This book comprises papers by Irish and overseas scholars on aspects of the Viking Age relating to Ireland and the western Viking world. The contributions focus on Viking-age archeology, history, linguistics, literature, numismatics, placenames and runology. The major themes explored in the book include Viking-age Ireland, the colonization of the North Atlantic, weapons and warfare, and the development of urbanism. Based on the XVth Viking Congress, which took place in Cork in 2005, this publication may be regarded as a quinennial review of Viking Studies by its leading proponents.