After last year’s “Saints and Sinners” themed ball held in the Aviva stadium, BESS ball 2017, organised by DUBES, moved to the Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Laoghaire and donned a new theme; the Seven Deadly Sins. The most hotly anticipated event in many BESS students calendars, the ticket sales alone was a spectacle with students lining up for hours on a rainy Thursday morning. Tickets did not come cheap, priced at €65 each; however this was obviously not a deterrent for many as tickets sold out within 50 minutes.
After hours of preparation, guests descended to the Royal Marine in their finest glad rags. The hotel proved to be a fabulous location for the event, standing tall over Dun Laoghaire village and looking across Dublin Bay.
Guests were greeted by a wine reception as they walked in, with the drinks truly flowing and a chocolate fountain also provided. The reception provided ample time for mingling and catching up with friends, with fabulous entertainment provided by two Trinity students, Molly Buckingham and Evan Holland.
After several photos in the free photo booth, and several more glasses of wine, guests were ushered into the ballroom. Tables could have been pre booked before the event so the lucky few who were organised enough to do so escaped the scramble as six hundred individuals filed in. Careful consideration was given to the setup and layout of the room, with many tables upstairs on the balcony, providing a more intimate feeling. Sweets, masks and rose petals adorned the tables, with each table also given one of the seven deadly sins to embrace for the night.
Courtesy of Alannah Higgins, DUBES
The meal arrived swiftly, with no extended periods of waiting in between courses which is often the case at such large scale events. The standard fare of soup, chicken and profiteroles was served however it was hot and tasty and a delicious vegetarian option was also available to those who wanted it.
Next up was the BESS Ball 2017 awards which provided a laugh for all those listening. Titles such as “BESS King and Queen”, “BESS couple” and “Biggest want to be BESS student” were awarded to a few lucky individuals in the audience, after which the music started up. DUBES really pulled out all the stops for the entertainment as Daithi took to the stage to hit the crowd up with his signature mix of electronic and Irish music. For me, this was one of the best parts of the event as everyone bopped for hours and tried to undo the damage done earlier at the chocolate fountain.
The dance floor started to decrease in numbers as the hours of getting ready, many glasses of wine and copious amount of food started to take its toll. For those who wished to, afters was provided in a club in Dun Laoghaire but the majority of people hailoed taxis and made the journey back home.
The general consensus was of a very enjoyable night, well organised and well executed. The Royal Marine provided a very different setting than last year’s Aviva Stadium, however I enjoyed the more intimate nature of the Hotel as it lent itself to easily seeing those who were there. DUBES ensured a smooth operation all night and guests appreciated the extras such as the sweets, masks and free photo booth which was put to good use. Many in attendance agreed they will be back again next year as this is one event that is really worth the money, time and effort.
