Originally published in the UCD College Tribune, 2002

It was an average Thursday in Dublin, the traffic bustled through the streets and the flag on top of the half-finished Spire on O’Connell Street fluttered as people went about their daily business. At the Savoy Cinema though, something was happening.

An 800 strong crowd jostled at barriers stretching from the Gresham Hotel to the Savoy and waited patiently for the star’s of Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York to arrive.

First to walk the walk was Bill the Butcher himself, Daniel Day-Lewis. Looking slim, suave and charming, Day-Lewis paused to sign autographs for those who braved the cold to see him. Slipping past, barely noticed in his wake was Academy Award winner, Brenda Fricker. Next up was our very own Bono, who bounded up to the crowd and shook hands with a lucky few, before being whisked off in a blaze of camera flashes by burly security guards.

Hot on Bono’s heels came the humbly gracious Jim Broadbent who passed the first half of the crowds unnoticed, before being grabbed by yours truly for a brief chat before he moved on to get out of the cold. Neil Jordan, Martin Scorsese and Jim Sheridan managed to give the crowds the slip as they entered the Savoy.

Not so lucky was Brendan Gleeson, whose height made him stand out. After The Edge passed by, the crowds began to thin out. Was it all over? A group of girls claimed that Westlife were due, but no-one else showed until two and a half hours later.

Flash guns popped as Leonardo Di Caprio made slow progress from the Gresham to the Savoy, flanked by security guards and TV cameras. Girls screamed and traffic came to a stop to see what the commotion was. Leo paused at the doors and waved to the swelling crowds chanting his name, before disappearing into the Savoy.

And so it was all over. The crowds left asking each other “Did you see him…?”