Swords Castle & Kodaline

Other Voices & Courage 2020 continues this week with Kodaline taking to the virtual stage on Thursday 2nd July from Swords Castle in North County Dublin at 8pm. Other Voices recognize the essential contribution that Irish artists continue to make to all of our lives and they bring people together through music.

Beloved modern rock band Kodaline will play a set in Swords Castle on Thursday 2nd July at 8PM. (GMT). Every album Kodaline have put out to date has gone to number one, but they’re much, much more than a local success story. The Swords band have received a staggering billion Spotify streams, and 600 million YouTube views and counting. The band have just released their fourth LP, One Day at a Time, and it could be set to take on a new sense of optimism as glimmers of hope breakthrough in Ireland’s slow emergence from lockdown. The opening track of One Day at a Time, Wherever You Are, has already received 4.2 million views on YouTube alone.

This concert will be made available worldwide, free of charge, thanks to the support of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Fingal County Council, IMRO and RTÉ.

Watch the show live on YouTube, Facebook & RTE Culture –
@OtherVoicesLive

Swords, County Dublin.

Swords in North County Dublin was founded in 560AD around a Well associated with St. Colmcille. The Well was said to give Swords its name, “Sord” being the Gaelic for “pure”. It is said that as the old town of ‘Sord’ remained to the west of the Ward River a new town of ‘Sord’ grew to the east, the anglicized name for the whole area became “Swords” – the two ‘Sord’.

On the doorstep to Dublin City and home to Dublin Airport, Swords offers the best of Ireland; old world charm, scenery, and a rich heritage. Situated in the Fingal region of Dublin, which derives its name from the Gaelic words ’Fine Gall’ or ‘land of the fair-haired stranger’ in reference to the Vikings who settled here. Fingal’s landscape is diverse ranging from bustling villages in a rolling country landscape, picturesque seaside villages surrounded by sandy beaches and rugged coastline and vibrant urban towns of ancient heritage all offering excellent accommodation, fine restaurants, and friendly pubs.

Swords Castle, County Dublin. 

Located in the centre of the ancient town, Swords Castle contains over 800 years of history. In fact, a recent surprising discovery of burials beneath the gatehouse shows that the Castle has yet to give up all of its secrets. It was built by the Archbishop of Dublin, John Comyn, around 1200 A.D., as a residence and administrative centre. The Archbishop was also a Norman baron who had his own constable resident in the castle. The constable was empowered to hold court and even to pass the death sentence. For this purpose, he had gallows outside the town on the Brackenstown Road. The extensive complex of buildings is roughly in the form of a pentagon and is enclosed by a perimeter wall of 260 meters. It is a National Monument and the best surviving example of an Archbishop’s Palace in Ireland. The curtain walls enclose over an acre of land that slopes down to the Ward River. This complex of buildings is made up of many phases of reuse and redesign, reflecting its long history and changing fortunes.

The Chapel at Swords Castle

The Chapel is an unusually large chapel even for an archbishop’s residence. During the 1971 archaeological excavations a silver coin of Philip IV of France (1285-1314) known as a denier tournois was found near to the bottom of the north wall of the building. Since 1995 the chapel has undergone extensive reconstruction including the addition of a new roof. If you look up at the timber where the timber beams meet the walls there are a series of craved heads-these are based on the people working on the site at the time and include the faces of the foreman and the architect.

St. Columba’s Church and Belfry

The only remaining relic of a medieval church is its Belfry which is open to the public in summertime, when fine days afford the visitor a view of four counties from the tower’s height. The original church is said to have fallen into ruin sometime in the seventeenth century. The new church of early Gothic style was built in 1811 on the foundations of the old.

St. Colmcille’s Well

The water in the well, consecrated by St. Colmcille in 560 A.D. is renowned for its curative properties for sore eyes.

After your visit to the castle, time permitting why not indulge yourself with something to eat and drink in the many restaurants and bars in Swords centre. If you still have some time to spend in the area why not work off your meal with a walk in the River Valley park or along the shores of Broadmeadow estuary, the perfect way to round off a day in Swords.

Ward River Valley Park

Woodland habitats, wetlands and rolling grassland, punctuated by archaeological remains, comprise this lovely linear 89 ha park along the Ward river valley. Features of particular interest include some Bronze Age fortifications and the remains of an Italian garden. There are numerous viewing points, picnic sites, children’s playground and all-weather pitch within the park’s boundaries.

Broadmeadow Estuary

Between Swords and Malahide, where the Broadmeadow River meets the Irish Sea, is the Broadmeadow Estuary where the sea’s incursions have created a lake and wetlands with a rich habitat for a huge variety of sea birds, including a bevy of up to 300 swans, and other flora and fauna. Spend some time watching the many species of fowl and wild birds that make the estuary their home.

Ireland’s Ancient East is carpeted by lush landscapes and idyllic towns, that are waiting for you to explore. For personalized chauffeur drive tours, customized coach tours, self drive tours, or cycling & walking tours contact Specialized Travel Services – Fill in the Contact form or send an email request to: newyork@jeremyd50.sg-host.com

This will be a journey you’ll remember forever. There’s more than one way to soak up 5,000 years of history around Ireland’s Ancient East.

Note: Featured image at the top of the blog is of Swords Castle –  © Image By Rossyxan – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80378013