Dublin centre for adults with learning difficulties makes fantastic 'Happy' video

We thought we were sick to death of the 'Happy' video phenomenon. Until we saw this one.

Dublin centre for adults with learning difficulties makes fantastic 'Happy' video

We thought we'd seen enough videos of people dancing to Pharrell Williams' 'Happy' - seriously, you can all stop now - but it turns out we had room for just one more.

And what a cracker it is.

This lovely clip was shot by the residents of the EVE Estuary centre in Swords, Dublin, a HSE-run training centre for adults with intellectual disabilities.

If this doesn't put a smile on your face, check for rigor mortis.

(Extra kudos to our favourite dancers, shoulder-shimmy lady at 1:55 and the lady doing The Swim at 3:36)

EVE Estuary is also.....Happy! from EVE Estuary on Vimeo.

The video was shot in one afternoon by participants in the centre's Visual and Performing Arts module, and released at the weekend to mark the start of this month's national Green Ribbon Campaign, which aims to raise awareness of mental health issues in Ireland.

"This is a much loved song here in the centre by many of our participants and staff," said Rachel Kiernan, Eve Estuary's instructor in Visual and Performing Art.

"We would have seen the clients dancing at discos here in the centre and noticed how they all had their own individual style," Rachel told breakingnews.ie.

"We were struck by how free everybody is when they dance, and we were inspired by all the other 'Happy' videos made by people around the country, so we decided to do our own."

The Eve Estuary centre provide community-based, recovery orientated programmes for adults who experience mental health difficulties, intellectual disabilities, asperger’s syndrome and physical and sensory disabilities. It currently has 64 participants, all of whom take part in the Visual and Performing Arts module.

"Everybody loved doing it," Rachel said.

"We just blasted out the music and let them do their thing, and everybody else who was here on the day was standing around in a big semi-circle cheering the dancers on."

The Visual and Performing Arts module is an important aspect of the EVE Estuary programme, with participants regularly taking part in major events such as Dublin Culture Night and the Electric Picnic festival's 'Body and Soul' programme.

The final edit also went down a storm at a group screening in the centre on Friday last.

"Everybody was cheering mad," Rachel said.

"It was great fun."

"The song evokes such positive feelings and has inspired people to get up, dance and feel good about themselves.

"We couldn't think of a more appropriate way that we could spread the Green Ribbon Campaign's message to start talking about and dealing with mental health problems."

The month-long national Green Ribbon Campaign began on May 1 and is aimed at encouraging people to talk openly about mental health problems. It is organised by See Change, the National Stigma Reduction Partnership, and 90 partner organisations.

Find out more at Seechange.ie and Greenribbon.ie

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