Pictured at the launch of the Waterford Medieval Festival which celebrated the 800th anniversary of King John’s Charter to Waterford. Pictured is Viking Alex Hoban McGuire (11) with the newly unveiled giant-size child-friendly replica chess set in Cathedral Square, Waterford City. The set was commissioned by the Waterford Museum of Treasures.

Pictured at the launch of the Waterford Medieval Festival which celebrated the 800th anniversary of King John’s Charter to Waterford. Pictured is Viking Alex Hoban McGuire (11) with the newly unveiled giant-size child-friendly replica chess set in Cathedral Square, Waterford City. The set was commissioned by the Waterford Museum of Treasures.

Arts Minister Heather Humphreys visited Waterford last week to launch the Medieval Festival, which commemorated the 800th anniversary of King John’s Charter being issued to Waterford City.
Among the innovations unveiled last week in tandem with the Festival was a special giant chess set on Cathedral Square which was modelled on an original chess set found on the Island of Lewis in the 19th Century, which is said to date back to Vikings in the 11th Century.
“The style will be familiar to many of you, but I must commend the creator of this particular set, Kevin Harlow,” said the Minister.
“It will act as a living, interactive symbol of Waterford’s past brought to the present in a fun way, and I am sure it will be enjoyed by all ages.”
City & County Mayor John Cummins won a brief match against the Minister, played on the chess board paved into Cathedral Square.
“Waterford is a clear and valued example of that rich cultural tapestry of Ireland’s past, with an eye towards Ireland’s future,” said Minister Humphreys.
“Standing in this square, we can see this history sewn into the very fabric of the city, a city which was granted its charter 800 years ago by King John, a few months before he signed the Magna Carta…
“The Festival also brought the fascinating history of this city to life and included events for all ages, with a focus on young people in particular, who are the guardians of our cultural heritage for the future.”
Living history on display
A huge range of medieval attractions packed into a netted pen in Cathedral Square on Friday last.
Hand-carved bowls and spoons, crossbows and arrows, chainmail and helms, swords and battleaxes, they had it all. They even had a cook fire and crafting bench complete with master craftsman.
The tour kicked off with a man in a typical Viking slave auction and moves on to a display of the different kinds of swords throughout the ages.
The guide explained how the Vikings used to live, the different combat techniques and the advantages and disadvantages of certain weapons; their weight, reach and piercing abilities. He reflected these interesting facts by the design of the weapons (spear, sword and battleaxe) and even talked about the battle tactics commonly used by the Vikings such as the shield wall.
This will all be old news to any avid viewers of the TV show ‘Vikings’, a lot of which is filmed in Ireland, however there were some interesting things to be learned that weren’t all about battle, pillage and the gates to Valhalla.
They had a coin stamper, which would have been used to print coins from silver and hunting hawk with two owls.
What I found to be the most fascinating was an authentic master craftsman, who used axe and chisel to carve out impressively smooth cutlery and crockery from freshly chopped wood he cut himself that morning.
We got to witness for ourselves his process as he struck half a birch log that looked fit for the fire with a few precise blows of his axe, and within 10 minutes was shaping up to be a cooking spoon.
The tour ended with a fascinating talk on the arrowheads used at the time. We were told an interesting story about the flint from Rathlin Island. Going back to Mesolithic times, flint was a serious commodity due to its useful nature in hunting and tool making. It was essential for an arrow or spearhead to sustain people.
Overall, the display was electric, with many authentic props and well-informed participants.
Said Minister Humphreys: “I know that the local community has a great sense of pride in the museum quarter here in the Viking Triangle, and quite rightly so.
“I hope that sense of pride is carried through this weekend, for locals and visitors alike, and gives a real understanding and appreciation of where we have come from and how important that is to where we are now.”