Trinity Ball line-up fails to hit right note with students

THERE WAS disappointment among many bow-tied students going to the annual Trinity Ball last night with the musical acts on this year's line-up.

Dublin trio The Script were headlining the event, which sold over 6,000 tickets at €78 each. Over two dozen acts were playing the 50th year of the black-tie ball last night and the music was set to continue until 5am. However, many of the revellers agreed that the event was more about the party mood than the music.

It was the fourth ball for final-year business, economics and social studies student Claire Conway, who was not a fan of The Script and expected bigger bands.

For Claire and friend Stephanie Dockrell, this was the "last hurrah" before their final exams and they planned to stay out until the early hours . "It costs too much . . . but I'm going for the atmosphere," third-year speech and language student Katie Monnelly said.

Despite being bleary-eyed because they had to meet essay deadlines, Katie and friends Úna O'Connor and Fiona Downey intended to be in their party dresses for breakfast this morning. The Script were too mellow to headline the ball, said second-year science student Fiona Fitzpatrick. She was looking forward to Scottish singer Calvin Harris and Dublin rockers Fight Like Apes.

Many freshers were simply excited about their first year at the ball. "It's like a mini-Oxegen without the mud," piped first-year Spanish student Liam Keegan. He said the best thing so far had been getting dressed up in his suit.

However, rain was anticipated by seasoned ball-goers Hillary Murphy and Alice Doyle. "Every year it rains," business student Alice said, vowing to stay all night "as long as we aren't washed out".