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RTÉ News
2 days ago
- RTÉ News
Here are some of Heritage Week's 2,114 events you should check out
Analysis: Heritage Week must-sees include Claddagh rings, medieval armoury, urban walking tours, soda bread and scything championships Here we go again! It's National Heritage Week, that glorious week of the year eagerly anticipated by enthusiasts of Irish history and heritage like myself. Organised by the Heritage Council, the week celebrates all things heritage with a variety of events around the island of Ireland that brings together communities, families, organisations, cultural institutions and enthusiasts, to build awareness about the value of heritage. It's a testament to the level of interest that the week has grown greatly since since the Heritage Council assumed responsibility for it in 2005. The week from August 16th to 24th offers everyone a chance to engage with heritage. Heritage fosters community identity, is central to our tourism industry and plays an important role in wellbeing. Even those who have not had an opportunity to formally study history can find their imaginations ignited by heritage. Events are in plain English, are very accessible and welcome for all. The fact that National Heritage Week takes place in the final peak boredom weeks of the school summer holidays, with many child-friendly free events, allows parents to introduce their children to heritage in an affordable way (most of the events are free). From RTÉ Archives, Samantha Libreri reports for RTÉ News on people take part in 'Digging History' at Swords Castle during Heritage Week 2015 Much of National Heritage Week is dependent to a large extent on the work and enthusiasm of volunteers and local heritage groups. These people are passionate about our heritage and willing to offer their own invaluable time and expertise for free. They should be applauded for their efforts. As always my chief complaint is that it is just not long enough: a fortnight, or even a month, would be more appropriate to celebrate the heritage of a country steeped in such vast history and tradition. At the time of writing, there are an eye-watering 2,114 listings on the website. These are my personal picks of events and I've tried to pick a range as widely dispersed around the country as possible. You can make your own list by using the What's On tab on the Heritage Week website to filter events by county and 'hearting' an event you like to keep your choices together. For heritage lovers, it's a bit like getting the highlighting pen out for the Christmas RTE Guide! As I said, the majority of the events are free, but some are not and it is worth checking this beforehand. Some may involve pre booking to attend so do check the details of each via the website. Happy Heritage Week! Holy wells in Roscommon, Galway, Cork and Carlow With around 3,000 holy wells dotted around Ireland one would expect many events listed for heritage week on that topic, and there are. A documentary screening of Echoes of Faith: The Holy Wells of West Cork in Bantry highlights the importance of west Cork's holy wells, while in Carlow a lecture with Dr. Bruce Misstear will explore the hydrology of holy wells, There are exhibitions of holy wells in Galway and Roscommon. 18th century architecture in Limerick and Dublin If you have not yet been to the Casino in Marino in person, then why not? It is an absolute delight to experience this beautiful building in real life and it is an icon of Irish neoclassical architectural design. For Heritage Week, a special tour offers an in-depth exploration of how the Classical civilisations of Greece and Rome influenced the design of the Casino. If that has whetted your appetite for all things neoclassical, a tour of the interior of Rathfarnham Castle shows how Sir William Chambers and James 'Athenian' Stuart transformed the design of the building to make it one of the most elegant houses in the country. Meanwhile, the Limerick chapter of the Irish Georgian Society are going subterranean and organising a walking tour of the vaults and cellars of Limerick city. From RTÉ Radio 1's Ray D'Arcy Show, National Museum curator and RTÉ Brainstorm contributor Siobhán Doyle discusses the Harry Clarke exhibition Harry Clarke in Mayo, Cork and Dublin As an art historian, I have never met a person who did not love the ethereal work of the Irish stained glass artist Harry Clarke. For enthusiasts of stained glass and Clarke's work, there are a number of events listed for National Heritage Week. In Skibbereen, there will be a documentary screening celebrating Clarke's work in west Cork, while there will be a stained glass making demo, and a Harry Clarke talk and book launch in Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo. For those in The Pale who do not wish to venture west, there is a tour of the National Museum of Ireland (Collins Barracks) which will take in the new Harry Clarke exhibition. Urban centres and working