Wood Quay - Viking archaeological site in Dublin • Go-to-Ireland.com

Wood Quay is a Viking archaeological site in Dublin. This is an old wooden bridge on stilts, which once ran alongside the River Liffey. Today, the archaeological site is home to the Dublin City Council, and the remains are on display at the National Museum of Dublin.

History of Wood Quay

An ancient Viking wharf from the 9th century

It was during the Viking invasions in the 9th century that Dublin became a city of great influence. The city soon grew up around Dublin Castle and the Liffey River. To better accommodate the boats crossing the Liffey, the Vikings decided to build a wooden quay on stilts alongside the river: this was Wood Quay.

Unfortunately, the quay has not withstood the centuries and Dublin’s many development projects. Between 1950 and 1975, Dublin City Council eventually acquired the land on which Wood Quay had been built, and decided to build its new premises there.

It was on this occasion that numerous archaeological remains were discovered. These include :

pottery
jewelry
wooden planks
clothing
as well as traces of the coating that stabilized the quay at the time, despite the constant dampness of the river.

The Site was finally destroyed by Dublin City Council

The discovery was colossal, and a public campaign was launched to call a halt to the Dublin City Council’s work. More than 20,000 demonstrators took to the streets of Dublin on September 23, 1978, to protest against the construction of the modern premises of Dublin City Council. (We’ll call this event “The Viking March”, as it runs from Kildare Street to Wood Quay).

Unfortunately, this campaign proved unsuccessful, and the premises were finally built. Only a preventive excavation operation was carried out before the building was erected, enabling the city to collct all possible remains of Wood Quay. These have since been exhibited at the National Museum of Dublin.

Visit Wood Quay

A site whose remains are on display at the National Museum of Dublin

Wood Quay is a site that still exists, but now houses only the offices of Dublin City Council. Nevertheless, you can admire the fabulous Viking remains at the National Museum of Dublin, which exhibits all the artefacts discovered during excavations carried out in the 1970s.

Visits are free, and the collection is truly exceptional, and of the highest quality. You’ll find a wealth of jewelry and weapons (swords, daggers), not to mention a few shreds of clothing from the period.