Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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431. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans to mark the millennium of the Battle of Clontarf; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7808/14]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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A series of events organised at community, regional and national levels is being rolled out to mark the Millennium Anniversary of the Battle of Clontarf and the death of Brian Ború. I had the honour on 22nd January last at Trinity College Dublin to launch the national programme of festivals and events to take place this year as part of the Millennial anniversary commemorations of the Battle of Clontarf and the death of Brian Ború. The programme can be accessed at

The programme of events represents the culmination of the combined efforts of a national steering group of community and voluntary organisations working alongside local authorities, including Dublin City Council, Tipperary North and South, Clare County Council and Armagh Borough Council, as well as my own Department, to highlight and mark this significant anniversary. I have been very impressed by these collaborations.

At national level, the National Museum of Ireland will present a special exhibition in its Kildare Street site, highlighting the Viking heritage of Ireland during the time of Brian Ború, as well as a series of family events on this theme, details of which are available on the Museum's website and on .

Trinity College Dublin will be complementing the Museum's special exhibition with an exhibition in of its medieval Irish treasures and manuscripts, exploring the legacy of Brian Ború. Trinity College, in association with Dublin City Council, will also host an international conference to mark the millennium on April 11th and 12th .

The programme of events will run throughout the year with highlights including the largest living history battle re-enactment ever held in Ireland, to take place in St Anne's Park in Clontarf on 19th and 20th. April. A National Battle of Clontarf Heritage Trail will also be launched.

Other events include nationwide performances of the Boróimhe suite of traditional music commissioned by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann for the Millennium and re-enactments and festival events in Killaloe-Ballina in Co Clare, Waterford, Tipperary and Armagh.

The story of the Battle of Clontarf is one that still reverberates through our neighbours, particularly in Scandinavia, Iceland, and the Isle of Man, and this millennium anniversary is an ideal opportunity to encourage people from these places to visit and explore our shared history and culture – as well as offering a range of events that will appeal to tourists from around the world, from the spectacle of Viking re-enactments to the exhibitions and discussions by local and national experts.

Ireland has some of the most precious Viking artefacts in the world and anyone with an interest in this period of history should visit our national and regional museums to see the treasures on display, some of which will be shown for the first time during this festival.

If the Deputy has further information regarding events which could be included on the online programme, I know that Dublin City Council who are hosting this website would be very pleased to receive such material.