24 thoughts on “Ask A Broadsheet Reader

  1. Matt Fitzpatrick

    Ya know, there are far better things to go and get yourself offended over than celebrating the Norman invasion.

    1. Cian

      invasion? they arrived as mercenaries at the request of Diarmait Mac Murchada, the ousted King of Leinster, who had sought their help in regaining his kingdom.

      Granted, they overstayed their welcome. But it wasn’t an invasion, ’twas an invitation.

      1. millie st murderlark

        I love early Irish history. You’ve just reminded me how much.

        And now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to find some books.

        1. Stupified

          If early Irish History begins when the Normans arrive…

          Then what do we do with the Formorians, the Fir Bolg and the Tuatha De Dannan?

          1. realPolithicks

            That’s exactly what they want you to think Janet..they haven’t gone away you know.

  2. Spaghetti Hoop

    I like that history is being taught to adults and children in a fun way but this is just bizarre – ‘celebrating’ an invasion. There are a lot of people that would be justifiably angry about this betrayal. Can we get one of the festival organisers to explain the rationale behind it? I have a sneaky suspicion that Wexford councillors wanted a festival for a slice of the buoyant tourism industry and a nice fat cheque…and thought up some local event that wasn’t JFK-related as an excuse.

    1. GiggidyGoo

      Once upon a time the Strawberry Fair ran for 2 weeks and brought a heap of business to the area.

    2. Rob_G

      Slaughter + time = a bit of a laugh.

      In a thousand years, there will be jolly recreations of the Nazis invading Poland

    3. markdcp

      Like it or not, these “invaders” are our ancestors. Their DNA is in all of our blood. We’re a mix of waves of migrations. The Normans, like the Vikings, are us.

      1. Spaghetti Hoop

        Yes, we are descendents of our invaders and Viking culture is celebrated and enjoyed in Dublin. But ‘celebrating’ an armed invasion of mercenaries in such a frivolous manner is disrespectful. The 1916 Rising, 1798 Rebellion and any WW1 events I attended in recent years were commemorative, sombre, educational, respectful.

        1. markdcp

          But why is Viking culture celebrated in Dublin? They were vicious Scandinavian marauders who terrorized the land wherever they went. The Viking Splash tour sure aint sombre! Its because it was so long ago we can relax about it. WW1, 1916, even 1798 are respectful because they’re still fairly fresh in our collective memory.

        2. Cian

          I hope you are never in the USA on July 4th. You would be shocked at how they celebrate invasion and genocide.

      2. scottser

        ahem. you’ll find that ‘norman’ is a corruption of ‘northmen’, who were of viking descent and settled in normandy. normans were vikings and retained a distinct cutural and ethnic difference to the rest of the frankish peoples.

  3. GiggidyGoo

    You’ll also notice, on your way down there, a sign directing you to the scene of the WW2 bombing in Campile.. Up to a few years ago, that sign read ‘Scene of the 1940 German bombing’. Upon entering Campile though, an original sign still exists.

  4. A Person

    Seriously, people getting uptight about something that happened in 1169 ?? ffs get over yourselves. Hoop is right.

  5. Gabby

    Was the Norman conquest of Ireland a good or bad thing, or a good & bad thing, or a good good thing, or a bad bad thing? I would like to be enlightened, in not more than 99 words per answer.

  6. RuilleBuille

    Celebrate an invasion?

    Commemorate or debate it would make sense. What did the Normans ever do for us?

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