class lives in Belfast and Dublin It is refreshing to see urban working class past lives prominent during National Heritage Week, and two events in Dublin highlight the role of the Northside of the city in shaping modern Ireland. One walking tour offers an immersive journey through the history of the city's tenement buildings, while another shows how changing political, economic and or social changes left their mark on Dublin's Northside over the centuries. A talk by ANU co-founder Louise Lowe will discuss that theatre company's creative approach to partnering with Dublin Port to create a series of historically grounded performances exploring themes of labour, conflict, memory, and identity. Serving as a reminder of our shared all-island heritage, a walking tour of Belfast's hidden history explores how that city developed over the last eight centuries. From RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland, Heritage Director at Dublin Port Company Lar Joyce on how the rich 300 year history of Dublin Port has been mapped for the first time as part of a new conservation study Traditional Irish food in Tipperary, Roscommon, Carlow and Dublin Two events in Tipperary highlight traditional Irish food: a talk by Terry Cunningham explores Irish food history including ancient farming and feasting traditions, while Peter Ward talks of Irish cuisine with an honourable mention given to Irish soda bread. The annual Farming Rathcroghan conference's theme this year is 'Food for Thought' and looks at many aspects of food in Ireland from an historical, archaeological, folklore, heritage, feast and famine perspective with a range of expert speakers. If you have junior foodies, you might consider bringing them along to a traditional butter and jam making event in Carlow. Meanwhile in Dublin, you can attend a food history themed talk alongside a new food market in the grounds of Swords Castle or an event at the National Library that looks at old culinary recipes featuring some less popular ingredients, not as commonly used today . Old Irish harvest traditions in Monaghan, Kilkenny and Sligo As we are well into August - the beginning of the harvest in Irish tradition - some events explore techniques, tools and customs of this time once so important to rural life. In Kilkenny an event looks at the sustainable use and repair of scythes, once ubiquitous to the harvest and now no longer in common use. This takes place alongside the national scything championships - if you need an explanation, there is an introduction to scything in Monaghan. There are also seasonal 'harvest knots' workshops in Sligo and Ballymore libraries, showcasing how to make these charming lapel decorations, once associated with romance during harvest time in Ireland. Ceramics in Clare, Mayo and Laois There are not huge differences between ancient and contemporary pottery in terms of materials and techniques and some workshops during heritage week aim to show this. One in Clare shows how to build and decorate your own clay pot, another workshop in Mayo explores the art of making traditional Irish-inspired vessels and a similar workshop in Laois is aimed at getting children involved. Warriors and weapons in Offaly, Meath and Cork With the 30th anniversary of Braveheart in the news recently, what better excuse for fans to reacquaint themselves with Trim Castle? This is where some of the film was shot and where there is a medieval armoury display for Heritage Week. On a similar theme, the romantic ruins of Clonmacnoise evoke not only our monastic heritage but provide an appropriate setting for a talk on how the site played host to agitation, propaganda battles, burial and commemoration through the ages. To commemorate one of our greatest warriors, the wonderful Michael Collins' House Museum in Clonakilty has free admission to mark the anniversary of his death on August 22nd. Neolithic archaeology in Sligo Sligo is fast becoming acknowledged as the neolithic capital of Ireland with the growing awareness of the important monuments there, thanks to the ongoing UNESCO World Heritage bid for the Passage Tomb Landscape of the county. A tour and talk at Carrowmore OPW neolithic site will explore how many of these passage tombs were constructed, with a focus on their dolmen capstones. Carrowmore is also offering a 'Big Dig' archaeology event for children this year. The Claddagh ring in Galway The team at the wonderful Galway City Museum have followed this year's theme "Exploring our Foundations" by having a special tour, which begins with the origins of the city and then focuses on an important object in their collections. The museum is home to the oldest known Claddagh ring, which was made by Galway goldsmith Richard Joyce around the 18th century. This is a wonderful opportunity to explore the museum's collections and find out more about an iconic Irish design synonymous with Galway and known the world over.
RTÉ News
07-08-2025
- Climate
- RTÉ News
How do cows deal with the heat?
