Welcome to County Wexford

A RICH HISTORY

The Viking Arrival

For the Vikings who lived by raiding and trading, sturdy ships were a necessity. The ship pictured on the right has been modelled on an 11th century Viking ship found at Roskilde, Denmark, which was built in Ireland around 1060 AD. From Norway, the Vikings had come to Ireland at the end of the 8th century, first for plunder, but later for trade and commerce. Soon they began to stay in Ireland during the winter. This meant setting up some sort of fortification to protect themselves and their ships. The settlement would have been surrounded by a wall and ditch. These gradually grew into bigger establishments, where trade was carried on. Slaves, wine, delicacies like figs and olives, and other luxury goods changed hands in return for the cowhides and products of Irish agriculture. In this way the first Irish towns, including Wexford, Waterford, Dublin and Limerick were established.

The Norman Period

The Normans arrived in Ireland in 1169 at the invitation of Dermot MacMurrough, deposed king of Leinster. They quickly established themselves as overlords in Eastern Ireland. For these Early Normans, a castle was a status symbol as well as being a military strong point - it was built to be seen from afar. Gleaming white, and built on a hill, the whitewashed residence of the feudal lord stood out in the landscape, emphasizing his dominance of the social and military scene. Lime-wash had been used in Ireland from at least the 8th century. An imposing gatehouse, reflecting the lord's importance and personality, gave entry to the bailey. The principal buildings within were the hall where the lord ate in public, held council, or delivered justice, the chamber block where the lord resided, the granary and the chapel. From the Bailey a wooden footbridge led into the tower, the last line of defence. In the event of an attack the footbridge would be destroyed to prevent enemy access.

VU Index ¦ Week 1 ¦ Week 2 ¦ Week 3 ¦ Week 4 ¦ Week 5 ¦ Week 6 ¦ Week 7

© MacKenzie Design August 2000