Early Scandinavian Dublin - This article is concerned with the
History of Dublin between 795 and 902 CE and follows History of
Dublin: Earliest times to 795. The First Viking Age lasted from
795, when Viking raids on Irish settlements began, until 902,
when the ruling Norse dynasty was expelled from Dublin. This
period of Irish history is characterised by a series of
conflicts involving the native Irish and two Viking factions
that the Irish called Dubgaill and Finngaill. The fluctuating
fortunes of these three groups and their shifting alliances,
together with the inadequacy of contemporary records and the
inaccuracy of later accounts, make this period one of the most
complicated and least understood in the fledgling city's
history.  Early Viking raids In the year 795 Vikings (probably
of Norwegian origin) raided islands off the coast of Ireland for
the first time. This was the beginning of a new phase of Irish
history, which saw many native communities — particularly
ecclesiastical ones — relocate themselve