Opinion: Farmers help cattle cope with the heat with sunscreen, flavoured ice blocks and paddling pools for cows The current record temperatures and a lack of rainfall have drawn comparisons with 1976, Ireland's biggest drought. I have memories of hauling water from the river in a tanker then to bring to thirsty cows. Forecasters say the hot weather is set to continue, probably for weeks, with no significant rainfall in sight. Some of the modern and ancient ways in which farmers are trying to cope with the heatwave include sunscreen, flavoured ice blocks and paddling pools for cows. There is a renewed appreciation for traditional countryside structures such as old sheds and hedgerows. From RTÉ Archives, a report from June 1976 when the country recorded its highest temperature of 32.5 degrees in Co Offaly In today's animal housing, ventilation systems and humidity controllers are the normal ways of regulating temperature. Our agriculture ancestors had their stone barns which survive to this day and are also effective in providing coolness in hot weather. The cows are very comfortable in these environments, more so than us humans in our too-hot homes. Tall cypress trees and majestic oaks benefit the cows in my locality. But across Ireland, much of this traditional shelter has been reduced, as farmers have removed or drastically cut back hedgerows to make for more efficient use of farm machinery. Without their shade, cattle face a hard time, as they are particularly sensitive to sunlight. From RTÉ Radio One's Countrywide, Darragh McCullough reports on how farmers have been coping with the extreme weather conditions of 2018 Like humans, cattle can get heat stress and will thrive if they have shade and have access to plenty of water as they can drink up to four baths of water per day during this hot spell and the demand of water increases in line with the humidity index. Additional shade can also be provided for cattle in the form of black polythene silage sheeting being used as a make shift gazebos that are used for cattle to shelter under. In some cases, cattle can get sunburned and can only be given sunscreen on a vet's advice – I kid you not. It's not just farms either: the job description of the zoo keeper in Belfast Zoo this summer was extended to slathering sunscreen on the pigs in their enclosure to make sure they didn't become too crispy. Milk is approximately 87 percent water and yields are down due to the heatwave and associated stress. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the current drought has increased the stress load on cows as water supply on many farms has been reduced resulting in an increased stress on the cows' immune system leading to a rise in embryo deaths in herds. My farmer friends are now placing huge troughs of water in the collecting area for the cows to drink after they are milked. Some are sinking new wells and others are using water from rivers to irrigate their fields. Milk is approximately 87 percent water and yields are down due to the heatwave and associated stress. Cows also lose appetite in the heat, with farmers almost spoon-feeding their charges like kids by delivering feed right up to each animal to encourage them to eat and drink. In the summer time, our cows are usually outside grazing in paddocks. Many farmers have now broken into their winter feed larders and are using winter feed, or silage, to ensure the cows have enough food and moisture. From RTÉ Radio One's Countrywide, how farmers in some parts of the country may be facing fodder deficits of up to 50 percent due to the severe drought I am sure the cows would prefer summer-fresh grass compared to winter rations, but there is little for cows to eat because fields have been burned up, parched and scorched in the heat and sun. As a result, any grass is dry, brittle and dead and the soil has large deep cracks. Even after the rain finally returns, it will take weeks for the grass to grow sufficiently long for cattle to eat. This will have a knock-on effect on winter fodder as there has not been enough grass to harvest due to poor growth. Farmers may be faced with having to sell animals or buy extra fodder from elsewhere, which could have a huge impact on next year's breeding stock. To date, there has been no effect on dairy prices to consumers. Meat continues to be threatened by the entirely separate problem of falling supplies of carbon dioxide used in packaging to preserve meat products. Leading the innovation drive in Ireland, Dr Robert Ross and his research team at the DIT Agriculture Analytics Research Group are developing Flockguard to improve poultry health, performance and welfare. Developed in partnership with DIT Hothouse, the project has received Enterprise Ireland funding with our business partner PE Services. Here's hoping that their next project helps keep the poor cows cool. Let's wait for some lovely rain.
