Meet The Vikings: Round Tower Visitor Centre in Brú Chrónain

The Clondalkin Round Tower Heritage Group writes about local events…

NATIONAL Heritage Week in Clondalkin got off to a lively start on Saturday, August 12, with the public invited to Meet the Vikings in the garden of The Round Tower Visitor Centre, Brú Chrónain.

Curious visitors travelled from as far afield as Whitehall and as nearby as Walkinstown to do just that and to learn what everyday life was like for the settled Vikings of Dyflin (Irish: Dubh Linn/Dublin).

The event, hosted by Clondalkin Round Tower Heritage Group, advertised ‘a small peaceful group of Vikings camped at the base of the tower’ but it seemed a lot of the visiting children and their families had their own agenda.

As Viking re-enactor, Marnie Caddle, told The Echo: “It was such fun to see streams of little kids, the real ‘smallies’, arriving all dressed-up with their Viking helmets and plastic swords!

“We had no idea that was going to happen – but it was great!”

Older children and teens got a turn at trying on real chainmail and replica Viking helmets, which Eimear Ging, a re-enactor with Clondalkin Living History, explained are actually quite different to how they’re envisaged in the public imagination.

Nora Thornton weaves a belt on a heddle loom

“The Vikings never wore helmets with horns!

“Any helmets that were discovered at Viking sites in Britain and places – none of them had horns.”

Interestingly, the manuscripts tell us the Norse were very particular about cleanliness and very conscious about how they dressed, always making sure they looked well.”

Coins from the Viking age – or perhaps not!

Clondalkin’s ‘smallies’ begged to differ about the helmets, however, and all were agreed they brought their own special and very welcome charm to the event.

Among the display items that caught the attention of the adult visitors was the small ‘heddle’ loom, used to make colourful wool belts and visitors could see a belt being woven by re-enactor, Nora Thornton.

A bowl of ‘silver’ coins with the head of Norse Dublin’s King Sitric turned out to be fake however!

Viking Ivan Erskine holds a replica Viking axe as he rests on a cowskin rug

“These are just tin ones,” admitted re-enactor, Ivan Erskine, pointing to the minting machine and the stamp he had just used to forge them.

“It’s easy to recognise a fake one,” he added helpfully “as the tin is much lighter and thinner than silver.”

“However, they do bear a resemblance to the Viking silver hoards found in Clondalkin,” Eimear pointed out, “when archaeological digs were carried out here.”

If you missed the event or want to learn more about Clondalkin’s Viking history, free guided tours of the Round Tower permanent exhibition will take place Thursday, August 17 at 5pm and 6pm and Sunday 20th, 10am-11am and 12pm-1am.

Other Heritage Week events on Sunday August 20, include Fishing is Fun, Family Fun Day for All, 2-3pm, hosted by Friends of the Camac (meet in carpark of Clondalkin Leisure Centre) and a tour of Fairview Oil Mills takes place Sunday morning, 11am-12pm, led by Monica McGill (meet at St John’s Wood carpark entrance to Corkagh Park).

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