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NEW RESEARCH HAS found that the population of Ireland was decline for 300 years before the Vikings came here.
Scientists from Queen’s University Belfast have analysed data from the years 400 to 1200 and found that human activity in Ireland varied greatly during the period.
The data comes from radiocarbon dating taken from archaeological objects found during the construction of motorways and other projects.
Published in the Journal of Agricultural Science, the research has formed along-term population model has been developed for Ireland and found that the arrival of Vikings came following three centuries of population decline.
This model challenges the previously held understanding that population in Ireland grew steadily until the Famine in the 1840s.
Speaking RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, one of the lead researchers Rowan McLaughlin of QUB’s School of Natural and Built Environment says the Irish population went into decline around the year 700 before the first Viking settlements came around the turn of the new millennium.
“What we do know is that the decline happened very gradually. It was a serious decline but it happened year-on-year and so there was no one cause. So it wasn’t like the potato famine or a catastrophic war or any one-off event,” he explains.
But rather there was a whole series of different things that worked in society that really reduced fertility rates and reduce the number of children that women were able to have and made society in general go into a kind of downturn that was gradual but nonetheless series and persistent.
McLaughlin outlines that Vikings built settlements and brought new technology to Ireland and that their population growth was both among themselves and with native people.
“When the native society was in recession, so to speak, the Vikings enabled a different kind of growth and steered society in a different society altogether,” he says.
There was definitely trouble with these new settlers but there was also a degree of cooperation. The Vikings were perhaps more successful than the native Irish in having children of their own but there’s also plenty of evidence to state that they intermarried with the native population and really caused quite a big splash over the next centuries.
Guarding against giving all the credit to Vikings, McLaughlin added the native Irish population was always “relatively healthy” and had survived other population declines previously.
He also noted that there are also Irish genes in Scandinavia due to the “dark history” of Irish slaves being brought back by Vikings.
And now, lets get onto the important stuff… the lotto. The last lotto I monitored for integrity was very interesting, because the people who ran the lotto, actually won it! So it’s not unusual for that to happen, now and again
@Dan The Man: listen Dan most readers do not know but you are well known for pulling your own name from the drum of the local gaa draw the two times you were asked to officiate
@Dan The Man: and the guy that won it didn’t know he’d won it cause he was holding the ticket upside down!! Number 11 I think, was the winning number!!
@Shane Doyle: the dirty dog
It might make for an awkward TV viewing experience, but maintaining public faith in the integrity of all the draws, would be better served by continuing the live broadcast with any technical difficulties included.
Bertie Ahern won it
@Mary Toilet: RTE CFO won it
@Dman: YAWN…….
@Mojo Jubjub: Yawn Yawn!!
@Dman: Are you all out of original ideas this morning?
@Patrick MC Dermott: I am. Please don’t hold it against me. I’m really sound once you get to know me.
@Mary Toilet: He did the lotto in the bookies, won a few 5 number accumulators, clever guy, hid the cash under the strawberry patch, got paid in cash, bought shares in ‘Meanies’ crips and sold at the right time. Who needs a bank account.
@Dman: why be boring? It makes no sense
@Mary Toilet: is it still resting in his account
As for slight of hand by FFG on tax increases with comments closed, seems the journal has lost all dignity too
@Davy: This seems to upset you a lot.
Do you have a need to tell others you opinion?
Is validation or the approval of strangers something important to you?
@Alison Hughes: I would imagine it’s more of the fact that it was an exceptional site for debate up until quite recently and people enjoyed the debates in general. 90% were done with a degree of respect to opposing views and it was a an opportunity to get a sense of public support on topics.
I am a rare poster but I enjoyed the discussions and back and forth. And despite a small minority of completely entrenched views it was nice to see at times people coming around to understanding at least parts of other viewpoints! If your argument is the correct one it could clearly be won without silencing opposition which only drives fringe elements beliefs. Put it out there.
I for one miss that aspect of the site which seems now to only want one consensus view that aligns with there articles.
@R B: From a casual observer’s perspective, the comment section can be broken down into 3 groups;
1) the people that have a need for their opinions to be heard…a sort of validation, if you will.
2) those that feel the “establishment” are conspiring against them and post in the comments section as nobody anywhere else would listen to them.
3) those that feel they know better than those appointed to positions of responsibility, e.g. those that feel able to say our Taoiseach is this, that or the other when they themselves come nowhere near having achieved any level of success.(This group is the most humorous as they remind me of a security guard on the gate of Microsoft who thinks they run the company!)
@Alison Hughes: which group are you in ?? :)
All jokes aside I think you have about 25% there and I agree with elements of what you say but at least some of them have to right about something’s so we can’t just decide we are right and they shouldn’t be heard is the key point imo. Let ppl have there say it doesn’t affect us. Debate if you want ignore if you want but let them speak.
I did chuckle at the security guard comparison. Life would be boring if we all taught in same way. And it’s differing opinions and debate that leads to innovation.
Today is day be out in sun. Hope you have great day
@R B: I agree with you 100% and you hit the nail on the head saying life would be boring if we all thought the same…It’s the sense of “injustice” that many feel when they can’t comment on an online article that makes me laugh!
They are like toddlers screaming to be heard!
The sun is indeed out and you’re right about being out in it!
Have a great day too!
@Davy: Haha! …and the Shinners won’t put taxes up!?? Hahahaha
@R B & Alison: Agree with you both. Spot on.
@MTB Mayo: what have SF to do with the lotto
Brendan Howlin won the lotto many years ago when he was responsible for flogging it off to premier lotteries
No winner .
Lol.
Need your head examined to play this..
@Davy: that would be your expert opinion, would it?
My only issue with the integrity of the Lotto, is that all the profits are funding foreign investors. The Lotto boasts that it contributes four million Euro every week towards Irish causes. I’d love to see evidence of that! It also shows the problem we have with gambling in this country. – How much is given towards rehabilitation of gambling addicts I wonder? Integrity, my ass!
Surprised comments are even open for this one
RTE and trust. Never to be the same again. That bastion of truth the bbc has been steadily losing its credibility too. Where will ordinary Joe and Joan go to for their world view ?
Reminds me of Father Ted.
“Number 11, number 11, …what’s that Dougal, you are the winner?” “Ah sorry Ted, I was looking at the ticket upside down”
“The money was just ‘resting’ in my account. Did an RTÉ staff member win it?
The draw is not done live its pre-recorded… what are they at?
Even been drawing twice I could win a washer
@The Gate Florist: What???
@Alison Hughes: I was going to tell a joke about washing machines, but it was too dirty.
Ah yep.
One of the greatest scams of all times
@Jb Walshe: another know all expert. I suppose you have proof of this.
So do we get a refund?
Number 11 …
Colm O Gorman loves any balls
@Mary Toilet: considering the man was sexualy abused and raped by men, that’s a particularly horrific comment
So was the draw Void ? Or is it allowed to stand ? Serious question. As it is a visual draw !!
have your say