LEARNING THE WAYS OF THE VIKINGS

• The first part of the tour takes visitors through three buildings, the first of which is to be rebuilt after a fire. Observe the structure of the house, the massive cross beam "the Cleithe", and the wattling of the walls which gave the buildings a life of up to 15 years.

• After crossing a stream, visitors can then enter a detailed reconstruction of the house of a silversmith and his family and learn about the daily life of the Vikings. Animal skins, weapons and tools typically found in a Viking dwelling can be seen. A blacksmith’s tools and weaving loom are also featured. The first stone building in the process of being completed represents the slow conversion of the Vikings to Christianity.

• There is also a reconstruction of the excavated Viking settlement discovered at Wood Quay, considered to be the most important of its kind outside Scandinavia. The reconstruction features the historical development of the area from Viking times to the present day, and includes a wonderful reconstruction of what the Wood Quay excavation site looked like during the dig.

• The Feast Hall features a splendid life-size reproduction of a 30-metre long Viking longship. A short audio-visual presentation explains Viking shipbuilding and their navigational abilities.

• Dublin’s Viking Museum, operated by kind permission of the National Museum of Ireland, features a comprehensive presentation and interpretation of the archeological finds of recent excavations in Temple Bar.

Educational tools & preparing for your visit

The Centre offers a teacher’s pack and worksheets at both primary and secondary school level.
Guided tours are conducted in English.
A curator is on site to answer questions and can also be contacted to discuss any queries relating to the educational aspect of your visit. Subjects relating to the history of the Vikings, their conquest of Europe, archeological conservation, and Viking art techniques, are topics which might be developed prior to your visit.

The Centre constitutes a comprehensive, educational, and most important, very enjoyable expedition into the history of Dublin and the lives of its first urban inhabitants. The exhibition is entirely interactive, featuring live guides who answer your questions and demonstrate what daily life was like in the 10th century. The authentic reproduction of sights, sounds, and smells provides a novel way to learn historical facts.
You can learn how archeologists painstakingly excavate, date and conserve artefacts and recreate the details you will see during your tour.

Organize your trip

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