The Sword Experience is coming back to Ireland.

The Sword Experience is coming to Limerick, Ireland! This June 30th, join Adrian Paul and the Sword Experience at King John’s Castle for one of the best fitness and travel events in Ireland. Accompany Adrian Paul as he teaches you the sword fight choreography from the 1938 cinematic classic The Adventures of Robin Hood with the beautiful King John’s Castle as the backdrop of this once in a lifetime event in Limerick, Ireland. We’ve already had two successful events in Ireland at the Cahir Castle last year and the Trim Castle the year before that, so whether you are returning for another adventure, or it’s your first event with us in Ireland, we can guarantee that you will have an incredible experience that will rival any trip you’ve had before.

A Castle’s bloody History

King John’s Castle is steeped in history. The castle itself was originally built in the 13th century under the orders of King John, but archaeological digs have uncovered remnants of a Viking settlement that date back to 922. Early Viking settlers used the site as a base to attack other settlements that had cropped up along the River Shannon. The Vikings eventually clashed and lost with settlements in Dublin which loosened their grip on the area, paving the way for King John to erect the castle that stands today. In spite of being relegated to a minor clan in the area, the Vikings still played pivotal roles in the near endless clashes of power between the English and Irish for the next few centuries. By 1168, the Irish laid claim to the land building a large city. However, after many battles with Anglo-Norman invaders, Domhnall Mór Ó Briain, the King of Thomund in Ireland, razed the city in a bid to keep it out of their hands. After his death, the Anglo-Normans successfully captured the land in the name of John, Lord of Ireland. King John ordered a castle to be built on the site and around 1210, King John’s castle was finally erected. Under Norman rule, the castle became a major port and trading center due to its proximity to the River Shannon. The city of Limerick’s economy began to boom and as a result, King John set up a mint in the North West corner of the castle. The pennies and half pennies that this mint produced are still available to see in the Limerick museum.

The castle stood untouched for centuries, until the Irish Rebellion of 1641. At the time, King John’s castle was occupied by Protestants fleeing the rebellion. Irish Confederate forces surrounded the castle. Garret Barry, the leader of the Irish Confederate forces surrounded the castle and began the 1642 Siege of Limerick.(insert photo Siege of limerick here) However, Barry did not have the artillery to take down the castle walls. Instead, he planned to undermine the integrity of the walls themselves by digging away at their foundations. His plan was successful. Before the walls collapsed, the Protestants inside surrendered to Barry and the Irish Confederate forces. However, the damage to the castle’s foundation had already been done and a section of the castle walls had to be demolished. This was the first of five sieges on Limerick in the17th century. King John’s castle’s bloody history did not stop in the 17th century either. In 1922, King John’s castle was involved in another siege during the Irish Free State offensive at the height of the Irish Civil War. The city of Limerick and King John’s castle had become divided by those who approved of the Anglo-Irish treaty between England and Ireland, and those that opposed it. On July 11, 1922, the two opposing factions began to fight as Free State reinforcements arrived in Dublin. After ten days of street fighting, anti-treaty Republicans retreated from Limerick setting fire to the Artillery, castle barracks, and New Barracks as they fled to Patrickswell toward Kilmallock. The entirety of the castle’s history makes it the perfect setting for the Sword Experience as you learn the sword fight choreography from the film.

One of the greatest Swashbuckling movies of all time.

Released in 1938, The Adventures of Robinhood set a benchmark for the way action-adventure films are shot and choreographed. The film stars Errol Flynn as Robin Hood, and Basil Rathbone as his nemesis Sir Guy of Gisbourne. This was the third film the two had starred in opposite of each other, but the two eventually starred in nine other films together. The first film they starred in together was the 1935 swashbuckler Captain Blood. The success of the film convinced Warner Bros. that they had the makings of a star in Errol Flynn, and thus production began on The Adventures of Robinhood. At the time, the film was the most expensive project Warner Bros. had ever produced costing the company an estimated 2 million dollars. The film was the studios first large budget technicolor film that utilized Technicolor’s three strip process. Warner Bros. acquired all 11 technicolor cameras in existence at the time to film the movie. The risk paid off for Warner Bros. as the film became a critical and financial success. The film’s fight scenes were choreographed by sword master Fred Cravens, who had previously worked with Flynn and Rathbone on Captain Blood. Cravens had a specific vision for how the sword fights would play out on film. He choreographed the fights as a sort of dance between swords with counts and phrases. The fencing techniques in the film were ahead of their time and were eventually incorporated into real fencers’ repertoire of moves. When put to film, Cravens choreography reached an epic scale as the cinematography captured every glorious parry and lunge creating one of the most iconic sword fight scenes in cinema history that is both grand and intimate. Errol Flynn’s depiction of Robin Hood became such an instant hit, that his image of Robin Hood became a part of the world’s collective conscious. When most people think of Robin Hood the image that pops into their head is that of Errol Flynn’s costumed Robin Hood. This image has been often parodied or imitated in countless films including Disney’s 1973 animated film Robin Hood. In 1995, the film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation and was placed in the National Film Registry. It is these reasons that Adrian Paul chose The Adventures of Robin Hood for the choreographed sword fight you will learn on the grounds of King John’s castle in Ireland.

Discover Limerick

If it is your first time travelling to Ireland, why not make the most of your visit. Limerick is home to many unique tourist sites that any traveler can appreciate. Visit St. Mary’s Cathedral, a secluded place of worship built in 1168. According to legend, the marks on the surrounding stonework of the cathedral are from defenders of the cathedral sharpening their swords on the castle walls during various sieges. Enter the cathedral to experience a mesh of medieval architecture, gothic stained windows, and 17th century accoutrements. Admission is only €2. Or, check out St John’s Cathedral, the church with Ireland’s tallest spire. Or if cathedrals aren’t your thing, check out the Foynes Flying Boat Museum. Located off the Shannon River, the Foynes Flying Boat Museum offers visitors a chance to board the only B314 flying boat replica in the world. After taking a tour of the boat, test your flight skills with a realistic flight simulator that captures what it would be like to fly the B314 flying boat. Or you could check out the many exhibits that the museum offers. If you’d rather just explore the town of Limerick itself, check out People’s Park. Located right next to the Limerick City Gallery of Art, People’s Park is a wonderful place to leisurely stroll through with a vast selection of deciduous and evergreen trees as well as an array of flowers on display. Limerick has many more secrets and sights for you to discover on your adventure with the Sword Experience, so don’t delay, book your tickets today.

Why travel to Ireland?

Ireland is beautiful for one. Secondly, it’s a place to tick off your bucket list. Yes, we’re absolutely excited to share in these experiences with you while you train with Adrian Paul, as he teaches you the art of sword handling, sword fight choreography, and physical fitness.But traveling with us to Ireland is the essence of what the Sword Experience was created to share:

• Invaluable fitness training.
• Sword and fight choreography training in an amazing setting.
• Autographed photos.
• A professionally edited video of your experience.
• Free professional photos for you to keep for your memories.
• A travel adventure unlike any you have experienced.

You’ll also meet like-minded world travelers,whoshare your love of physical fitness, travel, and film. Who knows, like many of our past experiences, you too mightform newfound friendships with people from all across the globe! So why wait for next year? Ireland maybe a stone’s throw away for some but even if it isn’t, travelling to Ireland is an experience to remember. Personally, becoming the hero of my own Robin Hood story and takingmy next travel adventure to the next level with a The Sword Experience trip to Limerick, isn’t something I would want to miss.