Craggaunowen will be transformed into a Viking village next weekend as the sights and sounds of the ‘Norsemen’ descend on the popular County Clare visitor attraction.
The highlight of the ‘Viking Invasion of Craggaunowen’ weekend will be the battle recreations at 12.00pm and 3.00pm daily on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th May when warring warriors unleash their fierce battle skills for visitors to witness.
Visitors will learn about how the pagan warriors lived by exploring the historically accurate workshop tents where crafters will be demonstrating their trading, silversmithing, armoury, fabric-making, hunting and fishing skills. There will also be cooking demonstrations featuring the use of authentic ingredients that the Vikings would have had access to.
Members of the public will discover the origins of coins and how they were introduced to Ireland by the Vikings. A Viking Moneyer will demonstrate of how coins were made by hand, with each child receiving a complimentary replica coin as a memento of their visit. Kids of all ages will also be able to participate in Viking-themed activities from the “throwing logs” game of Knubb to Hnefatafl, a game akin to modern-day chess.
Pauline Lenihan, Site Manager at Craggaunowen, said visitors will be able to view a replica vessel of the kind Vikings are believed to have sailed in from Scandinavia to North America.
“The Brendan Boat was built in 1976 by explorer Tim Severin, who successfully completed a 4,500-mile transatlantic crossing, and is on permanent display at Craggaunowen. We look forward to welcoming people of all ages to our visitor attraction over the course of the weekend,” she added.
The Clare County Council managed Shannon Heritage visitor attraction at Craggaunowen recreates what life would have been like for the Bronze Age inhabitants of Ireland. The attraction features a 16th-century castle and a reconstructed “crannog” showing how Celts lived, worked, and defended themselves.
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