Linn Duachaill

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Linn Duachaill was a Viking longphort near Annagassan, south of Dundalk in County Louth in Ireland . Three other Irish places are as so-called Longphorts ( Irish longphoirt ) viewed - Athlunkard (Irish Áth Longfoirt ) in County Clare , Dunrally Fort in County Laois and Woodstown near Waterford .

Linn Duachaill was built in 841 at the same time as the winter camp of Dubh Linn ( Dublin ). In contrast to Dublin, the 150 hectare settlement was abandoned. Linn Duachaill is mentioned in the Irish annals of the 840s. The Viking Turgesius is said to have founded Dubh Linn and Linn Duachaill.

For 50 years, Linn Duachaill was an important starting point for raids in Northern Ireland and Great Britain . In 891 the Vikings were driven out by local Irish rulers. They returned 20 years later and Linn Duachaill appears to have been used as a naval base until around 927. In its early stages, Linn Duachaill appears to have rivaled Dublin for the leading role as a fleet base on Ireland's east coast. However, the situation appeared to be unfavorable to the development of a settlement and it was dwarfed and eventually abandoned by Dublin.

Linn Duachaill was discovered on a flat area on the River Glyde in 2010 after archaeologists and geophysicists found a pattern of straight trenches between 2005 and 2007, in contrast to the circular forts used by the Irish population. Three test trenches were dug; The team around the archaeologist Mark Clinton found an earthwork , consisting of a wall and a deep moat, which protected the place on one side, while the other sides were secured by the River Glyde and the Irish Sea . Finds include a brooch, part of a human skull, ship rivets, a piece of silver chalice and other Irish metalwork, a scale and a spindle whorl .

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Coordinates: 53 ° 53 '19.7 "  N , 6 ° 21' 28.1"  W.