The vikings first started raiding Ireland in 795 A.D. when they raided Lambay Island. They found that Irish monasteries made great targets, as they were usually full of wealth that could be taken with little resistance. As viking raids increased, so too did the amount of vikings who wished to stay in Ireland.
The vikings (mostly Norwegian and Danish) soon established settlements in Dublin, Waterford, Wicklow, Cork, and Limerick. These people, called the “Norse” (related to the word “North”) had a noticeable impact on the Irish. A few examples of their linguistic influence include the modern Irish words: bogha bow, margadh market, and ancaire anchor. It’s also likely that the Norse influenced the art of Irish storytelling with their own tradition of sagas. Most words brought by the vikings into Irish were related to ships, as they also completely changed how the Irish made and used ships.
The Norse were eventually driven out of Ireland in the tenth century by a force under the leadership of Brian Boru (Brian the First, a member of the Dál Cais dynasty)—the first man to rule the whole of Ireland. Brian became familiar with war by serving under his brother Mahon, king of Munster. His path to the throne of Ireland truly began when Mahon was killed, embroiling Brian in a war with Mahon’s murders—which resulted in him becoming the new king of the province of Munster in southern Ireland. He then swiftly conquered Erinn out from the hands of Ard-Ri Malachy (transferring the title of “Ard-Ri” or “High King” to Brian), and later made an agreement with the powerful Máel-Sechnaill, gaining him the southern half of Ireland. After securing the south, he turned his sights to the north, and after a couple of defeats—succeeded in putting it under his control. Most famous however, was his last battle, the battle of Clontarf. The Dublin Norse had rebelled against Brian, and were joined by Mael Morda, King of Leinster. The two opposing sides met at Clontarf, and though Brian’s forces won the battle, he himself was murdered—supposedly while praying in his tent. While vikings still remained in Ireland, they would never be as powerful as they were before Brian Boru.
Discussion Question:
- Tell how Brian Boru became “Emperor of the Irish”.
- Brian Boru was Ireland’s first High King. What does the title which he gave himself tell you about Brian?
- Why might the Vikings of Orkney and the Isle of Man have agreed to help?
- Describe the Battle of Clontarf and say why it was so important.
Sources:
“THE NORTHMEN IN BRITAIN” by Eleanor Hull
“SCANDINAVIAN RELATIONS WITH IRELAND DURING THE VIKING PERIOD” by A. Walsh
“Old Norse loanwords in modern Irish; Semantic domains, polysemy and causes of semantic change” by Robert Farren
“Story of Ireland” by A. M. Sullivan
“Brian Bórama” Dictionary of Irish Biography: https://www.dib.ie/biography/brian-borama-boruma-boru-a0954
“Clare People: Brian Boru” Clare County Library: https://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/people/brianbor.htm
Inspired by: https://web.archive.org/web/20170512170305/http://www.ncte.ie:80/viking/less5.htm