Vikings still rule the shores off Kenmare

COMMUNITY rivalry was rife in Kenmare on Saturday as local teams battled it on the water in their home-made rafts, with large crowds gathered at the pier to cheer them on.

Nine rafts were put to the test as the sun shone down, and there was much laughter and fun as they raced each other and recreated viking history at the Vikingdom Raft Race.

The ultimate winners of the event were a team from Holbien Carpentry, with their raft ‘Thunderstruck’, who won both the four- and six- person raft race.

‘Back-d-raft’, a team from Kenmare Fire Service, took second place in both races, while ‘Oarless’ a raft from Castlecove by the Fenton family, took third place in the four-person raft race. ‘Lorde Lorde’ by staff and management at the Kenmare Bay took third place in the six person race.

The rafts, which were all hand-crafted by local teams, including a team from Beara, were paraded around the town before taking to the water.

Off the water there was also much to enjoy, and the rivalry continued between young and old with the Tug of War, which drew a large number of entries and was hotly contested as local teams attempted to outdo each other.

There was also a host of entertainment for young and old in the Valhalla entertainment area, which included shooting frogs – another unique event that brought much laughter and fun, as well as nerf gun shooting, bouncy castles, slides, food stalls, arts, crafts, and even fortune-telling.

The summer sunshine com- bined with the unique event to make for a great day out for all, one that will be replicated and built on next year.

The Vikingdom raft race was organised in aid of Rockmount Day Care Centre, and while the exact funds raised are not yet known, it will be of huge benefit to the Kilgarvan centre, which offers respite day care for clients living in Killarney, Kilgarvan and the greater Kenmare area who are suffering with Alzheimers and other dementia-related illnesses. The Vikingdom team want to thank everyone who make the event possible, including sponsors, raft builders and supporters.

You can still support the event at the Crowdfunding page at www.ifundraise.ie/Vikingdom.

Photo by Paddy Harkin Fuelled by caffeine, and viking helmets to the ready, the crew of the Centra raft made for an impressive spectacle on the waters.

Photo by Paddy Harkin Kenmare Bay Hotel raft ‘Lorde Lorde’ was one of the colourful additions to the Vikingdom Raft Race.

Photo by Paddy Harkin Making waves was the aptly named Thunderstruck which won the overall event.

There were plenty of thrills and spills on the day!