It is perfectly reasonable to be wary of an event that has a pyjama dress code. The very thought of arriving at Heuston Station to board the Trinity Ents Polar Express in pyjamas was enough to make some students a little bit nervy – while knowing that their personalised fluffy onesie was perfectly acceptable for the theme, a part of them still wondered, “what if I’m the only one?”. The dress code, however, was not the only element of the event that had caused a kind of hysteria across campus in the days running up to it.
Mystery tours are a staple of college events throughout societies. It seems that drinking on public transport en route to an undisclosed location will just never lose its appeal. Last night’s event provided students with the ultimate mystery tour, as Trinity Ents collaborated with Trinity Vincent de Paul (VDP) to invite students to board the Polar Express from Heuston to, supposedly, the North Pole.
While online tickets sold out in four minutes at a price of €30, further tickets were later sold through VDP. These tickets offered students a €5 discount in exchange for a donation in the form of a present to the charity’s present fund. Over 200 students took advantage of this offer, giving presents to the appeal and proving their “nice” credentials on one very cold December morning.
Not unlike last year’s Harry Potter–themed Hogwarts Express, the Facebook page for this year’s event was immediately rife with activity upon its launch. It was from here that students were encouraged to take a “Naughty or Nice” quiz – not so much to decide the nature of their morals, but instead to divide them between two trains for the journey.
At Heuston station, the anticipation was almost tangible as students queued at the barriers, decked out in anything from elf costumes to lacy nightdresses. The trains awaited them, the platform noticeboards declaring them “Naughty”, or “Nice”. However, aside from the odd piece of lacklustre tinsel and some candy canes strewn across tables, this was the last attempt at maintaining the theme. What the randomly distributed foam swords had to do with the Polar Express, or even Christmas, escaped us.
This did not put a dampener on the atmosphere for long, as passengers got down to the serious task of drinking, and in some carriages, having a bop to music provided by live DJs. The two and a half hour journey sped past, and all of a sudden the trains had arrived at The North Pole, otherwise known as Cork. The Polar Express then became a Polar expedition as students journeyed to the club, with stewards helpfully positioned along the way. The three floors of Voodoo were soon full, with naughty and nice getting their first chance to intermingle.
All too soon it was time to head back to the station, though many took the opportunity of trying out some late night Cork cuisine. On the return journey, what list you were on no longer mattered, no doubt to the advantage of some newly made friendships. At this point many finally got down to the activity their attire was designed for – sleeping – while others congregated in the DJ carriages, partying on.
As the conductor, voiced by Tom Hanks, notes in the Polar Express: “One thing about trains: It doesn’t matter where they’re goin’. What matters is deciding to get on.” Despite arriving back to Dublin in the pouring rain at 6am, it was clear that all passengers were particularly glad that they had decided to do so.
Octavia van Smirren also contributed to this piece.
