Longships to feature at the Boyne Valley Viking Experience this May

Taking place on May 20-21, this weekend-long Viking extravaganza is expected to attract thousands of visitors from across the British Isles and Europe to the historic location of Slane Castle, north of Dublin in County Meath.

The Viking Herald speaks with co-founder Paul Kavanagh to find out how this particular Viking festival developed – and what's different about 2023.

"This year's event is themed around the year 1013," says Paul by Zoom from Ireland, in a full Viking-like beard and wearing a beautiful piece of silver jewelry gifted to him by an appreciative Swedish craftswoman at a previous festival. "So everything will be set up as it might have been before the Battle of Clontarf a year later."

The conflict in question, in which the High King of Ireland Brian Boru defeated a Norse-Irish alliance, took place just over 30 miles away. 

An important location

Although there have been no Viking finds yet discovered around the festival site itself, its vantage point along the River Boyne, swathed in ancient mythology, will have witnessed Viking life a thousand years ago.

"The location, of course, is fantastic," says Paul. "Slane Castle has a long tradition of staging major events, especially music festivals, with all the necessary infrastructure in place." 

Viking reenactors engaged in a battle at the site. Photo: Danny Fegan

Dating back over 300 years, this historic institution set in sumptuous grounds laid out by distinguished landscape architect Capability Brown has welcomed the like of U2, the Rolling Stones, and David Bowie as it sought to finance its restoration after a terrible fire swept through the building in 1991. Ironically, U2 stayed here seven years earlier while working on their acclaimed album, The Unforgettable Fire.

Paul has long been involved in the festival, having taken a personal interest in Norse history and culture. "We outgrew our previous site; the numbers just became too big. We needed a larger location, and Slane Castle was ideal."

Longship replicas

The waterfront setting is also a huge plus: "This will be the first year when we will have boats on the river. I helped work on the two longships, serving as a kind of carpenter's apprentice for many years. These full-sized replicas were later used in the Vikings TV series, and visitors will be able to see the very same ones at the festival".

Although the public will not be able to board the vessels, they will be able to observe them up close and see them take part in the spectacular opening ceremony.

What follows will be two days of interactive fun for all ages, presented as most authentically as possible: "We want people to see, hear, taste, and feel a full-on Viking experience," says Paul.

Sailors on those longships will regale listeners with tales of derring-do on the open seas. Some 400 Viking warriors in full armor clash swords in furious re-enactment battles, always the most popular element of any festival, culminating in the circle of death for the last five standing and one overall winner. 

Musicians at the Boyne Valley Viking Experience festival. Photo: Danny Fegan

Norse crafts

Of the 80 historic Norse crafts on display, including weaving, leatherworking, and pottery, there will also be a mobile forge where swords and jewelry will be fashioned by a master who also worked on the film, The Northman. As Paul puts it, "Vikings loved their bling – they liked to use good-looking weapons when they killed people!"

Visitors can try their hand at archery, see displays of falconry, hear daring sagas of Viking bravery by modern-day skalds, and go on a treasure hunt. Children can train as Viking warriors themselves, learning about battle tactics and formations. 

Surrounding this action-packed scene will be a hundred authentically designed canvas tents, where groups and families convene for the weekend to recreate an actual Viking village backdropped by Slane Castle. Echoing the site's musical heritage, three bands working in the Viking genre give live performances using ancient instruments.

Underscoring the whole event, of course, is the traditional Irish hospitality that brings visitors back year after year, warriors, craftsmen, and families alike.

Boyne Valley Viking Experience, Slane Castle, Slane, Co Meath. May 20-21. Tickets available here.

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