Northern Ireland

Where to go to find out about 850th anniversary of the Norman arrival in Ireland

The Normans take Enniscorthy. Pictured are "Normans" Seamus Carrigan, John Goff, and Richard O’Sullivan in Enniscorthy Town. Picture by Patrick Browne
The Normans take Enniscorthy. Pictured are "Normans" Seamus Carrigan, John Goff, and Richard O’Sullivan in Enniscorthy Town. Picture by Patrick Browne The Normans take Enniscorthy. Pictured are "Normans" Seamus Carrigan, John Goff, and Richard O’Sullivan in Enniscorthy Town. Picture by Patrick Browne

THE 850th anniversary of the first arrival of the Norman to Ireland onto Bannow Beach in County Wexford in 1169 will be marked with a series of expert guided walks and talks.

The public lecture series will be hosted by Wexford libraries, with a summer lecture series at The Irish National Heritage Park.

They launch on June 20 at 7pm with a talk by archaeologist Dr Denis Shine `Carrick - Wexford’s most enigmatic Anglo-Norman treasure' at Ferns Castle Visitor Centre.

The Carrick site in Co Wexford was built in the autumn and winter of 1169 by Robert Fitzstephen, one of the first knights to land at Bannow Bay and is the oldest Anglo-Norman fortification in the country.

On July 2 New Ross Library host write and historian Dr Conor Kostick discussing `What did the Normans do for Wexford'.

July 4 will see Ian Doyle from the Heritage Council host `Before the Normans' looking at the archaeology of early medieval Wexford at Tintern Abbey and discussing what kind of landscape the Anglo-Normans meet when they first landed.

On July 18 Dr Michael Potterton will discuss `Early castles in Ireland' at Wexford Library and on July 26 the Carrick centre will host a lunch and open day when visitors can enjoy stepping back in time at the Carrick Archaeology Site at The Irish National Heritage Park from 3-5pm.

The summer will see a series of guided walks with Baya the Storyteller as she hosts `New Ross Tales' on June 22, July 6, July 20, August 10 and 24.

On October 12-13, a re-enactment of the trial of Diarmuid MacMurrough will take place in Ferns, shining a light on key events which led to the `invasion' and the extent to whichMacMurrough was responsible.

Leading barristers, historians and academics will explore the fascinating tale of power and intrigue in medieval Ireland.

Further details on all of the events can be found at www.visitwexford.ie/Norman85