Students re-enact castle siege to tackle logistical problems

UNIVERSITY of Limerick, civil engineering students are looking back more than 800 years to see how modern logistical problems can be solved.

The students will re-enact the siege of the 13th century King John’s Castle using their own specially designed and constructed siege equipment as part of problem-based learning.

The “siege” will take place this Friday in Castle Street, Limerick, between 11am and 1pm.

A spokeswoman said: “Designed and constructed by students of the civil engineering programme as part of their problem-based learning, steel and timber medieval siege platforms have been constructed at the UL campus.

“The siege machinery will be transported to the castle for the battle on Friday. Students will race against the clock to assemble their siege platforms with help from fifth year students from St Nessan’s Community College, who will be defending from King John’s battlements, armed with water balloons and flour.”

Built between 1200 and 1212, King John’s Castle has a turbulent history from the great siege of 1642 to the Williamite sieges of 1690 and 1691, leading to the signing of the Treaty of Limerick.

The students’ siege project is being supported by the Department of History at UL, Shannon Heritage, Northside Learning Hub and Engineers Ireland.

The siege project is the second in a series of community problem-based learning activities. In 2009, the school organised a bridge-building competition in which students designed and constructed six bridges.

* www.ulcivilengineering.blogspot.com.