The later Middle Ages here were a turbulent brew of native Irish, Viking, English and Norman, and the area has a lot of castles, or fortified houses as they are properly called. Dalkey main street has two castles, a medieval church and a graveyard.
The town is twinned with the Welsh island of Anglesey, and on Sunday a choir visited Dalkey from Wales. This was made the centre of a medieval pageant in the town. The Welsh brought a dragon, a papier maché monster carried by six men, and the Irish fielded a Goat, symbol of Dalkey. The local schools provided two armies, dressed in gold and red for the dragon and blue and silver for the Goat, and an actor and actress played Mannanan Mac Lír and Thé, the Irish god of the Sea and the Welsh goddess of the sun. With much drumming, flute playing and a lot of fun the Dragon and the Goat met in battle on the main street.
After peace was made, the parade went on to a medieval village in the local sports ground. There the dominance of The Lord of The Rings became clear.
I went in my medieval outfit, and hoped to get a go with a longbow. But there was too many excited nippers in the queue. The first into the queue, though, was a tall teenager wearing a sweatshirt with the Elvish character for Nine on the back. The friends chanted Legolas, Legolas as he hit the butt in the middle.
There was a stall set up by Irish Arms, a company who make replica Irish medieval arms and clothes. These are slightly different from the European and Eastern ones that inspired the weapons of the Lord of The Rings films. Medieval Irish warfare was dominated by Scottish mercenaries called Gallowglasses who fought with broadswords and pole axes. There was not much call for cavalry, archers or plate armour.
But there was a lot of chain mail, and there was a shirt of it on display.
'There's Frodo's mithril shirt!' cried the kids, crowding round.
'And there's Legolas's arrows!' they said when they saw the medieval arrows.
The guys who ran the stall took it with good humour, even though they were actually archaeologists who were very anxious to get everything accurate. They told me that it is almost impossible to interest farming people in these arts, but the fantasy fans lap it up.
It is actually a nice thought, and I believe Tolkien would be happy about it too, that fans of The Lord of The Rings help keep up medieval craft fairs and ancient arts. It's also a chance to air Beren's cloak and let Brunhilde have a go with a Scottish broadsword....
thanks
Varda
)
as during the great Orc Destruction I found my outfit! I will have to burnish up the silver, but Beren was a bit battered too if I can remember from the book. From Beren to Aragorn, Tolkien's heroes are a bit rough. 
