History · 5th Year · The Vikings in Ireland · Summer Term

Settlement and the First Towns

How did Vikings change from raiders to settlers? Discover how they established longphorts, or ship-camps, which grew into Ireland's first major towns, including Dublin, Waterford, and Limerick.

TL;DR:Take your pupils on a journey to the bustling, smoky streets of Viking Dublin. This topic uncovers the real story of the Vikings as founders of Ireland's first towns.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA History: Early People and Ancient Societies - The Vikings

About This Topic

This topic delves into the establishment of Ireland's first towns by Viking settlers, focusing on Dublin as a primary case study. It aligns with the 'Life, society, work and culture in the past' strand of the primary school History curriculum, specifically exploring the transition from the Early Christian period to the Viking era. The core of this topic is historical inquiry through archaeology. By examining the evidence unearthed at sites like Wood Quay, pupils move beyond the stereotypical image of Vikings as mere raiders. They will discover a complex society of skilled craftspeople, international traders, and town-planners who laid the foundations for modern Dublin.

The learning journey encourages pupils to act as historians, analysing primary source evidence in the form of artefacts. They will explore the layout of a Viking settlement, the construction of their houses, their diet, clothing, and leisure activities. A key element is the comparison between the new urban life in a bustling Viking port and the established rural life in a native Irish ringfort. This contrast helps pupils to understand the profound impact the Vikings had on Irish society, introducing new technologies, trade links, and the very concept of the town to the island.

Key Questions

1. Identify three towns in Ireland that were founded by the Vikings.
2. Explain the difference between a Viking raid and a Viking settlement.
3. Analyse the importance of these new towns for trade and life in Ireland.

Learning Objectives

• Analyse images of artefacts to infer details about Viking crafts, trade, and daily life.
• Describe the key features of a Viking house and settlement in Dublin.
• Compare and contrast life in a Viking town with life in a rural Irish ringfort.
• Explain why Dublin was an important location for a Viking settlement.
• Identify at least three jobs or skills that were common in Viking Dublin.

Key Vocabulary

Artefact	An object made by a person, especially one of historical interest found by an archaeologist.
Archaeology	The study of the past by digging up remains, such as buildings and objects.
Settlement	A place where people make their homes and build a community.
Ringfort	A circular fortified home, common in Ireland during the Early Christian period, where a family or small community lived.
Wattle and Daub	A building material used for making walls, in which a woven lattice of wooden strips (wattle) is plastered with a sticky material (daub).
Longphort	An Irish word for a Viking ship enclosure or camp, often built beside a river and used as a base for raiding and trading.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

All Vikings wore horned helmets.

What to Teach Instead

This is a popular myth that likely started with 19th-century paintings and operas. Archaeologists have never found a real Viking helmet with horns; their helmets were typically simple metal or leather bowls.

Common Misconception

Vikings were just violent raiders who only came to steal.

What to Teach Instead

While raiding was part of their activity, many Vikings came to Ireland to trade and settle. They were skilled farmers, craftspeople, and sailors who built permanent towns like Dublin, Waterford, and Limerick, which became major centres of trade.

Common Misconception

Viking houses were just primitive, dirty huts.

What to Teach Instead

Archaeological digs show that Viking houses in Dublin were well-built rectangular structures made of wattle and daub, with organised hearths and sometimes even wooden floors. The settlements had planned layouts with property boundaries and wooden pathways.

Active Learning Ideas

Town Hall Meeting

Classroom Archaeology Dig

Create a 'dig box' using a large tub filled with sand. Bury replica Viking artefacts (e.g., coins, beads, pottery shards, a model comb) for pupils to excavate carefully with brushes and trowels. They must then record and draw their findings on a worksheet, hypothesising what each object was used for.

45 min·Small Groups

Town Hall Meeting

Viking Craftsperson's Workshop

Assign pairs a specific Viking craft, such as comb-making from antler, blacksmithing, or leatherworking. Using provided information sheets or child-safe websites, they create a poster or a short presentation explaining the craft, the materials used, and the skills needed.

60 min·Pairs

Town Hall Meeting

A Day in the Life Diary

Pupils write a diary entry from the perspective of a child their age living in either Viking Dublin or a rural Irish ringfort. They should include details about their home, daily chores, food, and something interesting that happened, based on what they have learned.

40 min·Individual

Real-World Connections

• Understanding the origins of Dublin and other Irish cities and recognising Viking street names.
• Appreciating how archaeology helps us piece together the story of our ancestors.
• Visiting the National Museum of Ireland to see the actual artefacts excavated from Wood Quay.
• Recognising the long history of trade and cultural exchange in shaping Ireland's identity.
• Learning how different cultures can influence each other in terms of language, art, and technology.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

Think-Pair-Share: Pupils discuss in pairs what a specific artefact (e.g., a glass bead) tells us about Viking life, before sharing with the class. This allows the teacher to gauge understanding.

Quick Check

Venn Diagram Comparison: Pupils complete a Venn diagram to compare and contrast daily life, housing, and jobs in Viking Dublin versus an Irish ringfort.

Quick Check

Traffic Light Check: Pupils use red, orange, or green cards or drawings to indicate their confidence in explaining what an archaeologist does.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it called Wood Quay?

A quay is a platform built alongside water for ships to dock. The Viking and medieval quays in this part of Dublin were built from wood, and archaeologists found layers of these wooden structures preserved in the wet ground.

What games did Viking children play?

Archaeologists have found evidence of games like hnefatafl (a type of board game), as well as small wooden toys like horses and ships, and ice skates made from animal bone. They likely played many of the same running and chasing games children play today.

Did the Vikings and the Irish get along?

It was complicated. There were many periods of fighting and raids, but there was also a lot of trade, inter-marriage, and cultural exchange. Over time, the Norse-Irish (as they became known) were a major part of Irish society.