Events

At the moment, people in the Irish capital are working hard to prepare a grand reception for the Sea Stallion and her crew in the summer 2007.

Lambay Island in the Irish Sea could be one of the Sea Stallion's destinations on her way to Dublin. Today the island is privately owned, but in the past it served, for instance, as prison island.

The National Museum, the Danish embassy, the port, the media, an airline ...

There is a tendency for hectic activity in a number of Dublin offices right now. In less than one year a Viking ship with her crew of 65 will moor at the quay. And this is not the end of the story – the ship shall stay in Dublin til summer 2008 when it is supposed to return to Roskilde.

A huge amount of planning is necessary since the project would be impossible without the assistance and help of many people in Ireland.


'Look forward to it'

A delegation of the Viking Ship Museum led by its director Tinna Damgård-Sørensen visited the Irish capital last week. On their agenda were meetings from early in the morning til late in the evening.

'We were welcomed with an unbelievable hospitality wherever we went. The Sea Stallion's crew can look forward to the voyage. Dublin will be topsy-turvy when the Sea Stallion arrives', says Tinna Damgård-Sørensen.

The National Museum of Ireland receives us with open arms and is setting up a major exhibition about Vikings which will be on show for the time the Sea Stallion stays in Dublin – almost a year.

'The people in the museum are really dedicated. They are dying to create a fine exposition that can attract thousands of visitors', says the Viking Ship Museum's director.


The museum's lengthened arm

The Danish embassy in Ireland is at its busiest, too. Although the embassy in Dublin is far from being the largest Danish representation abroad it is willing to employ staff as a lengthened arm for the museum in a number of negotiations up to the summer 2007.

Dublin port has promised to welcome the ship and the Irish media have already warmed up. The Sea Stallion and her voyage from Denmark to Ireland will be a big story in the silly season.

Last not least, the delegation started negotiations with an airline that is considering whether they can sponsor some of the numerous flight tickets the crew will need to fly to and from Ireland. A discount for the crew's families is being discussed, too. The possibilities of accomodation for all the family members, who probably travel to Dublin to meet their beloved ones, are also looked into.

Fly Sea Stallion ... fly!

One of the first challenges is the decision where the ship will spend the winter. Preferrably this would be on land. One option is to set the Sea Stallion on an articulated lorry and drive her from the river Liffey to the National Museum. In that case a local train station would have to be closed temporarily. Another option is to lift the ship by means of helicopters.

And a 40 ft-container has to be shipped from Roskilde to Dublin carrying shields, trestles and other equipment.