In 795 AD the Vikings first appeared in Ireland. The Vikings were a fierce lot from Scandinavia. At first they engaged only in coastal raids sparing much of the Island. As their confidence and appetite for loot grew they began traveling up the rivers moving inland. The Vikings came to Ireland to pillage and plunder in waves over the next several centuries.
Although a considerable number of Vikings were ruthless murdering thieves many were not all bad. Some Vikings were just looking for new opportunities and wanted to establish trading settlements. Many settled down and intermarried with the Irish. The Vikings did some really good things for Ireland. The Vikings introduced advanced trade and coinage to the land. They also contributed significantly to the fields of navigation, fishing and shipping. The Vikings established many settlements in Ireland including those, which would become: Dublin, Limerick, Cork, Wicklow, Waterford and Wexford.
The one and only King of Ireland was a man named Brian Boru. He was the King of Munster. Brian Boru was able to accomplish something that no other man could. He united all of Ireland under his direction. By unifying the forces of Ireland under his direction he was able to defeat the last of the warring Vikings at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014. Unfortunately, he was killed during the battle and the leadership of Ireland was once again set adrift.
