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We as a group decided to do our project on the Ireland Vikings who lived in the 800-1169 era.
As you look through our project you will find that these Vikings aren't at all like the ones portrayed in the fairy tales, but are actually much more savage in their ways than we initially thought. You'll read about the pillaging and raiding of monasteries, the art of the viking trades, and the viking settlements.

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During our research, we had found lots of interesting historical events. The Scandinavian pirates began to raid undefended monastic sites around the end of the 8th century. By the 9th century, large scale Scandinavian settlements began appearing in Britain and Ireland. This resulted in great political domination over a large amount of land during that time.
We had also found that there wasn't just one kind of "Viking era."
The Viking Period lasted from about the 9th century to mid 11th century (which is the era we chose to focus on). The Viking Age also known as Hiberno-Norse, lasted mid 11th century to late 12th century. That period in particular marked the fusion of native Irish and Viking elements in the culture.

During our research we also found that the Vikings are credited with establishing the first trade routes between Ireland, Scandinavia, and England. They used Dublin as their main base for trade. This brought many European influences to Ireland.
Monasteries and towns were looted or destroyed in raids. They were replaced by  forts ad settlements, allowing the Norsemen to become wildcard players in the Irish political scene. Monks and clerics were the eye-witnesses who wrote of the Viking raids. The Irish were hardly a match for the Vikings who had the elements of surprise and speed on their hands. Vikings were probably drawn to monasteries because they had fine metalwork and stored treasure. One of our main sources on Viking raids, The Irish Annals of Ulster. The Vikings later found that the fine metalwork housed in monasteries did not have the highest metal value. It held a great value to the Christian Irish, so these artifacts were ransomed off. The Norsemen were able to survive winter well in their coastal fortresses, which housed their ships and slaves. All in all, the Vikings significantly influenced Ireland in a political, cultural, and social way. The Irish took some Norse Ideas regarding warfare, specifically regarding tactics and weapons. The Viking longphorts grew into towns Ireland formerly lacked. Viking ties with the rest of the British Isles and continental Europe caused the Irish trading scene to grow. Scandinavian style can be seen in Irish metalwork ad stone crosses. Words were also shared within both languages as well. The large number of silver hoards on record is of primary importance in understanding both the nature of Scandinavian activity in Ireland and the economic and social relationships that existed between the Irish and the Scandinavians, which leads us to believe there was a good trade reputation between the two.

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Irish archaeologists excavated the remains of four young men buried with fragments of viking shields, daggers and personal ornaments. At least 77 viking burials have been discovered in Dublin since the late 1700s. All have been dated to the 9th or 10th centuries. We are able to know that this information is true based on the artifacts that have been discovered over time.

Also, at present the archaeological evidence from Woodstown indicates that it was a strongly defended site with settlement and raiding functions, while the nature of its silver assemblage suggests that it also participated in a broader economic framework. Given the historical evidence for the establishment of political and military alliances between the Scandinavians and the Irish from the mid-ninth century onwards, it is also likely that some of them may have developed local trading and market functions. The evidence of Ireland’s hoards demonstrates that considerable silver resources had already been amassed there before the establishment of the formal Hiberno-Scandinavian towns, and the longphort must have played a key role in this. (image below is an aerial view of the possible longphort at Ballaghkeeran Little, Lough Ree, Co. Westmeath.)

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Why do we believe that Dublin was such a rich trade destination during the Viking period?

Lauren: I believe that Dublin was the ideal geographic location for the Vikings to make trades. If you look at a map, Dublin is pretty much the closest the the European nations. They mostly traded the fine metals which they obtained through raiding.

Jane: I think there are two main reasons for Dublin to became a such rich trade destination during the Viking period. The first reason is that it locates in convenient place. It nears by the sea, thus, it is super easy for the Vikings to come and get what they want. The second reason is that there are large monastic communities served as organized social groupings. More people makes it easier to have trade market.

Jensen: Since the Norse already had successful trade routes, They were able to easily establish a new one in Dublin. Dublin is on the coast facing continental Europe. This would give them an advantage, as they would not have to sail around Ireland to trade. By this time, the Vikings had established larger settlements than the Irish had before. They also established ports to store their boats in. Both of these factors would have allowed for greater mobilization of goods, as well as easier travel.

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To conclude, we found the study of the vikings very intriguing and definitely eye opening. We hope that our project provided some insight into the viking life, and that now you have a greater knowledge of this powerful ancient civilization.

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/vikings/overview_vikings_01.shtml
HURLEY, MAURICE F. "16. Viking Age Towns: Archaeological Evidence from Waterford and Cork." Early medieval Munster: archaeology, history and society (1998): 164.
https://www.archaeology.org/issues/168-1503/features/2969-ireland-dublin-early-viking-prescence
https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/genealogy/vikings-change-ireland#:~:text=The%20Vikings%20are%20credited%20with,in%20Ireland%20to%20this%20day.
https://www.ancient.eu/article/1162/the-vikings-in-ireland/
Sheehan, John. “The Longphort in Viking Age Ireland.” Acta Archaeologica, vol. 79, no. 1, Nov. 2008, pp. 282–295. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1111/j.1600-0390.2008.00120.x