Vikings of the Irish Sea

Vikings began raiding islands and monasteries on the Atlantic fringes of Europe in the 790s. The Irish Sea rapidly became one of their most productive hunting grounds. Attacks, battles and destruction were accompanied by trade – in slaves, silver and fine objects.

Vikings crossed and re-crossed the Irish Sea in search of land, wealth and power. Raids were followed by settlement, first in fortified camps, and later in towns, market enclaves and rural estates. Vikings came into contact with existing populations in Ireland, Britain and the Isle of Man. Viking paganism, demonstrated by spectacular burials, was gradually eclipsed by Christianity. By 1050, the process of assimilation was well under way, yet Viking influence and distinctiveness did not altogether disappear.

This updated edition of Vikings of the Irish Sea takes the sea as its starting point and looks afresh at the story of a supremely opportunistic people who left their mark in ways that still resonate today.



'The seas around Britain and Ireland provided the corridors through which people and ideas spread. In this highly original study of the Irish Sea, David Griffiths offers a vivid insight into the huge social and economic impact brought about by the Norse seafarers who flooded into the region between the 8th and 11th centuries. The mass of archaeological evidence, much of it recently discovered, is here skilfully analysed to offer a fresh, and often surprising, insight into the dynamics of this energetic maritime society.'