NYPD patrol car spreads festive cheer in the streets of Dublin
Culture

NYPD patrol car spreads festive cheer in the streets of Dublin

DUBLINERS were given an extra dose of Christmas cheer when an NYPD car drove through the streets blaring a classic festive tune.

The car, which made its way through the city yesterday, was playing the song Galway Bay in honour of the Christmas hit Fairytale of New York.

Surprised onlookers spotted it passing by a range of Dublin landmarks, including The CHQ Building, Dublin Castle, St. Stephen’s Green, and the Custom House.

To promote the music video of The Boys of the NYPD Choir singing Galway Bay, EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum brought a 1980s NYPD squad car to the streets of Dublin (Pic: Allen Kiely)

It was all part of a campaign by EPIC, Dublin’s award-winning emigration museum, to bring the iconic Pogues song, which is a global emigration anthem, back to life.

It follows a similar campaign they launched last year, which saw a group of retired New York Police Department (NYPD) officers record a rendition of the song.

Their NYPD car was an extension of that campaign.

EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum's NYPD squad car drove past many Dublin landmarks (Pic: Allen Kiely)

“This wasn’t a scene from a Christmas movie; it was part of EPIC's festive campaign which aims to bring the iconic Irish emigration anthem to life,” a spokesperson for the organisation said.

“The famous lyric, 'the boys of the NYPD choir were singing 'Galway Bay'', from the Christmas classic Fairytale of New York, has long been an iconic line,” they added.

“The only catch? There was no NYPD choir, and Galway Bay was never actually sung by the boys of the NYPD choir - until EPIC made it happen last year.”

Yvonne Murphy. Director of Marketing at EPIC, and Aileesh Carew, CEO at EPIC, pictured with the car in Dublin

EPIC is also honouring the late Pogues lead singer Shane MacGowan’s legacy by pledging to donate €1 for every view of the Boys of the NYPD choir singing ‘Galway Bay’ music video to the Dublin Simon Community - an organisation which was close to MacGowan’s heart.