Norwegian Viking city-states in Ireland – notably Dublin – could be found in the 10th Century A.D.
MARY VALANTE – Ph.D. Pennsylvania State University – Professor at Appalachian State University
Dr Kolkey,
I suppose it depends on the exact time period you were discussion. There is excellent, direct primary source evidence for Viking-Age Ireland to prove that Dublin and Limerick very much opposed each other, often militarily. Each had its own direct, controlled hinterland (so the city-state model you propose is a perfectly accurate one for the time), and each had a further peripheral zone in which it acted, not just to raid and to trade, but in which is deliberately acted to prevent other Viking groups from gaining a foothold.
The two towns, or at least their leadership, were clearly motivated by economic self-interest. The concept of the "War of the Irish with the Foreigners" is nothing but propaganda. Vikings from Limerick had their own Irish allies, usually enemies of the Irish allies who worked with Dublin. The people of Dublin and Limerick, as near as I can tell, never allied with one another.
Now, if you were to ask if these same factions continue, say, after 1169 (or even past 1014), that would be much harder to prove. In act I suspect different political and economic pressures by that time had become more important than old rivalries.
When it comes to how the leaders of Dublin and Limerick motivated their followers, I'm afraid we just don't have the right sorts of sources to say.
I hope this helps you,
Mary
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CLARE DOWNHAM – Ph.D. Cambridge University – Professor at University of Aberdeen
Dear Jonathon,
(1) yes and 2) yes. This relates to the viking towns of Ireland (not really city states for the period I’m dealing with) can I recommend that you read the chapter on Ireland in my book Viking Kings of Britain and Ireland to get an insight into this. You should be able to find it in a nearby library or order through interlibrary loan. On the anaysis of Hiberno-Scandinavian towns using the city state model there is a good article by Poul Holm in this book http://openlibrary.org/b/OL3988087M/comparative-study-of-thirty-city-state-cultures
All the best,
Clare
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