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Papers: List of Papers 2002-04 |
Joseph Derham . Frank Whearity |
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Vikings in Fingal |
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The following (in Italics) is part of a report in Skerries News: Vol.16, No. 2 - Feb 2004. There are some minor additions. (not in Italics). At the February meeting of Skerries Historical Society, guest speaker Ailbhe Mac Shamhráin (Pr. in Irish Alve Mock How-raw-in) from Maynooth College delivered a very entertaining talk on the subject of Vikings in Fingal. The speaker began by saying that the general image of a Viking familiar to most of us is that of a ferocious plunderer with a horned helmet and a spiked club hell bent on murdering and raiding. "This was not necessarily the case" said the speaker, who then showed in a slide what in fact the helmets were lke and this resembled a mask, a face protector rather the menacing horned helmet. It is fair to say that the Vikings did carry out a certain amount of raiding and plundering . . . and in the year 794 there are refernces to Lambay Island (Co. Dublin) or could it also refer to Rathlin Island (Co. Antrim). References are found relating to Inis Phádraig (Pr. in Irish = Inish Fawdrig - this is St. Patrick's or Church Island, Skerries) in 798 . . .Lusk at that time was a very important place. It had a sizeable enclosure which resulted in its being a target for raiders . . . in Howth a large number of women were led into bondage in 821 In the year 841, the Vikings set up a base in Dublin. Olaf and Evar, who may have been brothers, appear to have worked together and established a kingship. . . . |
They brought in Viking bands of landless young men and channelled their energies into the advancement of this kingship. There was a certain amount of raiding and Lusk was once more attacked in 856 when a church building was burned. In the middle of 10th. century Dublin was now beginning to grow and become a town. It was walled and began to develop a street pattern. The Dublin based dynasty became protectors of the area - they may even have come to Skerries, certainly to Lusk. . . . Sitric was the founder of Swords. Viking settlements tended to be situated near ecclesiastical sites and the speaker suggested that maybe archaeologists should be concentrating on these areas when seeking Viking remains. Feltrim Hill (between Dublin city and Malahide) was also a settlement site and spears and iron knives were discovered there, also silver ingots. There were bronze pins for fastening cloaks found at Lusk . . . Place names also have Scandinavian traces. Skerries meant a chain of islands and Holm as in Holmpatrick in Skerries, a haven. . . There was a very lively question and answer session and Eugene Coyle then thanked Ailbhe Mac Shamhráin for his interesting and erudite paper. Ailbhe has published a book on the subject of the Vikings in Ireland and presented a copy to Skerries Historical Society. |