Our 2011 Viking festival was again very successful and enjoyable with many thousands of visitors.  We sincerely thank all those who completed our survey feedback form and the suggestions to help make 2012 even better!  We have taken many of these on board and are working to implement them in this year's festival.

In 2008, members of the Annagassan community visited Denmark as part of the search for the lost Viking longphort of Linn Duachaill.  The aim of this visit was to create links with communities and Viking groups there.  They met with the Lord Mayor of Frederickssund and through him, a Viking re-enactment group.  Arising from this adventure the Danish Viking group came to Annagassan for a Viking festival. This featured Viking re-enactments and Viking lifestyles.

Since the first festival in 2008, visitor numbers and interest has grown substantially. Each festival features living history re-enactments, mock Viking battles and weapons displays with both the Magnus Viking Group from Killyleagh in Co. Down and the Danish Frederickssund Viking re-enactment group who visit us annually.
 

The festival is just a part of a greater Viking movement in Annagassan, which culminated in the community-led discovery of the Viking Longphort of Linn Duachaill in 2010.  The funds raised by the festival go towards the archaeological excavation of Annagassan's Viking fort, now acknowledged to be of European importance (see www.linnduachaill.ie )  

This year's festival reconnects us with our Celtic and Viking past and promises to be the best yet!