“Do you ..ah...have a bin for.. poop?”
I held up the still steaming pile secured safely in a bag. It must have been a sight. I was already sweating, having trotted at full pace with dog in tow through the city streets, to get to the 10am screening on time.
The Pálás cinema held their first dog friendly showing of Wes Andersons’ Isle of Dogs on Good Friday, March 30th.
I knew little of the film. It was the sheer novelty of being able to bring our beloved rescue shih tzu, Ciara, to the cinema that drew me in. The screening was “at the top”. I tucked Ciara under my arm and began to navigate the concrete flights of stairs.
I’d love to comment on the ambiance and the architecture of our new cultural cinema, but I was too concerned with missing out on the film, and the new experience of a dog friendly environment. At that very moment, I hated those stairs.
I was relieved to find the event operating on Irish time. Blankets were laid out on seats for our canine companions and we were greeted by a very enthusiastic white poodle. The little divil was hopping out of himself with excitement. You couldn’t but laugh.
The excessive panting was the only way to distinguish this screening from any other. Perhaps Galway’s most famous dog, ‘the Tobes’ (accompanied by Lisa Regan) was there, prowling around and enjoying his celebrity status before taking his seat in the crowd. There were breeds of all kinds, dogs of all shapes and sizes, with barely a whimper or bark out of any of them.
I was delighted we had made it this far unscathed. The Pálás itself was very comfortable, with lots of leg room - a bit of luxury in the heart of Galway city. The plush interior of the cinema is far removed from its industrial skeleton.
Ciara was put out by my lack of pre-showing popcorn purchasing. This was made all the more difficult by the fact our neighbouring cinema goer (who managed to bring two children and a dog) was organised enough to buy these treats in advance. Her 'give-me-food' stares went unnoticed.
Ciara at the Movies
Lack of popcorn aside, she soon tucked in for a long snooze, while I enjoyed the film. Apart from some occasional sniffing at the back of my head from another friendly canine, it was easy to settle back and relax. I can confirm all dogs behaved well and not one should be banished to Andersons' fictional Trash Island.
Image from Wes Andersons' Isle of Dogs
Ciara:
Lately, we have noticed Ciara is showing her age. She came to live with us two years ago. When she arrived from Madra, she was bald from her tummy to her tail, and her remaining snaggle tooth was pulled out by the vet.
Since then, she has gained a new life, and kgs, by living with us on the farm. She has acted like an energetic puppy. Once fearful of grass, she bounds about like the hare in the fields. She is possibly 11-years-old, and we have noticed some decline in terms of her ability to climb stairs, and changes to her appetite.
We knew taking on a senior dog ensures we may not have long with her, but we are determined to make every year count.
It is events like these that make it all worthwhile. Instead of shivering outside with a coffee in hand, we were able to join in the fun and have some quality time together in town. We need more events like these, to take silly selfies and have the craic with other dog owners.
Selfie time
Afterwards, we shared a croissant at the Spanish Arch as it was transformed by the stalls of the Galway Food Festival.
Oh and the film – it was good! Go see it and support the Pálás.
