So there had to be a great amount of Vikings here. From here they attacked inland, they flattened all the monasteries in County Louth, they went to Armagh three times in one year, they went as far as the Shannon, deep into Longford. In an interview with the BBC, Michael McKeown, said “Dublin developed more as a trading town, this appeared to be more of a raiding town. Specialists from the British Museum and Cambridge University also discussed recent finds in Britain from newly discovered and similar Viking military sites and how Linn Duachaill and the Irish evidence will help to unravel the mysteries of these. Other topics discussed included how the discovery of the pristine site will have an important influence on the understanding of Viking Dublin (also founded in 841) and the nature of other longphorts in Ireland. Over the course of the weekend delegates to the Conference heard and discussed the nature of the area’s history ranging from the archaeological evidence uncovered at the site to the impact of changes to the area’s drainage system as outlined by local historian, Micheal McKeown. The archaeologists and historians believe that the archaeology of the fortress has remained largely untouched for nearly twelve centuries and both experts and locals hope that it will reveal much more about the very early period of Vikings following their arrival in Ireland. A Viking slave chain found in the river beside the longphort, Viking silver and iron fittings from longhips discovered during the excavation are among the extremely rare items on display in the County Museum. It was also used as a base for extensive raiding and attacks on the native Irish kingdoms and monasteries and probably served as a slave trading centre as well. The huge longphort was founded in 841 and is a Viking fortress built to protect the invading longships, warriors and civilian population. These were used by the Vikings living at Linn Duachaill. The National Museum of Ireland has also loaned the County Museum important Viking treasures discovered close to the longphort over the past centuries. The exhibition at the Museum has put on display for the first time many of the amazing archaeological finds discovered in September 2010 during the research archaeological excavation. The conference focussed on the unique importance of the recent discovery of Linn Duachaill longphort at Annagassan and highlighted its premier status in relation to very rare but similar sites in Ireland, Britain and Europe. The conference was held at Dundalk’s Town Hall, while the nearby County Museum Dundalk has also started an exhibition entitled ‘Raiders, Traders and Innovators The Vikings and County Louth’. Viking scholars from around the world came to the Irish communities of Dundalk and Annagassan last week to take part in a conference about the recently discovered fortress and longphort of Linn Duachaill.
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