livinghistory.ie

by **panda** on Mon Dec 01, 2008 10:09 pm

wolfvine wrote:Greetings my friends.

.. Where do we find enough bodies we can field, thirty bodies on a lawn is not going to hack it ! We are looking at a least a thousand and more. Where will they come from ? A lot of the numbers will be from across the sea and we need to look after them when they get here...
Sean

Before I get accused of posturing this is a serious post. I have consulted with a highly esteemed member of The Vikings and have been told if some provision can be made towards the price of a ferry ticket the Vike would most likely put thi s down as a major event in theur calendar which would give a huge boost to numbers. Granted this means the event would need to have substantial funding in either the form of a government grnat or corporate sponsorship.

by **Dave Mooney** on Tue Dec 02, 2008 10:01 am

I don't think money will be an issue. Managing it may be. Everyone will want their badge or logo in the Clontarf frame.

On grants; I don't think it wise to wait till near the date to apply for grants. Grants committees like to see forward planning and sustainability. I'm thinking along the lines of applying each year for something towards our Clontarf submission. As I touch off other interested groups I'll be saying the same thing. It could be started with next years Heritage Grant scheme. One example that springs to my mind is if next year if MR applied for a grant to help build say a cart or wagon ( http://www.moghroith.org/projects-2/cart-wagon ) then it could be stipulated that 'this artefact will also be featured in the upcoming Clontarf events'. This would then go towards filling in the image a wagon train, inc. camp followers, marching along with Boru's forces etc.

However, small money builds like a €300-400 cart could be sourced from a corporate sponsor allowing groups to go for more expensive projects, as you are more likely to get grants around the €5� mark than the 300.

Venue is of course going to be a big factor. If it goes to the scale of constructing buildings as backdrop, and an LHE base, then land that can be developed, even in the short term, will need to be sourced. This will rule out public parks in or near built up areas. If it ends up on the outskirts of Dublin then access for the public is the issue but that will be the project managers headache not ours.
Recommendations for all this stuff should still go in our collective vision of the event.

I'm sure the Hastings model will have useful elements we'll have to use. I'm told that Hastings stipulated what each person was coming as. This is a good thing as far as I can see. As I said earlier elsewhere, we will all need to be prepared to go Gael so that the guests can go Viking as much as possible. If you look at the breakdown on the wiki page I linked to yesterday ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Clontarf )the Gael out numbered the Norse on the field. Makes sense. Some visitors may have to be asked to accommodate the event by going Gael also. That's one idea I'd like people to allow to soak in.

Dave.

by **Dave Mooney** on Tue Dec 02, 2008 10:07 am

I meant to add on the issue of numbers; We all need to assimilate new guys or help start new groups, Infiltrate history and archaeology groups and convert them!

The scene will need a groundswell!

by **brendan** on Tue Dec 02, 2008 12:12 pm

Before I get accused of posturing this is a serious post

Panda, we would never do that!

But yeah, your conversation shows that people are definitely interested. But we will have to convince them that it is worth the effort - this will require more than a promise of a few quid towards the ferry - they will want to know details of what we plan and where they fit in it. But it is a start.

Dave's idea of gaining funding which focuses on a long term goal while delivering short term, measurable, results is good. Given the fact of how much time it takes to make/source good quality equipment a long lead in is important. It could reasonably take 2 years to get the personal kit together - never mind the bigger stuff.

Brendan

by **vlasta** on Tue Dec 02, 2008 8:36 pm

Just one thing - money from Heritage council may be an issue, because 2014 is also anniversary of WW1 outbreak, so government 'Re-enactment funds" may be already allocated.

by **Dave Mooney** on Tue Dec 02, 2008 9:28 pm

Nice flag of a potential issue!
I can't see there being massive money being taken away by any WWI remembrance events though. And I can't see the heritage bodies being so short sighted as to not cater for both. Clontarf is too epic and with the talks of a Boru movie in the background all will want on that train either way. Actually if the film comes out first our recruitment issues are sorted

The Heritage Council can't designate money that far ahead as they've not been given it themselves yet and they can't be so selective either as the term 'Heritage' is very broad and they can't sacrifice one element of it for another. It's on annual application each year also.
Ok, it may spread things a little thin in places in regards to event monies but development stuff is unlikely to be touched. I also see the likes of the County Councils, Failte Ireland, OPW, Shannon Development etc still focusing on the Clontarf programme which will make up any short fall from potential grant funds.

One has to wonder what sort of WWI event would be considered tasteful. I'm not sure battle field recreation would go down well on remembering the dead.

We have the luxury that Clontarf was that far back that hopefully no one will be thinking the same way about that. :roll:

by **brendan** on Wed Dec 03, 2008 10:32 am

While funding may be finalised a year in advance I would put the lead in to application for a large chunk of money at more than a year. And we do need to be aware that cool as our idea may be, there are a whole lot of other people looking for the same money.

WW1 is a good point - and something for those interested in that period to think about...

Brendan

by **vimes** on Wed Dec 10, 2008 5:02 pm

I may be mistaken but i was under the impression that Allen and Jess have been working on this for a while has anyone spoken directly to them about where they are with it?