26.03.2014
Church of St John the Baptist to Host Battle of Clontarf Anniversary Service
The Church of St John the Baptist in Clontarf will host an ecumenical service to commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of the Battle of Clontarf on Wednesday April 23 at 12.00 midday.
The service will be attended by President Michael D Higgins and Archbishop Michael Jackson will preside along with the Roman Catholic Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin, the Rt Revd Eamon Walsh who will represent Archbishop Diarmuid Martin.
Local clergy from the Church of Ireland, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian and Methodist communities will also be present along with members of the diplomatic community, politicians and representatives of local business, sporting, educational and recreational organisations.
The Clontarf church was chosen to host the service due to the efforts of parishioner, John Patten, who attended community planning meetings. He cited the ancient lineage of the parish, which can be traced back to the 6th Century, as a reason why St John the Baptist on Seafield Road West was the most appropriate venue.
The Battle of Clontarf took place on April 23 1014 and while it resulted in victory for the Gaelic forces over the Vikings, Ireland’s King, Brian Boru was killed on the same day.