This article is from page 12 of the 2014-05-20 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
ONE thousand years after his victory at the Battle of Clontarf, Brian Boru’s castle has finally been taken.
Gardaí in Killaloe are investigating the theft of a massive wooden reproduction of Brian Boru’s castle Kincora, which has been taken from a community garden in the village.
The central tower section of the castle, which is understood to be in excess of 16 foot tall, was taken last week and the local community are appealing for its safe return.
The castle, along with the large tower centre-piece, were constructed over the past six months by an army of local volunteers including members of the local Men’s Shed. The structure was built to mark the thousand year anniversary of the Battle of Clontarf and had already been used at a number of commemoration events and reenactments.
According to the secretary of the Killaloe/Ballina 2014 Committee, Brona Moriarty, the local community are desperate to get the castle back.
“It really was the most incredible structure. They worked on it for more than two months and put hundreds of hours into it. The tower itself is a really substantial structure, it would take about eight strong men to left it. It was about 16 feet high with a a thatched roof on it and beautifully designed and built,” she said.
“It would have taken a truck or a large van to move it, and a large group of people much have been involved. We would really love to get it back. It was made by the community, for the community, so maybe if the people who took it were aware of that they might give it back.
“Making the castle was such a positive thing for the community so it is quite upsetting and disheartening that it has been taken.”
The castle was designed by Scariffbased artist Nathalie El Baba.
“It’s such a big structure so it’s not the kind of thing that could have been taken easily. It’s really big, it’s the king of thing that you couldn’t really hide so we believe that a number of people must know where it is,” said Nathalie.
“Whoever took it much have take it in the middle of the night or they would have been seen. We just want it back.”
The castle was taken at some time between Friday evening, May 2, and Monday morning May 5. A local campaign was launched yesterday to raise public awareness of missing tower as well as the ‘Free The Tower’ facebook group.