The Vikings arrived in Ireland in the 9th century at a place they named "The Black Pool." This pool is formed just before the River Poddle connects with the River Liffey. From this point of interaction, the Vikings of Lochlonnaigh (the Irish word for Scandinavia) began to fortify the port, by creating the starts of what today is now Dublin Castle. Eventually, the Norse began to assimilate into the Irish culture. They set up many trading ports, like those at Waterford, Wexford, Limerick, and Cork. However, the most important of these settlements was still at "The Black Pool." King Olav (also known as Amlaíb Conung and Olafr the White) was one of these first Kings of Dublin. The Black Pool and the surrounding area were home to many battles, which can be seen from the Nordic perspective in the Orkneyinga Saga and from the Celtic in the Annals of Ulster and Cogadh.
Other names for the famous spot are "Dark Pool," "Deep Pool," and "Great Pool." Like the actual translation of the pool, the historical origination of the Black Pool is much debated. Some say it was from the Norse "Dov Linn" [1]. Others say it is from Dubh Linn originally, and the Vikings used the term after the fact. Before the Vikings invaded, the area was called "Baile Átha Cliath [2]." Archaeological discoveries show that the spot was inhabited by a ring fort in pre-Roman times.
The Annals of Ulster provide insight to the first Viking settlements. More information about the battles fought over Dublin can be found at Early Scandinavian Dublin.
Location edit
The Black Pool dried up long ago, but a park has been created where it once stood, now known as the "Dubh Linn Gardens [3]". It is a well-kept secret, hidden right behind the Dublin Castle, and the locals are more apt to visit it than tourists. There is very little information about it on the web, however, so thankfully some tourists managed to find their way around, and left wonderful blogs about their adventures.
- [http://gaelicgirls.wordpress.com/2011/07/06/land-ho-the-black-pool/ the Gaelic Girl Diaries
- [http://www.hidden-dublin.com/images/dublin/dub05.html Hidden-Dublin.com
Also, Ireland's Office of Public Works, or OPW gives some background on the site. [4]
Other variations of "Black Pool" edit
- Dark Pool
- Deep Pool
- Great Pool
- Dubh Linn
- Diflynn
- Duiblinn
References in Pop Culture edit
The band, "Deep Pool" [5] is named after the spot in honor of their Norse-Irish heritage.
See Also edit
- Dublin
- Ireland
- Vikings
- Early Scandinavian Dublin
- King Olaf
- History of Dublin
- History of Dublin to 795
References:
External Links edit
- [http://www.askaboutireland.ie/learning-zone/primary-students/looking-at-places/dublin-city/dublin-castle/viking-dublin/ Viking Dublin
- [http://www.goireland.com/blog/article/a-brief-history-of-dublin-city.html GoIreland.com
- [http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2003/0812/1060556239362.html The Irish Times
- [http://www.ncte.ie/viking/dubhist.htm A History of Viking Dublin
- [http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Deep-Pool/208304841240 Deep Pool's Facebook Page
- [http://www.reverbnation.com/#!/deeppool Deep Pool's Website