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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Connor Lynch

Viking longships to invade Co Down as part of special festival

Viking longships will invade the shores of Co Down this summer as a special festival takes place in Delamont Country Park.

The Magnus Barelegs Viking Festival will take place on Saturday, August 27 and Sunday August 28, and will feature a wide array of different events such as a traditional viking funeral, battles and horsemanship displays before the arrival of a medieval market.

This year the festival is celebrating its 20th birthday having started in 2002, and it is the longest running viking festival in Ireland.

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It celebrates the life of Magnus Barelegs, the only viking king to be buried outside of Scandanavia with his final resting place being in Downpatrick.

The event will see four viking longships sail to Delamont on Saturday, before the 'warrior' disembark and take part in a reenactment of a viking attack.

There will be plenty of activities for children at the festival and opportunities for them to learn how to be a viking warrior themselves.

A full viking settlement will also be built inside Delamont to host the festival and dressing up in viking or medieval clothing is encouraged for all of those who wish to attend.

Organiser Philip Campbell said: "We are running a two day festival in Delamont Country Park.

"We will be building a settlement in the park and on the Saturday we will have four viking longships sail to delamont for our warriors to attack.

"At the end of the day visitors will have a chance to whiteness a viking funeral pyre in the form of a boat burning.

"We pride ourselves on getting children involved in on the action with kids battle drill giving them the chance to battle viking warriors.



"On both days we will have a medieval puppet show for the kids to enjoy some tales from Norse mythology.

"On the Sunday people will have a chance to shop in our medieval market along with more battles and shenanigans."

If you would like more information about the Magnus Barelegs Viking Festival please follow this link.

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