The Vikings in Ireland: Settlement, Trade and Urbanization

Over the course of two-and-a-half centuries, Viking raiders and their descendants settled in and urbanized Ireland, connecting the Irish with long-distance trade routes as never before. The existence of these new, wealthy port towns benefited the Irish inhabitants of each towns' controlled hinterland. At the same time, those living in each town's periphery, outside the immediate hinterlands, could both benefit from trade and find themselves the victims of raids. ThisËœinterdisciplinary study balances archaeological and historical evidence, uses geographical and anthropological methods, and assesses primary written sources from the Irish, Scandinavians, Welsh, Anglo-Saxons and Anglo-Normans. By considering especially the economic aspects of the history of the Scandinavian towns in Ireland, this book presents a more accurate picture of the complex relationship between the town-dwelling Scandinavians and the rural Irish than has previously been possible.