LOST IN TIME 

    1.       Series: What Viking wouldn´t tell you 

Linn Duachaill

About Vikings we can generally say, that they were the conquerors, who sailed the seas and oceans and observed different corners of the world. Howerver, many may not know that their traces can be found also in Ireland. The first attacks began in 795, and in the following years they plundered and destroyed territory. However, over the time the Vikings began to settle in the country to deal with the local population and of course built cities and forts.

In Annals of Ulster, where we can find information about medieval Ireland, is written that in year 841 „There was a naval camp at Linn Duachaill from which the peoples and churches of Tethba were plundered. There was a naval camp at Duiblinn from which the Laigin and the Uí Néill were plundered, both states and churches, as far as Sliab Bladma.“

From naval camp Duiblinn became Dublin, but about Linn Duachaill people thought that it is only some kind of mythical place, because all the tracks, which led to it were LOST IN TIME. So, stories about it could be for longer time found only in stories of people. As stated Jaroslav Petr in village Annagassan „has been for a long time rumored that near the village was once the Viking settlement.“

It is true, that in the area have been found various artifacts, but basically there were no more tracks, which would lead directly to the discovery of this place or its remains. But as Petr adds „systematic quest for Linn Duachaill launched several years ago by a local filmmaker Ruth Cassidy with archaeologist Mark Clinton. For a long time they were unsuccessful and slowly were ready to abandon the project. But, finally were lucky. A few miles up the river Glyde found a place where the flat shore develop an ideal port and place for the construction and repair of ships.“

Furthermore, as stated Conor Macauley researches found „a huge fortified settlement up to 150 acres in size, established by 841AD where the Vikings built and repaired their ships, traded and raided into the surrounding countryside.“

Of course, also Vikings could be attacked, and they were often building fortifications that would protect them. In this case, as reported Conor Macauley, historian Micheál McKeown said that they „built a heavily defended position by digging a long trench between the river and the Irish Sea.“

We can say that at that time was Linn Duachaill an important fortress, which has been used for many years. Similarly, we can ask why such a place actually settlers leaved? Apparently the second naval camp Duiblinn, present Dublin, grow faster because it was a more prominent place and subsequently people moved there, or as informed Heritagedaily it was „possibly because it lacked continuous access to the sea.“

Sources:

Anon. The Annals of Ulster. UCC: 2015. [online]. [cited 3. 1.2015]. Available: http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100001A/

Conor Macauley. Linn Duchaill: Ireland´s unlikely Viking capital. BBC: 2011. [online]. [cited 3. 1.2015]. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-15430864

Heritage Daily. Viking longphort of Linn Duachaill confirmed through Radio Carbon Dating. HERITAGEDAILY: 2011. [online]. [cited 3. 1.2015]. Available: http://www.heritagedaily.com/2011/10/viking-longphort-of-linn-duachaill-confirmed-through-radion-carbon-dating/11930

Jaroslav Petr. Ztracené město Vikingů objeveno. VTM.E15: n.d. [online]. [cited 3. 1.2015]. Available: http://vtm.e15.cz/aktuality/ztracene-mesto-vikingu-objeveno