The Vikings in Ireland The Vikings were groups of warriors from Scandanavia who raided Britain, Ireland and northern France for booty and slaves. They attacked Ireland in two waves. The first began in 795 when a band of Viking raiders ransacked Rathlin Island monastery, on the north coast. More monasteries and civilian settlements were attacked over the next 40 years. Attracted by the large amount of booty and slaves that could be had in the largely defenseless monasteries, ecclesiastical sites became favoured targets. After 834, the Vikings intensified their raids by landing more boats and building a camp to let them stay longer. They raided far inland and up rivers. In 840 they spent the first entire year in Ireland, in the lands of the northern Uí Néill. Some of their encampments became permanent trading towns, most notably Dubhlinn [Dublin], Vadrefjord [Waterford] and Cork. The Irish Kings tried to attack the Vikings, but without much success. However, just as it looked as if Ireland would be defeated the raids stopped around 851. The Vikings had turned their attention to carving out a kingdom of their own in northern Britain. Over the next few decades the Irish managed to drive the Vikings out of all their coastal settlements. The raids began again in 914, however. The Vikings re-captured Vadrefjord and, 3 years later, Dubhlinn was once again in their hands. In 917 they began major raids deep into Munster and Laigin. The most powerful king in Ireland, Niall Glúndub of the Uí Néill, mustered a large army against the Vikings in Munster but was defeated by them. Two years later he himself was killed in an unsuccessful attack on Dubhlinn. After 920, the Vikings founded two further towns: Weisfjord [Wexford] and Limerick. After 950, the second - and last - epsode of Viking raids ended. The Vikings settled down in their towns around the Irish coast and became traders. Dubhlinn thrived as a major merchant centre and soon exercised control over the other Viking towns in Ireland. After 952, Dubhlinn even had its own Kings. Dynastically, the Uí Néill were the most powerful kings in Ireland by the end of the Viking period. They had conquered all of northern Ireland and exercised control over Laigin to the south-east. By 950 they had formed a single united kingdom that controlled half the island. Later the kings of the Uí Néill would be called the first High Kings of Ireland. While this is not really true - Connacht and Munster were outside their control - they were probably the most powerful kings in Irish history up to that point. The effects of the Vikings should not be exaggerated. Viking raids were far from everyday occurrences, and in general life continued as normal. However, some changes were needed. Ringfort dwellings for the commoners gave way to more easily-defended underground souterrains. And the monasteries developed round towers in which to hide when Vikings were on the prowl. Today, many intact round towers can still be seen. Finally, the famous high crosses - crosses carved from stone - were constructed in the Viking period.
Posted on: Wed, 31 Jul 2013 19:41:53 +0000
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