Bringing history to life, Norman style

The special celebration, organised by the Northern Ireland Environment (NIEA), the BBC and Carrick Council, saw residents and tourists soak up the Norman atmosphere, with activities such as jousting, medieval cookery and chainmail making.

And the event has been hailed as a great success, drawing in visitors from as far afield as the US, India and Japan. Radio Ulster’s popular Saturday Magazine show, presented by John Toal, was also broadcast from Carrickfergus Castle.

The Mayor, Alderman Jim McClurg, told the TIMES: “It really was a fantastic day. There was an excellent turnout, which was probably helped by the great weather, and the huge variety of activities on offer ensured that there was something for everyone to enjoy. Best of all, I was promoted from mayor to king for one day only, and even got to walk around in my very own crown!”

The DUP man also welcomed Environment Minister Edwin Poots to the town, and escorted him on a guided tour of the castle. He added: “Mr Poots said he had a very enjoyable day and showed a lot of interest in the castle and its history. After the tour, he came back to the mayor’s parlour for some tea and commented on how Carrick was a lovely place to visit.”

East Antrim MLA Ken Robinson, who was also in attendance at the event, described the celebrations as “enthralling” and said it was “fitting” that it took place in Carrickfergus.

Speaking after a tour of the castle, the town centre and the ancient walls, Mr Robinson said: “I want to congratulate all those who planned and took part in this varied programme, which brought our history and heritage to life in this exciting way for both the young and the young at heart visitors.

“I have always had a keen interest in history and have followed the story of the Normans from the world famous Bayeux Tapestry located in France through to the site of the Battle of Hastings. It was so fitting that the story of this warrior race was featured in Carrickfergus, the seat of their power in this island.

“The wide range of events from food to falconry, from archery to armoury enthralled all those who visited the town. I noted many overseas visitors, as well as many who had travelled from other parts of Northern Ireland in order to soak up the atmosphere and learn about this bygone age.”

And Mr Robinson said the successful Norman celebrations proved that Carrick Castle had the potential to host many more of these imaginative events.

Manager of the castle, Janice Smith said the day had surpassed expectations, and hoped that a similar event could take place in the near future.

She added: “It would be lovely to have something like this take place once a year. We had a steady stream of visitors at the castle all day, and many were from outside Northern Ireland. In the castle, there were activities such as candle making and coin striking, and we also had archaeologists from Build Heritage showcasing artefacts that been unearthed in past excavations in the town. A variety of Norman weapons were also on show, and there was a weapons expert there to explain what each of them would have been used for.

“A number of local pupils from different primary schools also took part in the celebrations, which was great to see. The craft making went down really well, and by the end of the day practically every child was running around with a crown on their head. All in all, the day was as successful as we had hoped it would be, and then some.”