RTÉ News
09-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
The surprising revival of road bowling, Ireland's ancient sport
Analysis: From Cork and Armagh to TikTok and Instagram, young and old road bowlers are taking up the bowl and keeping this unique tradition alive By Conor Heffernan, Ulster University On a quiet country road in Co Cork, traffic comes to a halt as a small iron ball hurtles around a bend, chased by a cheering crowd on foot. For those unaccustomed to the scene, it looks like 'an unusual and even archaic sport, a throwback to the days when roads were not monopolized by fast moving traffic.' Yet across Ireland and beyond, the ancient game of road bowling is experiencing an unlikely resurgence, with young and old taking up the bowl and keeping this unique tradition alive. From outlawed pastime to living heritage Road bowling (Irish Ból an bhóthair, also called 'long bullets') dates back centuries and was once played widely across Ireland. The premise is beguilingly simple. Competitors take turns hurling a solid iron 'bowl' along a country road, and whoever reaches the finish line in the fewest throws wins. Matches unfolded on public roads, drawing big crowds and bigger wagers. Over time, as historian Fintan Lane's research shows, road bowling's heartlands narrowed mainly to Cork in the south and Armagh in the north, where the sport never died out. In these strongholds, legendary bowlers like Mick Barry of Cork became folk heroes. Barry famously lofted a bowl clear over a high viaduct outside Cork city in the 1950s, a feat still recounted with awe. From RTÉ Archives, profile of Leeside legendary bowler Mick Barry for a 1986 episode of More Plain Tales The sport's freewheeling street gatherings (and associated gambling) led to periodic bans in the past, but locals often kept the game going during quiet times of day. By the late 20th century, road bowling had faded in many areas and was at risk of being seen as a relic of another era. Rolling into a new century Instead, road bowling has quietly rolled into the 21st century with new momentum. Much of this revival can be credited to passionate local communities and the power of social media. What was once passed down through families and neighbours is now also shared via Facebook, YouTube and TikTok. One popular Facebook page run by enthusiasts, Road Bowls In Ireland, has amassed over 17,000 followers and regularly streaming matches from Cork and Armagh to viewers around the world. Short clips of spectacular throws like a bowl skittering around a bend or a perfectly 'ironed' shot down a straight rack up views and introduce this old Irish pastime to new audiences far beyond the village roadside. The revival isn't confined to Ireland either. Irish emigrants and the curious have established road bowling clubs in the United States, with West Virginia emerging as an unlikely hub. Dozens of road bowling events are now held in West Virginia every year, drawing hundreds of participants and onlookers. What began as a quirky attraction at an Irish heritage festival has evolved into regular tournaments where locals (Irish-American or not) try their hand at lobbing the iron bowl. At home, a once renegade pastime has gained a measure of official acceptance. Ból Chumann na hÉireann, the Irish Road Bowling Association, works with local authorities to schedule events, and a blind eye is often turned to the temporary traffic disruptions. Of course, not every motorist is delighted as complaints about bowlers blocking rural roads still surface online, but many in Cork or Armagh see road bowling as part of the cultural fabric of their area. 'It's a sport… it's been there for years and years… it's simply a culture thing,' as one bowler told Killian O'Leary, Maurice Patterson and Lisa O'Malley in their road bowls study. The TikTok effect The resurgence of road bowling is part of a broader reawakening of Irish heritage in modern life. From folk sports to music and crafts, the past is becoming present again. This is often with help from online platforms. The road bowls research, which included an ethnographic study of road bowling, noted that the game's survival has hinged on its ability to adapt to both historic and contemporary social forces. In other words, road bowling endures because it still offers something people crave today; community, identity, and a tangible link to the past. This is the case even as players might share their latest winning shot on Instagram or TikTok. Social media has helped niche cultural activities in Ireland like road bowling or traditional stone-lifting find new audiences and participants. A 2025 study documented an 'unprecedented revival' in the old Irish practice of lifting massive stones to prove one's strength, largely thanks to online communities and organized events. As this research showed, the internet can rejuvenate interest in traditions that were nearly lost a few generations ago. Crucially, the internet hasn't replaced the living experience of these traditions, it has amplified it. Road bowling still happens on real roads, not virtual ones, but now a teenager in Dublin might discover it on TikTok and decide to head down to a local match in person. As musician Rónán Ó Snodaigh of Kíla observed about Ireland's cultural renaissance, 'these things happen in cycles… it's no surprise that there's a resurgence.' From RTÉ Radio 1's Ray D'Arcy Show, Sinéad Ní Uallacháin reports on road bowling in Co Tyrone After decades when many viewed speaking Irish, singing old songs or reciting traditional poetry as old-fashioned, young people are reclaiming those roots with pride. The same pattern is evident in folk sports and crafts. Take basket weaving, for example. By the 1980s, traditional basket makers were few and far between, but today there's renewed demand for classes and handmade wickerwork, reviving a tradition once at risk of disappearing. In a globalised world, the revival of road bowling and its ilk speaks to a hunger for genuine connection and local identity. Watching a bowl sail down a country lane with a crowd of neighbours chasing after it, one can feel the thrill of past traditions and the continuity of an unbroken thread. As long as people line the road to watch, shout, and play, Ireland's road bowls will keep on rolling.
