03 May, 2012

Dail Question

No. 106

To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans to commemorate in 2014 the Battle of Clontarf in order to boost arts and tourism and build further links with the Nordic countries..

-  Finian McGrath.

For PRIORITY answer on Tuesday, 1st May, 2012.

Ref No: 21697/12     Lottery: 3     Proof: 177

REPLY

                                                                                Minister for Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan, T.D.

The Millennium of the Battle of Clontarf will be commemorated in 2014.  I believe that this signal anniversary presents a special opportunity to enhance the appreciation and understanding of the Vikings in our national history, their settlement in centres throughout Ireland and their contribution to economic and cultural life in Ireland.

Officials from my Department have had discussions with various groups, including historians, archaeologists and the Ambassador of Denmark, with a view to developing a commemorative programme that reflects the influence of the Vikings in Ireland and the Battle of Clontarf as a defining event in our history.

Operating under the aegis of my Department and within the confines of available resources, I envisage that the national cultural institutions will play an important role in any commemorative arrangements, especially the National Museum of Ireland.

In that context, I understand that the National Museum of Ireland intends to hold a major exhibition on Brian Boru and the Battle of Clontarf in 2014.  It is expected that the exhibition will have an international focus with loans from institutions across Europe.  The exhibition will not only present Ireland and Europe in the later Viking Age, but also examine the continuing significance of Brian Boru and Clontarf in Irish folklore and popular imagination right up to modern times.

In addition, to possible initiatives by the national cultural institutions, my Department will be consulting with local authorities and other interested parties on their intentions with a view to the development of a co-ordinated programme. I will convene a meeting in early course of the key institutions, including the Danish and Norwegian Ambassadors, to further progress the plans.

I expect to receive a report on planned activities in the autumn.