In this episode we get the lay of the political, religious and social landscape of Viking Age Ireland.

Now, while it might seem excessive to spend an entire episode on Ireland in a Podcast about Vikings, it is essential to understand the nature of Irish politics and culture prior to the arrival of Scandinavians. Spending time on this now will help us put Norse-Irish interaction into perspective, and help to explain the sometimes surprising role that Scandinavians were to play in Ireland over the coming centuries.

Plus, this stuff is just plain interesting! So I hope you enjoy.