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Cork's long-delayed Events Centre has been hit by yet another hold-up as the Danish Government claims ownership of the city centre site on behalf of its former Viking owners.

The Danish culture ministry last week alerted their Government about the discovery of ancient land deeds, in the University of Copenhagen archives, which they say "prove" ownership of most of Cork City centre.

Academics at the university say the 11th Century land titles, made out to King Wulf Hardasson, clearly state that the Viking king and his rightful heirs shall lay claim to the "Great Marsh of Munster" in perpetuity.

And as the deeds were never legally dissolved after the last vikings left their settlement in Cork, the site where the long-delayed Events Centre was supposed to be built is still - legally - the property of any living descendants of the last Viking ruler of Cork.

The Danish embassy in Dublin has now lodged a formal claim with the Department of Arts, Heritage and Culture and Irish officials believe this could lead to a very lengthy legal battle with the living heirs of King Wulf Hardasson.

One Departmental official told CorkBeo; "They're saying they've traced his only living male heir, he's a plumber called Lars Sorenson who lives in Aalborg. The Danes are arguing that as the deeds were never dissolved, technically, this guy is the Viking overlord of most of Cork City."

"We're hearing Lars The Leaky - that's his Viking plumber name, apparently - is planning to visit Cork when the coronavirus outbreak is over and reclaim the land that rightfully belongs to his warrior tribe - himself, the wife and the three kids."

Cork City Council officials say they are now planning to hire a team of hugely expensive, Dublin-based consultants to look into the Viking issue and expect to have a report back in two years or so.

One council source told CorkBeo; "A bunch of Vikings turning up to claim the Events Centre site may sound a bit mad, but to be fair, with the way this thing has played out so far, nobody here is hugely surprised."

"In fact, we're just relieved it's only a guy called Lars and not a whole actual Viking horde. Those langers in Kerry lodging a last-minute planning objection were bad enough.

"But at least they haven't showed up with horny-helmets and swords and started slaughtering construction workers. Yet."

"We'll just add the Vikings to the long list of things that have gone wrong and keep making announcements that we're about to start work on it. Any day now.

"It's just mad that this happened on the first day of April. Where's Brian Boru when you need him?"