In 793, a monastery on Lindisfarne in England was attacked by seafarers, that were likely to have come from present-day Norway. This represents the start of the 300-year-long Viking Age.    

The Scandinavian people didn’t just travel to Europe for violent raids; they also went on peaceful trade voyages and journeys of exploration, likely driven by both curiosity and the pursuit of wealth.     

Out on their travels, they obtained spectacular swords, silver, Oriental beads, church relics and slaves. Alongside these bounties, they also acquired vast trading networks and new ideas. Some also established themselves in new lands. The Vikings founded several of the cities in Ireland, such as Dublin, Cork and Limerick, and established settlements in Greenland.    

The artefacts in this exhibition tell the story of this dramatic era – starting in a society built around the farm and the Norse gods and ending with a state under one king and one God.    

The exhibition is created over three years, with different themes. The theme for this year is the Viking voyages.