Researchers are in for a real shock: recent archaeological excavations have uncovered a historic Viking site in the heart of Cork, Ireland. A discovery with a lot at stake, as it dates back to 1070 A.D., making it the oldest Viking site in the country! Not that the people of Waterford didn’t think they were the cradle of the Viking colony!
These excavations were carried out in the area of the former “Beamish and Crawford” brewery. Objects of great value were discovered, such as an impressive weaver’s wooden sword, a saddlewood pommel and a wooden thread winder. These priceless relics should soon find their place in an exhibition, scheduled for May, in the new layout of the former brewery.
The city of Waterford has criticized Cork for trying to“appropriate the country’s cultural origins through this discovery”. It’s a real turf war, with the people of Waterford insisting that they were the oldest Viking settlement, and pitting historical facts and local discoveries against those made in Cork.
So which city was chosen first by the Vikings? Cork or Waterford? Only an in-depth study, and more precise dating of the objects found, will be able to tell the whole story… In the meantime, the controversy is gathering momentum, creating a real cultural rivalry between the 2 Irish cities…
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