Viking settlement in Ireland: Publications

Bibliography of printed literature on Vikings in Ireland

In terms of topics covered, the bulk of publications on Viking settlers in Ireland concern their settlement  in Dublin, especially the archaeological evidence retrieved from various excavations. There are two ongoing sets of publications in particular – the National Museum of Ireland’s Medieval Dublin Excavations 1962-81  Series  A (buildings and topography), Series B (artefacts) and Series C – environmental evidence. There is also the annual Medieval Dublin books edited by Sean Duffy of TCD in which many of the finds from more recent excavations are discussed. The extensive excavations in Waterford  in the late 1980s were impeccably published by Waterford Corporation:, Late Viking Age and medieval Waterford: excavations 1986-1992 ed. Maurice Hurley, Orla Scully & S.W.J. McCutcheon (Waterford 1992). For Cork, see Excavations in Cork City 1984-2000 ed. Rose Cleary and Maurice Hurley (Cork 2003). The excavated evidence for Viking Limerick is limited but see articles by Mary Cahill & Raghnall Ó Floinn, Brian Hodkinson and  Lenore Fischer. For the latest overview of the urban evidence from Ireland as a whole, see Patrick Wallace, "The archaeology of Ireland's Viking-age towns" in Prehistoric and early Ireland: A New History of Ireland, volume I ed. D.Ó Cróinín (Oxford 2005), 814-841 or Mary Valante’s Vikings in Ireland (Dublin 2008)

The other large compendia are the Viking Congress volumes, particularly  H.B. Clarke, M. Ní Mhaonaigh & R. Ó Floinn Ireland and Scandinavia in the Early Viking Age (Dublin: Four Courts Press 1998) and John Sheehan & Donnchadh Ó Corráin The Viking Age: Ireland and the West (Dublin: Four Courts Press 2010). For reasons of space, the individual articles in these compendia are not mentioned here and the bibliographic principle adopted is to try and focus on the key publications which impact on the research of the Genes of the Gallgoídil network. (It should be noted, however, that much of the genetics work is published on line and so will be listed under Genes of the Gallgoídil research links). Like all bibliographies, this is a subjective one and the Network would be very glad of any feedback drawing their attention to items which others feel should be included.

Bibliography of Texts Relating to Viking Age in Ireland

Bibliography also available here as a 0.1MB pdf

Lesley Abrams, “The conversion of the Scandinavians of Dublin”, Anglo-Norman Studies 20 (1997), 1-29

M.P Barnes, J.R. Hagland & R.I. Page The runic inscriptions of Viking Age Dublin Medieval Dublin Excavations Series B.5 (Dublin 1997)

D.A. Binchy, “The passing of the old order” in Proceedings of the International Congress of Celtic Studies Dublin 1959 ed. B.Ó Cuiv (Dublin 1962), 119-32

John Bradley, “The interpretation of Scandinavian settlement in Ireland” in Settlement and society in medieval Ireland: studies presented to F.X. Martin (Kilkenny 1988), 49-78

John Bradley & A. Halpin, “The topographical development of Scandinavian and Anglo-Norman Waterford city” in Waterford history and society ed. TW. Nolan & T.P. Power (Dublin 1992), 105-29

Edward Burke, “Life in the sunny south-east: housing and domestic economy in Viking and medieval Wexford” Archaeology Ireland 9.3 (1995), 33-6

F.J. Byrne, “The Viking age” in A new history of Ireland: prehistoric and early Ireland (Oxford 2005), 609-34

Mary Cahill & Raghnall Ó Floinn, “Two silver kite brooches from near Limerick city”, North Munster Antiquarian Journal 36 (1995), 65-82

H.B. Clarke “The bloodied eagle: the Vikings and the development of Dublin 841-1014” The Irish Sword 18 (1990-2), 91-119

H.B. Clarke, “Christian cult and cult centres in Hiberno-Norse Dublin and its hinterland” in A. MacShamhráin (ed.) The island of St Patrick: church and ruling dynasties in Fingal and Meath 400-1148 (Dublin 2004: Four Courts Press ), 140-58

