APPROXIMATELY 12,000 people visited Swords last Friday week (April 25) for a dramatic re-enactment of the final journey of Brian Boru after his death following the Battle of Clontarf.
Celebrating Fingal’s rich historical connection with the Vikings in Ireland, a number of events took place over the weekend as part of the
‘Swords 1014 Commemoration’.
They began at dusk on Friday with a Fire parade where noisy drummers led 100 fire brandishing Vikings as they carried Brian Boru’s
‘remains’ through Swords. There, they handed them over to the monks and Archbishop of Armagh in a theatrical re-enactment of the real events that happened in Swords after Brian’s army was defeated in 1014.
The fire parade was followed by a spectacular fireworks display at Swords Castle and Town Park, over the Viking village which was open to the public in the grounds of Swords Castle and Town Park for the whole weekend.
It featured battle re-enactments, archery and falconry demonstrations, Viking talks and exhibitions, and The
‘Big-Dig’ – a hands-on archaeology dig for ancient remains.