a good crowd in the People's Park imgp2189 RUGs finish their set imgp2190 Noddy is still roaming around with Maude imgp2193 A Township of Kingstown sign from 1890 imgp2198 The statue of Roger Casement imgp2200 A mass of flags imgp2201 Graffiti buildings near the east pier imgp2204 A close-up of building graffiti imgp2209 Isobel's got an ice cream imgp2210 Noddy seems to have some ice cream on his beard imgp2212 Harry reads a bit of his book imgp2214 Noddy, Fred and Maude imgp2217 Pigeons drink from a dog bowl imgp2218 A de-masted yacht and the Dublin Bay Winkies imgp2221 Everyone stares at a jellyfish for a bit imgp2223 Noddy and Maude on the pier imgp2226 There's another ekulele act on the stage imgp2232 Someone from Arklow Ukulele Players roams around imgp2234 The Big Jam is occuring imgp2236 Noddy and Fred on a park bench imgp2251 More from the Big Jam imgp2253 Some people in the audience play along imgp2260 Jen watches from the fountain imgp2262 A view from the fountain imgp2266 Some people even have music stands to play from imgp2278 Fred gets a go of Maude imgp2281 Some dudes has a little nap imgp2282 Seagulls on a telecomms box imgp2285 Another seagull telecomms box in Dún Laoghaire imgp2286 George's Street Lower from the top deck of a bus imgp2287 Cat paw-prints in pavement cement imgp2289 We're in HX36 Pan-Asian café in Deansgrange imgp2290 A lampshade looks like computer-generated art imgp2295 Evelyn, Isobel and Da Wheeze with the boys imgp2296 HX46 café imgp2298 Harry's got a nice pile of sushi imgp2299 Evelyn outside HX46 imgp2301 Street art on a shuttered shop imgp2302 Evelyn walks back past HX46 imgp2303 Old St. Fintan’s Church in Deansgrange imgp2305 The Express fish and chip shop imgp2307 Wires explode from a telegraph pole