Esther Cameron, Scabbards and Sheaths from Viking and Medieval Dublin, Medieval Dublin Excavations 1962-81, Series B 8 (Dublin 2007)

Martin Comey, Coopers and coopering in Viking Age Dublin Medieval Dublin Excavations 1962-81 Series B, 10 (Dublin 2010)

M. Connolly & F. Coyne with L.G. Lynch, Underworld: death and burial in Cloghermore cave, Co. Kerry (Bray 2005)

E. Curtis “The English and the Ostmen in Ireland” English Historical Review 23 (1908), 209-19

Claire Daly, “From Valhalla: conservation of a group of Viking grave-goods” in Medieval Dublin VI ed. S. Duffy (Dublin 2005), 62-77

R.H.M. Dolley, Sylloge of coins of the British Isles 8: the Hiberno-Norse coins in the British Museum (London 1966)

Clare Downham, “The historical importance of Viking Age Waterford”, Journal of Celtic Studies 4 (2004), 71-96

Clare Downham, Viking kings of Britain and Ireland: the dynasty of Ívarr to 1014 (Edinburgh 2007)

Sean Duffy, “Ostmen, Irish and Welsh in the eleventh century” Peritia 9 (1995), 378-96

Sean Duffy, “A reconsideration of the site of Dublin’s Viking thing-mót” in Above and beyond: essays in memory of Leo Swan ed. T. Condit & C. Corlett (Bray 2005), 351-60

Mairead Dunlevy, “A classification of early Irish combs”, Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 88C (1988), 341-422

Colmán Etchingham, Viking raids on Irish church settlements in the ninth century (Maynooth 1996)

Colmán Etchingham, “North Wales, Ireland and the Isles: the Insular Viking zone” Peritia 15 (2001), 145-87

Colmán Etchingham, “The location of historical Laithlinn/Lochlainn: Scotland or Scandinavia” in Studia Celtica Upsaliensia ed. M. Ó Flaithearta (Uppsala 2007), 11-31

Thomas Fanning, Viking-Age ringed pins from Dublin National Museum of Ireland Medieval Dublin Excavations 1962-81, Series B vol 4 (Dublin 1994)

Lenore Fischer, “The Sack of Viking Limerick" Old Limerick Journal 39 (2003), 25-30.

Lenore Fischer, “Limerick as a Viking Trade Centre" and “Limerick: First Urban Capital of Ireland” Made in Limerick, 2 (2006), 1-13 , 16-24

Siobhán Geraghty, Viking Dublin: botanical evidence from Fishamble Street Medieval Dublin Excavations 1962-81, Series C .2 (Dublin 1996)

Erin Gibbons & E.P. Kelly, “A Viking-Age farmstead in Connemara” Archaeology Ireland 17.1 (2003), 28-32

James Graham-Campbell, Viking treasure from the north-west: the Cuerdale hoard in its context (Liverpool 1992), 89-106

David Greene, “The influence of Scandinavian on Irish” in Proceedings of the Seventh Viking Congress ed. B. Almqvist & D. Greene (Dublin 1976) 75-82

Richard Hall, “A check-list of Viking Age coin finds from Ireland” Ulster Journal of Archaeology 36-7 (1974), 71-86

Andrew Halpin, Weapons and Warfare in Viking and Medieval Dublin Medieval Dublin Excavations 1962-81 Series B, 9 (Dublin 2008)

E.W. Heckett Viking Age head-coverings from Dublin Medieval Dublin Excavations Series B.6 (Dublin 2003)

Francoise Henry Irish Art in the Romanesque Period, 1020-1170 A.D.(London 1965)

Francoise Henry Irish Art During the Viking Invasions, 800-1020 A.D (Cornell 1967)

Brian Hodkinson, “Summary report of the excavations at St Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick, 1992” North Munster Antiquarian Journal 37 (1996), 37-64

Brian Hodkinson, “The topography of pre-Norman Limerick”, North Munster Antiquarian Journal 42 (2002), 1-6

