Viking Invasion at Craggaunowen

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 12pm and 3pm daily on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th May, when warring warriors unleash their fierce battle skills.

Visitors can explore 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 sourced.   

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 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.

Cllr. Tony O’Brien, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, commented:

“As a native of Killaloe, I grew up with stories of the Vikings, as my hometown is the birthplace of Brian Ború, the last High King of Ireland who ended the Viking invasions of Ireland. Many modern-day Irish surnames are of Viking descent, while the origins of the cities of Limerick, Dublin, Waterford and Cork come from Viking settlements. It is wonderful to see this often forgotten about period of Irish history being remembered at Craggaunowen in what will be an educational and entertaining weekend for all the family.”