Princeton University Athletics
Men's Lacrosse Trip: Yes Or No And Time To Go
June 12, 2008 | Men's Lacrosse
Yes or no? It's the big question in Ireland today. It's the question of a special nationwide referendum on whether or not to give greater power to the European Union authority in Brussels or to say no to that expansion of power.
Polls opened at 7 a.m. in Ireland and will be open until 9 p.m. It's impossible to go the length of an entire block in Dublin without seeing several signs for both sides, urging the Irish to either vote "Yes" or "No."
The Princeton men's lacrosse team is returning to the United States this afternoon. That left time for a 30-minute walk to Phoenix Park, the largest park in all of Europe. There, for five Euros, a bicycle can be rented for an hour, affording the opportunity to some informal polling.
Phoenix Park is huge. It is home to the houses of both the Irish Prime Minister and Irish President, as well as the Dublin Zoo, numerous soccer and rugby fields and any number of wild deer, of whom there was no sight but plenty of evidence of their existence.
Just through the entrance to the park is the bicycle rental stand, where Paul and his dog Frankie were ready to rent bikes. And give opinions.
"I'm in the 'No' camp," Paul said. "Firmly."
Paul is a rather trusting fellow, as he allowed five bicycles to go out without asking for any money or ID up front. He even outfitted assistant coach Greg Raymond with a bright red "Staff" jacket to fight the chill.
The first major landmark in the park is the zoo, which was teeming with families as many schools were closed to serve as polling places. A surprising number of adults asked were still uncertain as to which way to vote, possibly because there is a great deal of misinformation about the ramifications for Ireland and its thriving economy should a Yes or No outcome prevail. Neil, an eight-year-old boy, was under no such uncertainty.
"No," he said. "Definitely. No."
The ride through the park produced only one "Yes" response, and that came from Margaret, a 60ish grandmotherly type whose reasoning is: "if you can't trust the government, who can you trust?"
No one else asked responded with a firm yes. The answer "not sure" was spoken as many times as "no."
Mostly, it was just a good morning to ride through the park. There was no rain, and temperatures were in the 50s. Among the riders was 77-year-old John McPhee, who was able to go strong for the hour, including the steep climbs uphill.
"I used to run," he said. "Then one day, 20 years ago, I was running with some students when I had to stop and literally limp back to Dillon Gym. I went to see Joe [Dr. Joseph Zawodsky, former Princeton athletic doctor], and he told me that if I kept running, I'd snap my Achilles' tendon. He said to get a bike, so I did."
When the hour was up and the polling was done, it was back to the Jury's Inn. Time to pack up and get ready to return home.
The polls in Ireland will close about four hours after the Tigers take off. The results will have to wait until Princeton is back home.
If the Phoenix Park crowd is any indication, expect "No" to win easily.