P. Holm, “Between apathy and antipathy: the Vikings in Irish and Scandinavian history”, Peritia 8 (1994), 151-69

P. Holm, 'The Slave Trade of Dublin, Ninth to Twelfth Centuries', Peritia 5 (1986), 317–45

Benjamin Hudson, “Knútr and Viking Dublin”, Scandinavian Studies 46 (1994), 319-35

Ruth Johnson, Viking Age Dublin (Dublin 2004)

E.P. Kelly & J. Maas “The Vikings and the kingdom of Laois” in Laois history and society eds P.G. Lane & W. Nolan (Dublin 1999), 123-59

J.T. Lang, Viking Age decorated wood: a study of its ornament and style Medieval Dublin Excavations 1962-81, Series B 1 (Dublin 1988)

A.C. Larsen (ed.) The Vikings in Ireland (Roskilde 2001)

Alan MacShamhráin The Vikings – an illustrated history (Dublin 2002)

Sean McGrail, Medieval Boat and Ship Timbers from Dublin Medieval Dublin Excavations 1962-81, Series B. 3 (Dublin 1993)

Clare McCutcheon, Medieval pottery from Wood Quay, Dublin Medieval Dublin Excavations 1962-81, Series B (Dublin 2006)

S. McNamara, “Woodstown 6: the finds” in Recent archaeological discoveries on National Road schemes ed. J. O’Sullivan & M. Stanley (Dublin 2005), 125-31

Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, “Tales of three Gormlaiths in medieval Irish literature”, Ériu 52 (2002), 1-24

Maire Ní Mhaonaigh “Literary Lochlann” in  Cànan & Cultar/ Language and Culture: Rannsachadh na Gàidhlig 3, ed. Wilson McLeod, James E. Fraser and Anja Gunderloch (Edinburgh, 2006), 25-37

Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, “Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib: some dating considerations” Peritia 9 (1995), 354-77

G.F. Mitchell, Archaeology and the environment in early Dublin Medieval Dublin Excavations 1962-81, Series C 1 (Dublin 1987)

E. O’Brien, “A reassessment of the ‘great sepulchral mound’ containing a Viking burial at Donnybrook, Dublin” Medieval Archaeology 36 (1992), 170-3

E. O’Brien, “A reconsideration of the location and context of Viking burials at Kilmainham/Islandbridge, Dublin” in Dublin and beyond the Pale: studies in honour of Patrick Healy ed. C. Manning (Dublin 1998), 35-44

R. O’Brien, R.P. Quinney & I. Russell “Preliminary report on the archaeological excavation and finds retrieval strategy of the Hiberno-Scandinavian site of Woodstown 6, Co. Waterford” Decies 61 (2005), 13-122

R. O’Brien & I. Russell, “The Hiberno-Scandinavian site at Woodstown 6, Co. Waterford” in Recent archaeological discoveries on National Road schemes ed. J. O’Sullivan & M. Stanley (Dublin 2005), 111-24

Donnchadh Ó Corráin, Ireland before the Normans (Dublin 1972)

Donnchadh Ó Corráin, “High-kings, Vikings and other kings” Irish historical studies 21 (1979), 283-323

Donnchadh Ó Corráin, “Vikings I: Forty years rest” Peritia 10 (1996), 224

Donnchadh Ó Corráin, “The Vikings in Scotland and Ireland in the ninth century” Peritia 12 (1998), 296-339

Daibhí Ó Cróinín, “Three weddings and a funeral: rewriting Irish political history in the tenth century” in Seanchas ed. A. Smyth (Dublin 2000), 212-24

Brian Ó Cuiv, “Personal names as an indicator of relations between the native Irish and settlers in the Viking period” in Settlement and society in medieval Ireland ed. J. Bradley (Kilkenny 1988), 79-88

E. O’Donovan, “The Irish, the Vikings and the English: new archaeological evidence from excavations at Golden Lane, Dublin” in Medieval Dublin VIII ed. S. Duffy (Dublin 2007), 36-130

Raghnall Ó Floinn, “Two Viking burials from Co. Wicklow”, Wicklow archaeology and society I (1998), 29-35

U. O’Meadhra: Early Christian, Viking and Romanesque Art: Motif-Pieces from Ireland – 1, Theses and Papers in North-European Archaeology 17, (Stockholm 1987)

John O’Néill, “Excavation of pre-Norman structures on the site of an enclosed early Christian cemetery at Cherrywood, county Dublin” in Medieval Dublin VII ed. S. Duffy Dublin 2006, 66-88

Brendan Ó Riordáin, “The High Street excavations” in B. Almquist & D. Greene (eds), Proceedings of the Seventh Viking Congress (Dublin 1976), 135-40.

