Ireland's Viking Fortress

Archaeology, V 64 N 1 ^ | January/February 2011 | Erin Mullally

[SunkenCiv]

Linn Duachaill was founded in A.D. 841, the same year as Viking Dublin. The fortress was used as a center by the Vikings to trade goods, organize attacks against inland Irish monasteries, and send captured Irish slaves abroad. For more than 70 years, Linn Duachaill rivaled Dublin as the preeminent Viking holding on the east coast of Ireland before it was eventually abandoned.

The discovery of Linn Duachaill will finally allow archeologists to compare the actual site with medieval documents. The names of leaders of the garrison are recorded, along with extensive accounts of attacks they carried out. The site is often referred to as a longphort, a term used to describe a fortification built by the Vikings to protect their ships.

A defensive rampart has already been excavated at the site and examples of Viking silver and ecclesiastical metalwork looted from native Irish sites have also been recovered. "We are excited to learn what insights into medieval times Linn Duachaill will reveal," says Kelly.

[SunkenCiv]

Luke Torris Photography

[SunkenCiv]

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[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

Later.

[barbarianbabs]

UFFDA UFFDA UFFDA

[Ramius]

...and send captured Irish slaves abroad...

Mmmm... those lovely Irish lasses. This-- ladies and gentlemen-- is why there is a "Swedish Bikini Team", and not a "British Bikini Team".

Q.E.D.

[AU72]

The Pillage People Ping!

[Flag_This]

Eirik Bloodaxe, Harald Bluetooth.

Say what you will, but the Vikings knew the importance of a good name.

[null and void]

Harald's runestone:

[Flag_This]

The Vikings went wireless way before it was cool.

[beebuster2000]

intersting. did they dig the canal to float the ships?

[CurlyBill]

For more than 70 years, Linn Duachaill rivaled Dublin as the preeminent Viking holding on the east coast of Ireland before it was eventually abandoned.

The reason the Vikings abandoned Linn Duachaill so quickly is simple... they feared this dude:

[April Lexington]

"British Bikini Team".

Be careful... what has been seen cannot be unseen!

[Rebelbase]

Googling images for Linn Duachaill returned this on page 14

And speaking of Linn Duachaill, I think I dated her once in college.

[SunkenCiv]

Hey, we get around. I lost track of the local copy of the graphic for a time, couldn’t find the linking info for TinyPic, and wound up doing a laborious image search to finally track it down and straighten things out here. :’)

[SunkenCiv]

One never reads of Thor Haardresser, that’s for sure.

[SunkenCiv]

:’D

[SunkenCiv]

Of da things I have to do while on FR, learning something new is number one. :')

[SunkenCiv]

That’s probably a natural waterway, but as in Britain the oceans were a bit higher centuries ago.

[Beowulf9]

“...but as in Britain the oceans were a bit higher centuries ago.”

That’s okay, in the 60’s the Brits got high again.

[SunkenCiv]

;’)