Fireworks fuel demand for pet pills

A pet hospital in Sandymount, Dublin, has experienced an increased demand for pet sedatives from pet owners who fear their cats and dogs will become distressed during a major fireworks display in the area tonight.

The display will take place on Sandymount Strand. Fireworks will be fired from pontoons moored hundreds of metres from shore. The best viewing will be from Beach Road.

The Sandymount Pet Hospital is advising pet owners who want sedatives for their animals to contact their local vet early today and not to wait until closer to the Stars of the Sea event. Ms Ellen Hegarty, a vet, confirmed the owners of many animals registered at the clinic had requested sedatives in recent days.

"We can't offer sedatives over the counter. We would take this issue very seriously. The animal would have to be registered with us and we would examine it to make sure it is healthy enough. You could only get them from a vet you're registered with."

She said pet owners who did not want to give their animals sedatives should keep them indoors during the display, close the curtains and turn up the volume on their radio and television.

Tonight's 20-minute fireworks display begins at 9.15 p.m. and marks the start of EU May Day celebrations. The organisers are expecting a crowd of around 50,000. The display has been created by the Groupe F pyrotechnics company.

The French group illuminated the Eiffel Tower at the turn of the millennium with a spectacular display. It was also responsible for lighting Stade de France at the 1998 World Cup.

There will be major traffic restrictions in the Sandymount area tonight, with many roads close to Beach Road closed to traffic from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. There will be no on-street parking allowed in the area. This measure also applies to thousands of residents in Sandymount.

Ms Siobhan Colgan, a spokeswoman for the event, said residents would be provided with parking at the RDS until after the event. A viewing gallery for people with special needs has been set up in the car-park close to Gilford Road.