RTÉ News
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
What happened on the very first Bloomsday in 1954?
Analysis: Dublin's annual celebration of James Joyce's Ulysses may be a big event now, but its debut outing was rather inauspicious June 16th may not be the first date that springs to mind as a celebrated Irish national day. It isn't a public holiday (yet at least), but marks Bloomsday, the annual celebration of James Joyce's novel, Ulysses. The modernist masterpiece provoked responses as polarising as declarations of literary genius to book confiscations and banning internationally. Now over a century later, how did celebrating the novel on this date begin? And when was the first Bloomsday in Dublin celebrated? Joyce first started writing Ulysses in 1914 while in Trieste, Italy. Ulysses was serialised between 1918 and 1920 in The Little Review, a modernist magazine published in the United States. Sylvia Beach, owner of Shakespeare and Co. bookshop in Paris, published the infamous first edition of Ulysses in 1922, with its iconic yet simple blue cover with white lettering. From RTÉ Archives, Niall Sheridan talks to Sylvia Beach, the woman responsible for publishing Ulysses, for an episode of Self Portrait in 1962 The 'Bloom' in the day's title is Leopold Bloom, the fictional protagonist of Joyce's sprawling novel of Dublin streets and characters, along with Stephen Dedalus, Molly Bloom and a host of others. The novel's setting of June 16th 1904 was used by Joyce to mark his first date with Nora Barnacle, his love and future wife. The first usage of Bloomsday is argued to be found in 1924, when Harriet Shaw Weaver, Joyce's friend and patron, wrote to him to say that a small group had gathered in Dublin to join in honour of the book and its author. References by Ezra Pound as early as 1922 are also cited. In any case, Bloomsday had begun. Word of the annual Joycean celebration was spreading internationally, with events regularly held in America by the mid-20th century. In 1953, writer Padraic Colum, in his capacity as president of the James Joyce Society, was reading extracts of Joyce's work at the Gotham Book Mart in New York City. When a new book on Joyce was being noted for publication on the upcoming Bloomday, one of the perplexed attendees clarified aloud if Colum had in fact meant 'Doomsday'? From RTÉ Radio 1's Sunday Miscellany, Anthony Cronin recalls the very first Bloomsday However, the first 'official' modern Bloomsday in Ireland is recorded as happening in Dublin in 1954, marking the 50th anniversary of the original occasion. It featured poet Patrick Kavanagh, critic Anthony Cronin, editor and artist John Ryan, writer Brian O'Nolan (aka Flann O'Brien), writer and critic A.J. Leventhal, and a family relative, Tom Joyce. As Kavanagh recounted for the RTÉ Guide, the group met "on a pleasant sunny evening" outside "an ordinary little house in Rathgar" and undertook a trek around Dublin. They called at places synonymous with Joyce and Ulysses, including Sandymount Strand, and, later, fuelled by much drink at Ryan's pub, The Bailey, on Duke Street. The reaction to their tour was somewhat underwhelming. "Our expedition on that June day 1954 got scant courtesy from many people who are now deeply involved in Bloomsday", wrote Kavanagh. "Numbers of well know publicists appeared on the scene to have a good laugh at us". From RTÉ Archives, the Broadsheet TV shows marks Bloomsday with a journey through Joyce's Dublin in 1962 A decade later, a bronze plaque was unveiled inside the same house at 41 Brighton Square West, Rathgar, the birthplace of Joyce, with the inscription: Presented by Montclair State College, New Jersey, U.S.A., "Bloomsday", 16 June 1964". The commemoration plaque was led by Dr. Frederic Harold Young, a professor at Montclair, with funds raised by faculty and students of the college. Ryan was part of Dublin's literary coterie of the mid-20th century and was a self-described Joycean in 1950s Dublin. "But by then," he wrote, "all the world was there before me". Ryan was invited to be an honorary secretary of the James Joyce Tower Society upon its founding in 1962. The Martello Tower in Sandycove, setting of the opening of the novel where 'Stately Plump Buck Mulligan' first appears, was situated on land owned by architect Michael Scott, and agreed for the tower to become a Joyce Museum which was officially opened on Bloomsday 1962. Sylvia Beach, Ulysses ' original publisher travelled from Paris for the occasion in Dublin and recounted her early meetings with Joyce in Paris. From RTÉ Archives, Eamon Morrissey draws on personalities created by James Joyce in Ulysses for Joycemen broadcast in 1982 In 1964, a stage play, Bloomsday