Archive TV footage shows viking festival in Athlone

RTÉ Archives has today shared footage online which shows the Olaf Scabbyhead Viking Festival in Athlone on this day in 2003.

The Viking Olaf of the Scabbyhead who led his men marauding and plundering Irish towns was commemorated at the festival in Athlone.

A specially constructed Viking village along the river Shannon was used as the setting for the Viking festival.

The one-minute, 25 second clip depicts locals fighting as vikings and shows children preparing for re-enacted battles and making costumes and swords in workshops.

The festival began with a parade through the streets of the town.

In the year 933, Scabbyhead came to Athlone and became the known as the Warlord of the area.

The RTÉ News report was broadcast on July 5, 2003.

You can watch the clip entitiled 'Olaf of the Scabbyhead here