{"source_url": "https://www.irishtimes.com", "url": "https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/archers-make-way-to-hook-head-for-new-year-arrow-ceremony-1.4128285", "title": "Archers make way to Hook Head for new year \u2018arrow ceremony\u2019", "top_image": "https://www.irishtimes.com/image-creator/?id=1.4128284&origw=1440", "meta_img": "https://www.irishtimes.com/image-creator/?id=1.4128284&origw=1440", "images": ["https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4110683.1575973090!/image/image.jpeg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpeg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4128284.1577891720!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300_160/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2616289.1461146379!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4109716.1575911393!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4109379.1576839440!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/assets/images/icons/apps/app-store.png", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4091027.1574355335!/image/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_300/image.png", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2889116.1480596986!/image/image.png", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4089516.1574516818!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.3752243.1547029046!/image/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_140/image.png?1547031774464", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.3752242.1547029043!/image/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_140/image.png?1547031704433", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4128289.1577893111!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4128095.1577873301!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpg", "http://b.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&c2=8946263&cv=2.0&cj=1", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4117979.1576581664!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4128179.1577879659!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300_160/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4069246.1572610512!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4105628.1575562411!/image/image.png", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4050223.1571072291!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4128350.1577898621!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.3071664.1493913107!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_620/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4127416.1577718475!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/country-cookie/", "https://www.irishtimes.com/image-creator/?id=1.4128284&origw=1440", "https://www.irishtimes.com/assets/images/icons/apps/google-play.png", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4127574.1577732146!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300_160/image.jpg"], "movies": [], "text": "Dunbrody Archers turned out in force on Hook Head in Co Wexford on Wednesday to participate in a ceremony going back more than 300 years.\n\nChair of New Ross District Municipal Council, Cllr John Fleming explained the origin of the tradition of firing an arrow into the sea from the rocks beneath the world\u2019s oldest operational lighthouse.\n\n\u201cThe tradition dates from 1687 when the Mayor and the corporation of New Ross Town Council claimed their authority over the waters by travelling to Hook and shooting an arrow into the sea from Hook Head Lighthouse.\u201d\n\nCllr Fleming explained that the Mayor of New Ross, casting the arrow into the sea symbolises the port of New Ross\u2019s authority over the estuary of the Barrow and the Suir all the way down to Hook Head.\n\nThe members of Dunbrody Archers, founded in 2004 and now one of the largest archery clubs nationally, assisted Cllr Fleming in \u201cthe arrow ceremony\u201d by unleashing a volley of arrows into the air at the historic lighthouse.\n\nCllr Fleming explained that Hook Head is renowned as the oldest intact working lighthouse in the world, dating from the fifth century when local monks lit fires on the headland to keep the ships at sea safe.\n\n\u201cHook Lighthouse was built by the knight, Sir William Marshal and he also built the port town of New Ross along with Kilkenny Castle, Ferns Castle, Tintern Abbey and many other historical gems in the area,\u201d he said.\n\n\u201cHe married Isabel De Clare the daughter of Strongbow and Aoife and they became quite the medieval \u2018power couple\u2019 and it is thought that he built Hook Lighthouse to guide ships safely to his port town of New Ross.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Hook Lighthouse tour incorporates 115 steps to the top of the lighthouse tower and features holograms illustrating the ancient history of the tower and the Hook area and spectacular views of the southern coast.\u201d", "keywords": [], "meta_keywords": [""], "tags": [], "authors": [], "publish_date": null, "summary": "", "article_html": "", "meta_description": "Group fires volley from Wexford lighthouse in tradition dating back 300 years", "meta_lang": "en", "meta_favicon": "/assets/images/favicons/favicon.ico", "meta_data": {"apple-itunes-app": "app-id=365544593", "description": "Group fires volley from Wexford lighthouse in tradition dating back 300 years", "vf": {"unique_id": "wwwirishtimescom14128285"}, "news_keywords": "News, Barry Roche, Cllr Fleming, Dunbrody Archers, Isabel De, Isabel De Clare, John Fleming, Katniss Everdeen, Strongbow, Suzanne Collins, William Marshal, New Ross District Municipal Council, New Ross Town Council, Wexford, Abbey, Castle, Roche, Southern Correspondent, Barrow in Furness, Cill Chainnigh, Ferns Castle, Hook Head, Kilkenny Castle, New Ross, Port, Tintern Abbey", "viewport": "width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, minimum-scale=1.0, maximum-scale=2.0, user-scalable=yes, target-densitydpi=medium-dpi", "apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style": "black", "format-detection": "telephone=no", "robots": "all", "og": {"title": "Archers make way to Hook Head for new year \u2018arrow ceremony\u2019", "type": "article", "url": "https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/archers-make-way-to-hook-head-for-new-year-arrow-ceremony-1.4128285", "site_name": "The Irish Times", "description": "Group fires volley from Wexford lighthouse in tradition dating back 300 years", "locale": "en_US", "image": {"identifier": "https://www.irishtimes.com/image-creator/?id=1.4128284&origw=1440", "secure_url": "https://www.irishtimes.com/image-creator/?id=1.4128284&origw=1440", "type": "image/jpeg", "height": 630, 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