A joint excavation in southern Ireland may have uncovered the largest Viking settlement ever identified on the island. The site, known as Woodstown near Waterford, is the focus of an ongoing international dig.
Archaeologists from the University of Stavanger’s Archaeological Museum in Norway are collaborating with Irish partners. The Royal Irish Academy funds the project, alongside the Discovery Programme Ireland, Waterford City and County Council, and Abarta Heritage.
Kristin Armstrong-Oma, museum director and professor of archaeology at the University of Stavanger, said what has been uncovered appears to be the remains of a large longhouse or great hall.
If confirmed, she said, it would rank as the largest Viking settlement identified in Ireland to date. Early evidence also suggests Woodstown was more than a raiding base, functioning as a major hub for trade, commerce, and industry.
Ireland’s largest Viking settlement survived the centuries untouched
Unlike Dublin or Waterford, Woodstown never grew into a modern city. That has left the site largely intact. Researchers describe it as a “fossilized” settlement, one that preserved its Viking-era layers over time.
Previous Irish excavations at Woodstown found the grave of a Viking warrior with a sword. The current dig is adding context about where these settlers originally came from.
Archaeologists may have uncovered the largest Viking settlement in Ireland at Woodstown near Waterford, where ongoing excavations are revealing a remarkable hub of trade and Norse industry. pic.twitter.com/bPOGXQdPZa
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) June 15, 2026
Armstrong-Oma said researchers found a metal fitting fragment likely from a cross, reliquary, or religious manuscript. These objects are common in Rogaland, a region in southwestern Norway, and point to looting from churches or monasteries.
That, she said, connects Woodstown directly to Rogaland and points to the site as a link between Norway and Ireland during the Viking Age.
The Archaeological Museum in Stavanger holds the largest collection of such artifacts in Scandinavia. Many are now on display in the recently opened “World of the Vikings” exhibition.
Silver coins, soapstone, and DNA link Woodstown to Norway
From the mid-800s, Scandinavians began settling in regions they had previously only raided. According to the sagas, people from Rogaland led the colonization of Iceland and Greenland, and Vikings from the region were especially active in Ireland.
Associate professor and archaeologist Håkon Reiersen said excavators found weight coins for measuring silver, along with crucibles, raw metal, and slag, all pointing to active metalworking and trade.
Reiersen also pointed to a soapstone pot fragment found at the site. Irish archaeologists had never seen the material before, he said. Soapstone is native to Norway, and its presence confirms that Vikings transported goods from there directly to Ireland.
DNA analysis of Viking Age graves in Ireland has confirmed Norwegian genetic markers in both male and female remains. Reiersen said settlers often kept their Scandinavian identity while adapting to new surroundings, building communities with their own mixed traditions.
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