Brendan Ó Riordáin, “Aspects of Viking Dublin” Medieval Scandinavia 2 (Odense 1981)

Ian Peirce Swords of the Viking Age (Woodbridge 2002)

Emer Purcell, “The expulsion of the Ostmen 1169-71” Peritia 17-18 (2003-4), 276-94

Anngret Simms, “Medieval Dublin: a topographical analysis” Irish Geography 23 (1979), 25-41

Anngret Simms, “origins and early growth” in Dublin: through space and time ed. J. Brady & A. Simms (Dublin 2001), 15-65

John Sheehan, S. Stumann Hansen & D. Ó Corráin, “A Viking Age maritime haven: a reassessment of the island at Beginish, Co. Kerry” Journal of Irish Archaeology 10 (2001), 93-119

John Sheehan, “The longphort in Viking Age Ireland” Acta Archaeologica 79 (2008), 282-95

Gísli Sigurđsson, Gaelic influence in Iceland: historical and literary contacts : a survey of research Studia Islandica 46 (Reykjavik 1988).

Linzi Simpson, Director’s findings: Temple Bar West (Dublin 1999)

Linzi Simpson, “Forty years a-digging: a preliminary synthesis of archaeological investigations in Medieval Dublin” Medieval Dublin 1 ed. S. Duffy (Dublin 1999), 11-68

Linzi Simpson, “Viking Dublin: the ninth century evidence begins to unfold – Temple Bar West, Ship Street Great and South Great St George’s Street” in Treogtyvende tvaerfaglige vikingesymposium (Arhus 2004), 47-63

Alfred Smyth, Scandinavian York and Dublin 2 vols (Dublin 1974-9)

Alfred Smyth, “The black foreigners of York and the white foreigners of Dublin” Saga Book of the Viking Society 19 (1975-6), 101-17

J.H. Todd, Cogadh Gaedel re Gallaib: the war of the Gaedhil with the Gaill (London 1867)

W.A. Trindade, “Irish Gormlaith as a sovereignty figure” Études Celtiques 23 (1986), 143-56

Mary A. Valante The Vikings in Ireland: settlement, trade and urbanisation (Dublin 2008)

Patrick Wallace, “The archaeology of Viking Dublin” in The comparative history of urban origins in non-Roman Europe ed. H.B. Clarke & A. Simms (Oxford 1985, BAR International series 255/1), 103-45

Patrick Wallace “Archaeology and the emergence of Dublin as the principal town in Ireland” in Settlement and society in medieval Ireland ed. J. Bradley (Kilkenny 1988), 123-60

Patrick Wallace (ed.) Miscellanea 1 Medieval Dublin Excavations 1962 – 81, Series B 2 (1988)

Patrick Wallace, The Viking age buildings of Dublin Medieval Dublin Excavations 1962-81, Series A 1 (Dublin 1992)

Patrick Wallace, “The archaeological identity of the Hiberno-Norse town” Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 122 (1992b), 35-66

Patrick Wallace, “Garrda and airbeada: the plot thickens in Viking Dublin” in Seanchas ed. A. Smyth (Dublin 2000), 261-74

Patrick Wallace, “The big picture: mapping Hiberno-Norse Dublin” in Surveying Ireland’s past: multidisciplinary essays in honour of Anngret Simms ed. H.B. Clarke, J. Prunty & M. Hennessey (Dublin 2004), 13-40

Richard Warner, “Scottish silver arm-rings: an analysis of weights” Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 107 (1975-6), 136-43