T-SHIRTS PROCLAIMING “I Am Wall” are appearing on people young and old all over Louth as momentum grows behind the 2.5km human wall that will be formed along the line of the original walls of Drogheda town later this month.
Some 2,500 people are being asked to hold hands and for one hour form a human chain along the perimeter of what was Ireland’s largest walled town.
In medieval times the walls, which stood more than six metres high, enclosed 46 hectares of valuable land all of which was located around the Boyne river.
“The size of the land enclosed made Drogheda comparable to towns such as Bristol, Oxford or Arles – or about a quarter the size of medieval Paris or London. In fact, the enclosed area was bigger than Dublin at the time,” said Nick Reilly of the I Am Wall organising committee.
“The walls embrace some of the most beautiful landmarks in the Boyne Valley including Laurence’s Gate, Millmount and Magdalene Tower. This is about fun as well as civic pride,” said Marcella Bannon, director of Droichead Arts Centre, which is one of the driving forces behind the event.
The walls were, according to Louth heritage officer Brendan McSherry, “to a great extent an expression of the town’s civic success and independence”.
Drogheda is one of 21 walled towns and villages that comprise the Irish Walled Towns Network which was established by the Heritage Council in 2005.
“We are interacting and overlooking our history and heritage every day without realising its importance,” said Geraldine Stout, archaeologist with the Office of Public Works.
The I Am Wall experience takes place on August 21st and registration ensures you get a red I Am Wall T-shirt.