This group of invaders certainly changed the course of Irish history and left a lasting legacy on the island’s gene pool, and they are usually recognised as blonde-haired invaders, pirates and warriors, who travelled by sea from Scandinavia to raid and eventually settle on the island.
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Viking whalebone plaque: National Museum Ireland - Archaeology |
- Irish Vikings derive much of their genetic ancestry from Norway
- English Vikings show sharp ancestral differences with their Irish counterparts, with much stronger Danish influences
- Many Vikings had brown hair, not blonde, including the famous Eyrephort warrior from Co. Galway
- Viking identity in Britain and Ireland was not limited to those of Scandinavian ancestry
- An individual buried in the Viking tradition from Ship Street Great is mostly of local origin
The six-year project also saw researchers from the National Museum of Ireland and Trinity College Dublin become part of the international effort to decode the genetic make-up of the Viking world. The results debunk the modern image of the typical Viking as a blonde-haired Scandinavian warrior.
You can find out more about this important project and its discoveries on the TCD website.