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Contributions Of Vikings To Ireland Essay

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The Vikings first came to Ireland in 795 AD, when it was recorded in the Annals that they arrived at Lambay Island, they were of Scandinavian origin. While the Vikings are best known for being raiders, their name Viking comes from an Old Norse word meaning ‘sea-robber’, it is also known that the Vikings were successful merchants and ship builders. On their arrival they raided and plundered but later they began to settle and contributed to the urban development of Ireland by establishing towns and cities and establishing trading networks. Thus the Vikings had a significant role in urban development in Ireland. Hurley discusses their contribution to urban development in Ireland, he notes that, “All the port cities, Dublin, Waterford, Cork …show more content…

The Vikings first raided and then settled in the city of Waterford around 914 AD. They gave the name Waterford to the city, which derives from the Old Norse word, “Vedrarfjordr meaning 'windy fjorde' or 'fjorde of the ram' (a type of Viking ship)”. (Hurley, M. (2002). P. 97) Archaeological evidence from excavations carried out around the city of Waterford between the years 1986 to 1991 showed little evidence of Viking settlement in the city during the 9th and 10th centuries. Instead the evidence suggested a later Viking settlement. Due to little evidence of an earlier settlement it can be suggested that the Vikings had temporary settlements here, known as Longphorts, “a fortified ship harbour.” By the time the Vikings made a more permanent settlement, as Hurley mentions in his article, ‘Waterford’s Viking footprint’, the Vikings and the Irish had merged together by the conversion of many Vikings to Christianity and their integration into Irish society which was aided by inter-marriage between the Vikings and the native Irish, resulting in a culture that was influenced by the Vikings. While there is little archaeological evidence of the type of settlement the Vikings had or when such a settlement dated from, the name of the city, its strategic and convenient location near water so the Vikings could travel easily to and from establishing trading links, all these factors suggest Waterford was most likely discovered

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