November 29, 2005
Curry chips @ Kilmacduagh
There's a groan-inducing advert running on radio for Supermacs at the moment. The conceit is that the Vikings invaded Ireland for Supermac's takeway food - the theme bears an uncanny resemblance to an ad campaign years ago for that other great amphibious assault on the digestive system - Harp lager.
As you can see from the poster, the holy settlement at Kilmacduagh is used as the background image. Kilmacduagh did suffer from Viking attacks in the ninth century - they had landed at Kinvara and marched down country. The monks were obviously expecting trouble - they had built a round tower two centuries earlier (between 610 and 620). However, round towers really weren't that safe - the Vikings simply piled up timber around them and lit them up. If the flames didn't cause the tower to crumble, the smoke drove the monks out. Luckily for the holy flock in Kilmacduagh, there aren't many trees around - it's near Gort, which would have been one big marsh a thousand years ago (it's a slightly smaller one now). There is one problem with the tower - it's leaning over, due to subsidence. How it's still standing at all is a bit of a mystery - the foundations reach only two feet beneath the surface.
The Vikings that raided Kilmacduagh were from the Limerick settlement - they pushed their luck just a bit too far when they sailed three ships into Lough Corrib in 929 (back when you could sail from the sea into the lake) and were defeated by the locals the following year.
Today, you can see a recreation of the Viking raids any Saturday night in Supermacs on Eyre Square, around 2.30 am. At least, that's what it looks like.
galway,ireland, irishblogs,monasette
Posted by Monasette at November 29, 2005 03:54 AM