was produced and designed by John Ryan and directed by Barry Cassin at the Gate Theatre, Dublin. Starring Anna Manahan and Ronnie Walsh, this stage adaptation of Ulysses by Allan McClelland was originally banned from production at the new Dublin Theatre Festival in 1958 due to objections from Archbishop John Charles McQuaid. To mark the centenary of Joyce's birth in 1982, a full-length radio dramatisation of Ulysses was broadcast on RTÉ Radio in real time. Totalling 29 hours and 45 minutes, this is still considered the definitive radio dramatisation of the novel. Other plays, films, and events brought Ulysses to audiences on stage and screen. From RTÉ Archives, RTE News' bluffer's guide to Bloomsday from 1999 Over the years, Bloomsday events have been annual fixtures in Dublin on a national level and at local and regional events around the country. There was a Bloomsday-themed Women's Run in Dublin in 1984, and Bloomsday events in Galway in 2000 celebrating Joyce's wife and love, Nora Barnacle. In 2004, Ulysses took over O'Connell Street for a city-wide Bloomsday centenary breakfast that attracted attendees from around the world. But does Bloomsday help make the book more accessible to readers? Joyce's story of a perambulation around 'Dear Old Dirty Dublin' can put off the average reader as much as it beguiles. The novel is sometimes perceived as the preserve of a certain class, dressed in straw boaters and who breakfast on kidneys and gorgonzola. The Simpsons do Bloomsday Bloomsday seeps into all sorts of popular culture, and not always in a complimentary way. In a 2009 episode of The Simpsons ('In The Name of the Grandfather"), the family travel to Ireland and see a group in Joycean dress reading from the book. Lisa informs them this is a Bloomsday event, which prompts Bart to write a note-to-self: "Next time visit Scotland". Notwithstanding certain perceptions, a day such as Bloomsday which celebrates a true literary masterpiece published over a century ago, and whose presence continues to grow wider around the world each year should be recognised. While Joycean heritage in Dublin (such as 15 Usher's Island) continues to be neglected, the legacy of Ulysses lives on and shows no sign of abating. This Bloomsday, pick up Ulysses in a form accessible to you, in print or in audio, and follow Bloom and company into a journey round Dublin that you will be glad you went on. Straw boater optional.
RTÉ News
10-06-2025
- General
- RTÉ News
What have the Anglo-Normans ever done for us anyway?
Analysis: Not much really apart from giving us counties, the Pale, fortified towns, stone castles, gothic architecture and markets... In August 1967, Arthur Butler, the sixth Marquis of Ormond, gave the keys of Kilkenny Castle to James Gibbons, chairman of the Kilkenny Castle Restoration and Development Committee. This symbolic gesture marked the end of centuries of Butler family stewardship of the castle, a lineage that traced back to the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland. The onlookers included then Minister for Finance Charlie Haughey and, surprisingly, Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull, who were seeking refuge from the British press following a recent drug scandal. From RTÉ Archives, 1967 RTÉ News report on the handing over of the keys to Kilkenny Castle by the Butler family witnessed by Charles Haughey, Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull Rock 'n' roll luminaries aside, the event signified the closing chapter of one of Ireland's most prominent Anglo-Norman dynasties. Arthur Butler was descended from Theobald Walter, the first Chief Butler of Ireland (c. 1150- c. 1206). The Butlers were among many families whose roots in Ireland began with the 12th century Anglo-Norman invasion. Over the following eight centuries, these families brought a new form of governance, feudalism, to Ireland and became deeply embedded in Irish political, social, and cultural life. Who were the Normans? The Normans originated from Viking marauders who eventually settled in northern France, in a region now known as Normandy. There, they adopted Christianity, spoke Norman French and integrated into local aristocratic networks. Their success as colonisers stemmed from their ability to blend local customs with a distinct Norman identity, creating a hybrid culture. For instance, after William the Conqueror's 1066 invasion of England, Norman Romanesque architecture became widespread. Gradually, they incorporated local English elements, as seen in the west front of Ely Cathedral. Meanwhile, the English St. George became a celebrated figure across the Norman world. This pattern of cultural integration was a hallmark of