![]() About 150 coin hoards are known from Ireland. Silver was acquired by trade, exchange and plunder, and came to Ireland largely in the form of coins which were melted down and made into ornaments. New trade routes were opened up by the Vikings into the silver- and gold-rich markets of Asia. Dublin and Ireland became part of a wider international trade network than ever before. The first use of money in Ireland dates from 997 when Dublin started minting Ireland's first coins. In the tenth century, Vikings established towns at Dublin, Waterford, Limerick, Wexford and possibly Cork. This force was probably in the form of lay tenants, and there are a number of records of battles prior to the advent of the Vikings to the Irish scene. A number of monasteries, such as Clonmacnoise, maintained some form of militia. Clearly the main target was the large wealthy monastic foundations such as Glendalough, Kildare and Clonmacnoise.Īlthough the Irish annals tell of the horror of the Viking raids and the destruction inflicted upon the monasteries, warfare was not new to Ireland. Many monasteries were never attacked, and attacks were not equally severe. It is not likely that Vikings were responsible for the decline of the church and monastic culture. ![]() ![]() The effects of the earliest attacks on Ireland are difficult to estimate. The Vikings did not only fight against Irish: by the mid-ninth century they served as mercenaries in battles between Irish kings. In this early period the principal targets were the monasteries which were the only large centres of population and wealth and the main quest was for loot and slaves. Some of these ship fortresses, or longphuirt, such as Dublin, Waterford and Wexford, were later to develop into towns but others, such as the ship base at Annagassan, Co. By 841 the annals report that the Vikings were already spending the winter in Ireland, using temporary ship fortresses as bases for more extensive raiding. Later, the attacks became more frequent and fleets of Viking ships appeared on the major rivers such as the Shannon, Boyne, Liffey and the Erne. Rathlin Island on the north east coast was attacked and in the same year Inishmurray, Co. This may suggest that at some point in history there may have been a longphort situated there, as is attested in some examples.Viking raids on Ireland began in 795. There are many towns and townlands in Ireland whose names bear some element of Longphort in them. This compound word was likely coined by Irish monks from the Latin word "longus" (long) reflecting the Old Norse "lang" (long), thus implying "lang skip" (long ship) plus the Latin "portus", meaning port, harbour. The term longphort, or longphuit in Irish as seen in the annals, literally translates to “ship camp”. Many camps along river banks and lakes did not last long, however, some only as little as one or two seasons, but others such as Dublin developed into large urban centers, as did the other significant Norse settlements at Cork, Waterford, Wexford and Limerick which remain the largest urban centers in Ireland today. It also describes new Viking settlements established at Waterford in 914 and Limerick in 922 possibly by the Uí Ímair. Bertin with the establishment of Viking encampments at Linn Duachaill and Dublin. The word was first used in the 840s in the Irish account of The Annals of Ulster and in the Frankish account in the Annals of St. Overall, the longphort settlements were essential in establishing the presence of the Vikings in Ireland during the ninth and tenth centuries. During this time, the Vikings were able to begin a period of extremely profitable trade. Archeological evidence shows that imports and exports included textiles, animal skins, amber, and glass from England. For example, it is clear that the earliest settlements became major trading centers throughout Ireland. Longphorts were essential to the economic prosperity of the Vikings. It can be assumed that the purpose of these sites was to ease travel and trade within the region. These camps would be of great importance to the Vikings during their raids of Ireland, which included attacks on many churches and monasteries located on the coast of Ireland. The sites were easily defended, sheltered, and gave immediate access to the sea. These camps were fortified areas along rivers, usually at a tributary where both sides were protected such that the Vikings could port ships. The reason it cannot be assumed that longphorts were solely for military purposes as that would assume that there were always large numbers of Vikings at these settlements, which is not true. Although it can be assumed that the longphorts were used as bases for Viking raids, it is clear that the term had multiple meanings and that these sites had multiple purposes. longphuirt) is a term used in Ireland for a Viking ship enclosure or shore fortress.
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