Glendalough, 6th-7th June 2009

[the_power]

After many years of going to gigs and moaning about the bad ones, I've decided to get off my ass & go organise one.

I've gotten the go ahead to run an event in Glendalough on the 6th/7th of June 2009. At the moment, there is no real funding in place yet (so we can't promise expenses for anyone), but the head of the OPW-run Heritage Site there is on board, excited, and looking for funding from local businesses and some government depts, so I'm very hopeful. It's likely to be fairly high-profile, as it co-incides with the St. Kevin's day (3rd of June) and it's going to be the first truely multi-disiplinary Irish gig; kit guides will be written with help from some university academics we have on-side, the UL curriculum development people are going to be making up primary & secondary school 'worksheets' for teachers to hand out on the day, Kit Guides for children & their parents, and scripts made up for bus drivers and school teachers to read before the event takes place so they are ready for any questions they are asked.

The aim is to provide a comprehensive comparison between the monastic & lay populations of 10thC Ireland. It's all LH/craft based, without Viking, Saxon or any military flavour. We have interest from local environmental groups who will be doing displays on how the local flora & fauna influenced people in the area, and we have some musicologists from NUI Maynooth will be doing some work with early medieval Irish music & monastic singing. There will be an astrology/astronomy people showing how to work out the time of Easter. There is a plan to get the local religous-history folk involved too, but I'm a little ignorant on that front at the moment. I think we'll also have some 'traditional craft' people doing turning, dry stone work and the like too, if we can get them in kit...

We will try and link in the Wicklow National Mountain Park, which has a 'pilgrim trail'. A number of 'pilgrims' have offered to do the trail the day before - I think it's quite a walk - and then arrive on site on the saturday. There is a round tower onsite, which we may be able to use as a proper Bell tower!

At the moment, I'm just looking for interest from people, or ideas on what they could present (I've about 40 different roles to fill, and only 20 reenactors confirmed), and what the availability of various groups are for that date. Mogh Roith have confirmed that they will attend, as will some of Gael agus Gall, but I don't know that many other groups in the country capable of providing authentic 10thC Irish, without weaponry, at six months notice. I hope Irish reenactors could rise to the occassion. Groups that don't have combat insurance might find it an easy event to attend.

john

[Dave Mooney]

We, MR, will be having our X-mass social in January, after the madness has passed, but not until we have a sizeable meeting first. The projects and events for 2009 are stacking up already so clear planning will be needed.

We got your back on this one and it is a nice project for the 'Forum' to get behind.

FHH roll out!

[bannerman]

Great to hear that its going ahead.

Im up for doing early christian cleric (with the appropriate tonsure) and would be delighted to demonstrate manuscripts and carving cross slabs. I will need someone to provide me with a period shelter though. I worked at the visitor centre for a yaer in 2006 and would be willing to help out any way I can.

Hope to see ye there
Padraig

[the_power]

Padraig, it seems you are still remembered there!

It looks like it's coming together, I've 35 people confirmed, and it's looking *really* good. The OPW & the Parks folk in the dept. of the Environment are dead excited. I've a good few roles pencilled in for people, but I'm light on eccleasiastical folk, specifically someone willing to making a bishop or abbot costume. Let me know if you'd like to do some 10thC living history.

I've secured permissing to camp in Glendalough valley - it's usually banned, but we have a concession. It will be fabulous!

John

[Dave Mooney]

Padraig, it seems you are still remembered there!

You can tell them he's a different boy these days

[panda]

s I'm moving back to Ireland in March I'd be up for this Joh. (as I said to ya afore). Just wating fer kit guide...