A new excavation at Woodstown in southeast Ireland is once again drawing attention to a Viking Age site that could turn out to bethe largest of its kind identified in the country. Archaeologists working near the River Suir, close to Waterford City, are currently investigating a large buried structure.
What makes Woodstown stand out is not just what is being uncovered, but what may still be hidden. The site has remained largely undisturbed beneath farmland for centuries. Unlike Viking-era centres such as Dublin or Waterford, which were continuously rebuilt and reshaped over time, this area escaped later urban development. As a result, early medieval layers appear to have survived in place, almost sealed beneath the modern landscape.
Woodstown was first identifiedin 2003 during works for the N25 Waterford bypass. At the time, excavations reported by Waterford City & County Council revealed enclosing ditches, traces of craft production, and a high-status Viking warrior burial. But those early discoveries may now represent only a fraction of what lies beneath the fields.
A Large Structure At The Heart Of The Site
The current excavation is focused on a substantial feature detected throughgeophysical survey. It sits near the centre of the settlement and is large enough to stand out clearly in the data, prompting archaeologists to open it up for investigation.
Professor Kristin Armstrong-Oma of the University of Stavanger’s Museum of Archaeology describes the remains as appearing to be “a very longhouse or large hall.” In Viking society, buildings of this type often functioned as gathering places, administrative centres, and hubs for storage and exchange.
If the interpretation is confirmed, the structure could represent the largest Viking-period building identified in Ireland so far. As a University of Stavanger statement explained, researchers involved in the project note that this would also strengthen the idea that Woodstown was not a temporary camp, but a more structured and long-term settlement.
Life, Trade, and Craft Along Riverbanks
Earlier excavations already suggested that Woodstown was active on multiple economic levels. Finds include silver weighing equipment, crucibles, raw metal fragments, and slag, all pointing to metalworking and controlled trade.
Associate Professor Håkon Reiersen of the University of Stavanger’s Museum of Archaeology has highlighted that both trade and craft production clearly took place on site. His interpretation places Woodstown within wider Viking Age exchange networks that moved goods such as silver, textiles, livestock, and metal products across the Irish Sea region.
The site’s position along the River Suir helps explain this activity. The river offered access inland while also connecting to sea routes leading toward Britain and Scandinavia.
Artefacts Connecting Ireland and Norway
Among the most striking finds is a decorated metal fitting, likely originating from a church or monastic object. Researchers from the University of Stavanger note that similar items are well known in Rogaland, in southwest Norway.
“We have found a type of object that is very commonly found in Rogaland: a fragment of metal fittings from a cross, a reliquary, or a manuscript from a church or monastic setting,” Armstrong-Oma explained.
Another significant discovery is fragments of a soapstone vessel. Soapstone was widely used in Norway for heat-resistant cooking pots, but it is rare in Ireland.
“Such objects are evidence of plundering or extortion. This establishes a direct link between Woodstown and Rogaland and suggests that Woodstown served as an intermediary between Norway and Ireland at that time,” she concluded.
