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!