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SCANDINAVIAN ANTIQUITIES OF DUBLIN.
holy church as observed by the Church of England," 1
a decree, among others, so offensive, as disclosing
the real cause of the invasion, that the synod is not
even alluded to in the Annals of the Four Masters.
division of The four
Rejecting then the idea of any general
Ireland by the Scandinavians, can we discern the
appearance of organization in their settlements on
the eastern coast. Doubtless, it is there we find the
only four " Fiords " marked on the map of Ireland
Wexford and Waterford on the south of Dublin,
and Carlingford and Straugford on the north, Dublin
being the chief settlement, as it was when Wexford
and Waterford, Cork and Limerick were the settle-
ments occupied. It is also true that the names of
these four inlets of the sea are wholly Scandinavian,
and that the Northmen who occupied them some-
times acted in concert, supplying ships and men as
" "
Shiprathes might have been required to do, and
uniting these ships into one fleet and invading
England, Scotland, and Wales under one king or
military chief.*
Nevertheless, we think, that it is only in the
Ostman territory around Dublin we should seek for
analogy to the government of Norway and Scotland.
We do not refer to the adjoining district called
1
Lanigan Ecc. Hist., vol. iv., p. Helga," cap. Ixxxvii., p. 117., we
207. _ Dowling's Annals, Arch. find the name of another Fiord, at
Soc., Dub., 1849, p. 12, has it, whi ch a battle was fought, but
u That the Church of Irelaud is to there is no record of any settle-
observe uniformity with the Church ment, nor was the position of it
of England according to the rites known until Dr. Keeves(Down and
and ceremonies, &c., of the Church Connor, p. 265) showed that,
of Salisbury." Ulfrieksfiord " was a name for
3 In the " Saga af Olafi Hinon Larue Lough. The Irish name
*