Whether they drag themselves in huge crowds, shuffle down O’Connell street or stalk you with inhuman speed, Zombies all share one thing in common – a serious love for charity work. Saturday 26th of June will see the streets of Dublin pile up with the undead as they march as one horde in the effort to raise money for two great charities.
Eamonn Dial and his team are the people who bring us the Dublin Zombie Walk and the Zombie Walk After Party. Taking some time out from organising Eamonn has a chat with the @rcade about how the day will go ahead, what kind of zombies are scarier and of course video games.
What is the Dublin Zombie Walk all about?
Initially it started out as crazy idea, where I thought I could get some friends together and organise a Zombie gathering in the middle of town. I thought we would take some pictures and have some fun and that would be that. I soon began to notice, however, that there was quite a lot of interest in my crazy scheme. I was contacted by Pauline Swaine through the page and from there it has snowballed into what is going to be the biggest Zombie Walk ever seen in Dublin. This walk is about doing something a little less ordinary with your Saturday and it’s all in aid of two very deserving charities, the Irish Cancer Society and Lifeboats.
Who are the people in charge?
Basically there are three of us, all with clearly defined roles.
Eamonn Dial – Creator, organiser and Chief “why can’t we do that?” Guy
Pauline Swaine – Co-Organiser and Chief “we probably shouldn’t do that” Girl
Mark Hall – Head Minion and Chief “what is the worst that could happen?” Guy
How can someone participate in the Walk?
Participation is the easy part. Just log onto the website, register and turn up. The walk will begin at St. Stephens Green (Leeson St. Entrance) at 2pm. Arrive either already self zombified or ready to be zombified at 1pm. From there we will follow the route to Temple Bar where the after party will begin. So all you need to do is show up, moan and look dead!
(See DublinZombieWalk.com for a detailed plan of the route)
Are you still looking for people to volunteer? – Some of us don’t make very handsome zombies…
Yes, we still want volunteers for the day. You can register at dublinzombiewalk.com we need stewards, collectors, makeup artists and last but not least we want hundreds of Zombies! Handsome or not, everyone is welcome. Come and join the ranks of the Dublin Undead.
What is the plan for the day? How will it all kick off and where will the mass of zombies be marching upon?
It will all kick off at St. Stephens Green (Leeson street entrance) where there will be very helpful Zombies to guide you through the process of registration and zombification. The plan involves walking, or shuffling, whichever takes your fancy, along the streets of Dublin to a well planned route, which can be viewed on our website.
Can you tell us more about this concert afterwards for the undead walkers?
The after party will take place in the MEZZ in Temple Bar, the home of live music in Dublin.
We are very lucky to have “Bebop and Rocksteady”, winners of the Irish Youth Music Awards 2010, providing the very special entertainment for all the participants on the day. There will be 3.50 pints for all the thirsty Zombies arriving en masse. Coincidently there is an underage gig downstairs where all you Zombies who are not quite 18 yet will be welcome.
On a more serious note, let’s just say we all wake up tomorrow and the world is covered in Zombies, how would you try to survive?
As I am a complete geek when it comes to Zombies, I would adhere to the advice given by Max Brooks in the Zombie Bible, better known as the Zombie Survival Guide. It states that:
- * Lock all the window and doors
- * Run upstairs, turn on the bath tub (no way to know when the water will be cut)
- * Find the best weapons possible (avoid chainsaws and shotguns)
- * Begin stockpiling the second storey
- * Get yourself a flashlight and battery powered radio, these are essential
- * Demolish the staircase – zombies can’t climb!
- * If you have a ladder, use it to continue to stock your upstairs refuge
- * Stay out of sight; do not go near the windows
- * Plan an escape for other disasters like fire
Or I would head to the Winchester for a pint and cheese toasty.
What kind of zombies are scarier, the slow moving ones that always gather in large groups or the lone hunter zombies who can run super quick?
Ok this is easy…the super quick ones that would have your throat ripped out before you had even registered that they were in your vicinity. *Shiver* Next question please…
Finally, if the gang over at Dublin Zombie Walk were trapped in an Arcade for eternity, what game would they play to pass the time?
For me but it would have to be Modern Warfare 2, although strictly not an arcade game, I am sure that being trapped for an eternity gives me some licence to digress. Am sure Pauline would love a game that helps her organise in very straight lines, Tetris perhaps. Mark, well, Mark is the true gamer in our ranks and I wouldn’t dare choose a game he would have to play for eternity. I am sure he knows enough to be able to choose something we could all be happy playing till the end of time.
If you would like some more information about registering your Zombie-ego then you check out the Official Dublin Zombie Walk Page
