The Vikings were many things to Ireland: invaders, plunderers and general mayhem-makers. They were also settlers and founders, meaning we have these guys to thank for mooring their boats at places that became some of our finest towns and cities.
The Vikings came to Ireland from Scandinavia in the late 8th Century on their famous longships, with the loose aims of 
raiding, trading and sourcing food to keep their populations fed during long, difficult winters. Their history here can be neatly bookended with two events — the first recorded landfall in 795 (in the raid on Rathlin Island off the coast of Antrim), and the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, where the high king Brian Boru died during his troops’ victorious battle with Dublin-based Vikings. During this period the Vikings looted numerous monasteries (which had bronze and gold treasures, not to mention manuscripts), created trading links, battled a few Irish kings and generally caused mayhem for the locals.
One particular trail of destruction/creation (however you may see it) they left is scattered across counties Waterford, Kilkenny, Wexford and Dublin. Traces of their journey remain today, and we reckon it’s as good an itinerary as any for a tour of the southeast and east coast.
Wexford town’s name screams Viking, even 
if you don’t realise it. The Vikings christened it when they settled there in the late 9th-century. Ueigsfjord (pronounced ‘weissford’) means “the ford of the waterlogged island” in the Norse code we’ve come to recognise. TheVikings developed Wexford into a prosperous independent town thanks to its coastal location, until the King of Leinster reclaimed it in 1169.
The Irish National Heritage Park is a historical wonderland that manages to squeeze 9,000 years of Ireland’s history into a walk. Plus, they’ve reconstructed a Viking house based on excavations done in the county, and on the stocks a model of a Viking ship built in Ireland around 1060 AD
Blog post by Orla Grant Learn more about the Vikings in Ireland Click here
