Its location is thought to have been in one of two places. It is documented that a Dane named Yorus, established a raiding fort in Luimnech around 861. No one knows where the original Viking longphort was established before a permanent residence came into being.
While the earliest settlements documented date around 812 AD, we know that people inhabited it much earlier. This island was inhabited long before Vikings laid claim to its prime location. The island on which it was founded was known to the native Irish as Inis Sibtonn (present day King’s Island). Particularly, the longphort of Luimnech, which later became the city of Limerick.
When I first set out to write my Historical Fiction series, I discovered the importance of these historical places. This fortification later become the city of Dublin. A violent competition would soon arise as the Danes made their presence felt with the establishment of another longphort at the mouth of the Liffey. Of course, Norse success in Ireland did not go unnoticed by their Danish counterparts. Linn Duachaill (now Annagassan) was one of the first longphorts, set on the Louth coast. These defended bases, would later grow to become bustling trade centers. This name developed when the Irish observed Norse raiders building stockades around their ships. “Long” meaning ship, and “port” coming from the Latin “portus”, meaning “place of disembarking”. The first Norse settlements were built in 841 and became known by the native Irish as “longphorts”. Since the Norwegians were the first to discover and make raid on Ireland, it comes as no surprise that they were the first to establish permanent bases there. Ireland proved to be a tantalizing prospect. But as we now know, gaining riches was not the soul motivator behind these branching, adventurous, explorers.ĭiscovering lands in which to make a new life played a big part too. When we typically think of Vikings, the first images are always that of raiders plundering monasteries. None could have guessed that their presence would mark a transition to forever change the cultural landscape of Ireland. When Norse raiders first appeared in Irish waters in the year 837 AD, one can imagine the stir they caused.