The Norman themed events are part of the year-long programme of events taking place in Wexford marking the 850th anniversary of the arrival of the Normans to Ireland onto the shores of Wexford.
During the June bank holiday weekend, visitors to the heritage town of Enniscorthy will have an opportunity to enjoy a variety of fun-filled Norman themed events for all of the family.
To open the festival weekend on Friday evening May 31st Norman Knights in full attire will frequent the town and join the annual Strawberry Street Rhythm & Roots Festival opening parade at 7.30pm from the promenade to the All Ireland Farmers Market.
On Saturday, June 1 guided ‘Little Norman Shield Making workshops’ will be on offer at 1 pm and 3 pm. Norman tales will be on offer on the castle rooftop where the sharing of legends from Norman times will be shared at 2 pm and at 4 pm.
Also on Saturday, June 1st at the Norman Enniscorthy Castle a Norman living history camp is set to feature, as ‘Keeping Up with the Normans’ will take over the castle grounds. Norman re-enactors will showcase Norman weaponry and share insights to the Norman way of life at the free-living history camp from noon to 5.00pm. The camp will then move to Abbey Square and will open from noon to 5 pm for visitors on Sunday.
Back at Enniscorthy Castle on Sunday, June 2nd, families can come and meet the characters from their favourite fairytale books featuring as Knights and Fairytales will be on offer at Enniscorthy Castle from 1 pm to 5 pm.
The Norman themed events all take place as part of the Strawberry, Street Rhythms & Roots festival will be on the June Bank Holiday weekend, running from Friday 31st of May to Monday, June the 3rd in Enniscorthy Co. Wexford. It’s the 52nd year of the Strawberry Fair.
The streets will be buzzing with Fairytale characters, colourful dancers, crafts and events in the town’s Castle on the Saturday and Sunday. There will be roots music taking place in different venues throughout the town from lunch to late night along with live music and dancers on the main stage Saturday and Sunday.
Other upcoming events this summer for the Norman 850 events in Wexford include a public lecture series will be hosted by Wexford libraries and a summer lecture series will be hosted by The Irish National Heritage Park. A series of guided walking tours will also be on offer, of the historic town of New Ross.
During the August bank holiday weekend, the Rockin Food Festival in Enniscorthy town will host Norman Medieval Fare and a series of Norman themed events for children and adults at Enniscorthy Castle.
Later in the year, a flagship event will be hosted by The Irish National Heritage Park as the spectacle of a Viking Fire Festival with a Norman twist will take place on September 28th and 29th. On October 12th and 13th, a re-enactment of the trial of Diarmuid MacMurrough will take place in Ferns.
