Viking longphort cork4/10/2023 This was part of The National Geographic Genographic Project and only Co. The east coast of Ireland wouldn't be a surprise as they had a few settlements and of course Dublin but they weren't known for going so far west. It wouldn't be a surprise if there was some Viking ancestry around a place like Waterford and Wexford where they had a settlement but what is unexpected is that the west coast of Ireland would have any Viking ancestry. When I do Ancestry testing, I'm very interested in how much scandanivian they find. One time I was discussing ancestry with someone who was from Britan and was told I LOOK Scots. The closest Scots line, my great grandmother, origionated as scandanivian, and my g grandfather's is anglo-scandanivian. I traced the family names I have, which on my main line is all, and found all are either anglo or other mixed with scandanivan or derivites of scandanavian. In places where the Angles and Saxons had earlier settled, they were close enough they shared much in their cultures and could understand each others languages. In essense, once they were done plundering in came the farmers, and many of the raiders would have been as well. They found graves where the funeralry symbols of both Scandanivan and locals are intermixed, and even the clothing was combined, and evidence of numerous intermarriages. I remember a documentary on the escavation of one of their settlements in costal Britan. I would be surprised in in Ireland where there were Viking settlements if there wasn't a measureable influence in the DNA. This is why norse linage is very strong on the eastern side of Britan, where the Danelaw existed since the Danes who lived there mostly stayed working their farms. If they built a settlement, they brought in farmers, and often when the raids ceased, they merged into the population. The west of Ireland has always been a bit isolated from the influences of the Engish and other invaders. Galway but I didn't think it would have too much impact on the surrounding population. My father said that there was a Viking settlement in Loughrea in Co. Yes it is strange that Viking dna is so far west. Castlerea in Co Roscommon has been used as a blue print for very Irish people. Even when they were testing for dna in the past the west was always thought to be very indigenous Irish. I'm Irish and was always under the impression that Viking power in Ireland was limited to the east coast. It would be inexplicable were there not Viking DNA in County Mayo. You're surprised that their genetic legacy managed to move 150 miles to the west, across country with no significant barriers whatsoever, in that time span? All it would take is a few individuals moving a dozen or so miles to the west once every few generations. Reminds us that the Norse and Vikings were rural people and founding towns, like Dublin, was unusual.įinds included objects of bronze, iron, bone, glass, amber and antler.Īnimal bone and other finds indicate farming and craft production.Īnother find from Cherrywood, while unprovenanced, represents one of the reasons why the Norse are important in Ireland’s links to the outside world – the silver trade.The Norse arrived in Ireland over 1200 years ago. Must pre-date the 11th century but not by much. Second phase of probable Norse settlement. Like many of the finds it does not necessarily imply anything about the settlers identity. The long house (shown in the plan below) couldn’t be dated directly but must be at least a century earlier than 11th century. Large enclosure used for burials in the 6th-7th century AD.Ībandoned but apparently re-used in the 9th century AD. Underhoull, Norse longhouse, Shetland (Unst) VIKING CEMETERIES AT KILMAINHAM AND ISLANDBRIDGE Produced equivocal evidence of pre-Viking occupation. Has an abbot in 650 AD (Annals of Four Masters)įirst mentioned in 1121 (Book of Ui Maine) Named in Felire Oengusso in 9th century AD It is also believed that there was a longphort in Dublin. Woodstown in Co Waterford has been claimed, amongst other things, as a longphort (see here for one view of the interpretation of the archaeological evidence from this site). Sites that have been described as longphorts include Ballykeeran Little on Lough Ree, Dunrally Fort, Co. Some archaeologists have identified a particular form of enclosure along navigable rivers and suggested that they can be recognised as a distinctive group of sites which conform to the locations and broad dates during which the vikings were active. In brief, the contemporary references use the same term to desribe a location used for a few days encampment and for a more permanent settlement. For greater depth, see John Sheehan's review or Mick Gibbons thoughts on the subject. The first references to any kind of encampment made by the vikings in Ireland generally use the term 'longphort' which is not very well understood today.
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