4,000 dead on their feet after ghoulish walk
Wheelchair-bound zombie Philip O'Reilly and undead bride Kerrie Costello, both from Wexford, amuse passers by in Temple Bar yesterday
IT was the afternoon of the living dead. Shoppers around Dublin city centre were stopped in their tracks to let a horde of zombies limp past.
But the undead had good intentions and were simply raising money for charity.
Up to 4,000 people gathered for the 'Dublin Zombie Walk' in St Stephen's Green on Saturday afternoon before they dragged and groaned their way through the capital's streets to a Temple Bar party.
A team of make-up artists helped the participants with their gruesomely bloodied mouths and stark white faces for the event in aid of worthy causes, the RNLI and the Irish Cancer Society.
The first 'Dublin Zombie Walk' last year attracted about 1,500 participants.
Organiser Eamon Doyle said: "I have always loved zombies and they have done several walks around the world so I thought I will put my full brain into it and get it as big as possible because it just seems like zombies grab the attention of people.
"It has never been done to this size in Ireland before.
"It is quite an accessible way to dress, it is a white face, a bit of blood and you are out in the sun with friends having a great time.
Smile
"Sometimes we had to remind people that if they were getting their picture taken, they should not smile because they are a zombie."
The organisers said they raised €5,000 and are confident the world record of 4,069 gathered zombies was beaten -- but no official turned up to record their feat so it will not be marked in the history books.
- SHANE HICKEY
Irish Independent
