BIG IRISH SWEEP

Evening Star, Issue 21091, 2 May 1932, Page 9

BIG IRISH SWEEP

MIXING THE COUNTERFOILS REMARKABLE SPECTACLE The ceremony of mixing the Irish sweep counterfoils was watched th s year by privileged visitors from many parts of the world. They saw a spectacle more bizarre, more colourful, and more fantastic than has ever been staged in a- Dublin theatre. Hundreds of girls in a variety of novel costumes figured in what might well have been a colossal cabaret show. Thev were divided into two sections, the‘first wearing military uniform of the Napoleonic period, consisting of green jerseys with gold epaulettes, blue waist-bands, and white trousers. The other section were dressed to represent every nation subscribing to the sweepstake. Lancashire had a representative of its own, a mill girl with shawl on her head. Then came Napoleon hu? se “~ ( t a P' tain Spencer Freeman, chief official ot the draw. “Forward, march! ho commanded. His graceful soldiers moved as one man. . , The mixing machines, looking ana sounding like threshing machines, were in. operation for hours, during which tickets from places as far apart as San Francisco and Athens rubbed shoulders a moment before th© devastating wind separated them once again. THE DAY OF THE DRAW.

In describing the draw a correspondent says: “It is great fun being m Dublin on this electric day. Iry to picture the scene in the Plaza. Ine Plaza, yesterday a ballroom, the largest ballroom there is in Ireland. Now, all ablaze with lights and glowing with colour, it presents the appearance ot a theatre on a popular first night, the floor is crowded with distinguished visitors. The Press of all nations fill 200 seats. Cinematograph operators with their cameras occupy a round dais in the centre. _ „ , , . , . “ General O’Duffy, the chief of police, presides. On the stage are two drums. The larger one is the drum of fate where your counterfoil and mine and’seven million others are slowly revolving. Its shell of sheet steel shines dazzlingly under the beating lights. The smaller drum has the names ot the horses. Perched above it all sits the director of the draw, Mr 0 Sheehan. In front of the drum are the four hospital nurses in uniform , who make the draw. Tb© method, of it now nc©ds no describing.

MARVELLOUS ORGANISATION. “ Everything has been marvellously organised. The sweep is fraudproof and accident-proof. _ General O’Diiny has even invented since the last draw a system of code signals to the nurses to direct them in the event of emergency. Nevertheless, Captain I* reeman gave a hint of the nervous strain which the sweep has put upon the promoters when he told me 'how they were haunted day and night by the fear of fire or of a mischance involving the Jobs or. destruction of some of the pre-

cious slips, for if even a single counterfoil were known to have gone astray it would invalidate the' whole sweep. ‘ Not until the last prize is drawn,' he said, ‘ shall we breathe freely again.’ “ Immediately in front of the stage the staff of girl secretaries sat at a desk with typists, a topographical expert, and several linguists. Even the counterfoils written in Chinese and Arabic presented no difficulties to the linguists. The air quivered with bright excitement,’’