Norman expansion. From RTÉ Radio 1's Liveline, listeners call in to give out about and praise the Normans The Anglo-Normans arrive in Ireland By the time the Normans arrived in Ireland in 1169, they had adopted so many 'English' customs that Irish annalists described them as Sasanach, Saxons. In Ireland, as elsewhere, they intermarried with aristocratic families and adopted local customs, while bringing Norman innovations. The creation of counties Dublin, Kildare, Louth and Meath would form the core of what became known as the Pale, where English Common Law was eventually adhered to. The Normans built impressive stone castles, like Trim Castle in Co. Meath. Gradually, walled towns emerged that hosted markets. Drogheda, Kilkenny and Waterford all owe their medieval layout to the Normans. New town charters outlined the mutual obligations between citizens and corporations. Gothic architecture (which replaced the earlier Romanesque style) adorned Irish churches (see Duiske Abbey in Co. Kilkenny and St Patrick's and Christ Church Cathedrals in Dublin). Within Norman territories, however, the cultural boundaries between English and Irish were porous. The famous 1366 Statutes of Kilkenny (which were originally written in Norman French) banned Normans from dressing like Irish lords and speaking Irish. Yet, contemporary Irish legal (Brehon) tracts contain Anglo-Norman terms like jury, guarantor and seneschal, showing us how both cultures influenced one another. The Norman legacy in Irish culture Perhaps the most fascinating legacy of the Normans in Ireland was the cultural hybridity they fostered. Many Anglo-Norman lords adopted Irish customs and patronised Gaelic poets and scholars. One notable example is Gearóid Iarla, or Gerald fitz Maurice FitzGerald (1338-1398), a descendant of Maurice Fitzgerald, a key figure in the original Anglo-Norman invasion. Gearóid Iarla composed poetry in Irish, drawing on Irish mythology while also engaging with French courtly poetry. In the 1600s, Seathrún Céitinn, of Anglo-Norman descent (his father was James fitz Edmund Keating) authored Foras Feasa ar Éirinn, a compendium of wisdom about Ireland and a seminal history that drew on native traditions and celebrated Irish culture. Meanwhile, in Dublin, descendants of Normans had adopted St George as the city's patron saint. By the 1500s, the annual St George's Day pageant had become a major civic event. Actors portrayed St George and his legendary battle with the dragon – played by a mechanical dragon maintained by the city corporation. From RTÉ Radio 1's Late Debate, should Ireland commemorate the Norman invasion? A recent project between Maynooth University, the Royal Irish Academy, and the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland has recently published online a manuscript that describes the distinct identity of an Anglo-Norman community in 17th-century Wexford. Allegedly, they still wore the same style clothes and spoke 'old Saxon English' like their 12th century ancestors. Despite their deep integration into Irish society, many Anglo-Norman families retained elements of their original identity. More Irish than the Irish themselves? The question of whether the Anglo-Normans became "more Irish than the Irish themselves" has long been debated, particularly during periods of Anglo-Irish political tensions. In reality, Anglo-Norman lords had to navigate a complex web of local allegiances, dynastic ambitions, and obligations to the English Crown. A telling example is that of George Darcy of Dunmoe, Co. Meath. The Darcys could trace their origin to John Darcy, Viceroy in 1324 who ordered the arrest of Alice Kyteler for witchcraft (fun fact). Their story is not one of simple conquest or assimilation, but of enduring influence, adaptation and cultural fusion. During the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, it is purported that both King James II and his rival, William of Orange, were hosted by Darcy on successive days. When asked where his loyalties lay, Darcy allegedly replied "who will be king I do not know; but I'll be Darcy of Dunmoe." This anecdote encapsulates the balancing act performed by many Anglo-Norman families: rooted in Ireland, yet navigating the shifting tides of English and Irish politics. So, what have the Anglo-Normans ever done for us? Well, apart from counties, the Pale, feudalism, fortified towns, English Common Law, corporations, stone castles, gothic architecture, markets, 'Foras Feasa ar Éirinn', St George pageants, and Norman French – not much, really! Yet what appears from this brief analysis, is that their story is not one of simple conquest or assimilation, but of enduring influence, adaptation and cultural fusion.
