The First Irish Proto-towns ~ some new research

From Articles – Story Archaeology by Chris Thompson and Isolde Carmody

February 4, 2026

About this episode

This episode discusses new archaeological research that challenges previous beliefs about early settlements in Ireland.

Among the generally agreed ideas about early settlements in Ireland were that you wouldn’t expect to find hill forts, as might be found located in the Uk or on the continent and that the first permanent towns were introduced by the Vikings. However, some recent archaeological research has changed all of this.  On the 8th...

People in this episode

Hosts: Chris Thompson, Isolde Carmody

Topics covered

archaeology
Irish history
settlements
proto-towns
Viking influence

Keywords

Irish proto-towns
archaeological research
hill forts
Vikings
early settlements

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Ireland, Uk, continent