The Battle of Clontarf

The Battle of Clontarf exhibition has a brand new scale model of Viking Dublin. For people who don’t know much about scale models, like me, I sat down with The History Man Daniel O’Neill last week to get some insight on how the project came together.

Who is Daniel O’Neill?

Dan is one of the world’s leading designer and model maker with over 25 years’ experience in the field. Dan told me how he worked for the IIRS for several years before taking  2 years off to train as a commercial pilot.

However it was not what he taught it would be and he finally figured out that his true calling in life was art and scale model design.

He has a huge list of clients both big and small.

Dan was the lead designer behind our very impressive scale model of Medieval Dublin.

How do you make the models?

You must remember that not everything is the same and you have to take that into account when it comes to building a model. You must mass produce models otherwise you will be at all your life.

What materials do you use?

Plaster of paris it the best material to work with, if its left alone and not touched it will last a lifetime. Other materials like timber expand over time which can lead to the model being damaged.

What do you enjoy the most when designing a scale model?

I love to put my own mark on things! When I make a scale model for a museum I love to place a modern detail inside model.

When I designed the medieval scale model for Dublinia 20 years ago I put in a modern detail that you would see today and it is still to be found.

How does it all come together?

You build a model section by section and place a silicone model of the design then you can cover it in plaster of paris and add detail.

How long does it take?

It took me 5 to 6 months to finish the model of medieval Dublin. I was working 12 hour days most of the time in order to get it finished.

The new scale model of Viking Dublin took 5 weeks because it is smaller.

What is the most important factor when it comes to the finished product?

Lighting is the most important factor when it comes to model making. If the light is too bright you will see everything from little cracks to brush strokes.

So why don't you come down to Dublinia and check out our new scale model!!!

See can you find Dan's hidden secret :)

Brian Boru

Just so you know we have a new addition to our Viking exhibition which now includes The Battle of Clontarf and the decline of Viking power in Ireland.

 A lot of work went into making our exhibition such a success and I felt it was only necessary to get some information about how it all came together. So I sat down with Gary, who was one of the leading designers of our exhibition for some Q&A.

How long did the planning take?

The Battle of Clontarf developed as an idea six months ago and it was up to me to design what it will look like ahead of time so we could all get a feel of what to expect.

 Like all projects it went through almost a dozen different alterations in order to find the best one.

What makes our exhibition stand out from the rest?

At Dublinia we are all about Vikings it’s what we know and love. So it was important to keep our Viking exhibition linked with Brian Boru and The Battle of Colntarf so we came up with the idea of portraying The Battle of Clontarf from the Vikings perspective.

What was the best way to inform visitors about Brian Boru and The Battle of Clontarf?

It is through the use of audio visual monitors and text panels that The Battle of Clontarf is best explained, this provides a better understanding of what really happened.

We also have some weapons that the warriors may have used in battle. Our museum remains very interactive and visitors can get a feel of how heavy they would have been.

What was your favourite part of pulling the exhibition together?

I love developing a product, it is important to get stuck in.

Although there was a set of designs in place for people to follow you really don’t know what something will look like until you see it with your own eyes.

Over the years I have found out that I’m very good at wallpapering so that was something I took on myself.

What did you find interesting when gathering the information for the new exhibition?

We all have all been told stories of the Battle of Clontarf and how Brian Boru drove the Vikings out of Ireland.

However, did you know that Brian fought with Vikings against Vikings at Clontarf!

Weekend Madness

What an exciting weekend we had in Dublinia!!!

On Saturday we had a great puppet show depicting the rise and fall of Lambert Simnel a ten year old boy who became the King of Ireland in 1487.

At the time he was crowned King Edward VI making him a pretender to the throne in an attempt to overthrow King Henry VII of England. 

We must say a big thank you to our master puppeteer Julie for putting on a great show for all involved. It provided children of all ages some insight into the history of Ireland and what it would be like to be King of Ireland in 1487.

On Sunday we had Tamas back for ‘Dress like a Viking’.

If you haven’t seen Tamas just yet, you are missing out! Tamas is our very own Viking who gives you details about his costume and what it would have been like to be a Viking. He tells stories of how they lived their day to day lives.

If you were too busy last weekend enjoying the sun, not to worry because we have a very exciting event coming up over this Easter.

We are hosting a “Big Dig” and a “Viking house” in our courtyard in Dublinia. Our Viking Big Dig gives children a chance to experience what is like to be an archaeologist for a day and you never know they might find Viking treasures dating back over 1000 years.

You can check out our Facebook page for any further information regarding our Big Dig event!

St. Patricks Day

So what’s your plan for St. Patrick’s Day? Why don’t you go see what Dublinia has to offer!

The parade starts on Parnell Square North, it then passes by Dublinia and moves towards St. Patricks Cathedral where it then comes to an end.

Just so you know, Dublinia will be open from 2 till 5 that evening. We have living history and it has proven to be very popular in the past and is one of the best ways to learn about the history of the Vikings. It also gives you an opportunity to see what we offer in Dublinia. It is family friendly day and well worth the visit.

 If you are not interested in living history you can visit St. Michael’s Tower which, in my opinion, is one of the finest views the city has to offer.

We have also turned our Viking ship green for St. Patricks Day but you will only be able to see this if you join us in the evening. Our famous tower will be green to celebrate St. Patricks Day so if you are around the area in the next coming days and you spot our green tower post a picture up on our Twitter or Facebook and let us know what you think!

So if you’ve been wondering what to do after the parade is over, why don’t you come down to Dublinia and wish us a happy St. Patricks Day. We will be more than happy to see you dressed in the nation’s favourite, green white and orange!

We look forward to seeing you there!

                                             

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!