Hello everyone and welcome back to the Viking Age podcast. My name is Lee and this is episode 21, the life and legend of Turgesh.

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For now, though, on to the history.

Last time, we had just finished discussing the impact of two massive Viking fleets, numbering 60 ships apiece, which had ravaged the eastern

kingdoms of Meath and Braga in 837. Churches, monasteries, fortifications, and settlements had all been

plundered by this gigantic force. The full might of the Southern O'Neill dynasty had come together to oppose these

raiders, and they had been crushed. The Irish had been put on notice that the raiders from

the north were getting more organized, their numbers were growing, and their interest in plundering

the valuables of Ireland was only increasing.

Today, we are going to see these trends continue to play out, as larger and larger Viking fleets continue to arrive throughout Ireland,

and take a more widespread and systematic approach to plunder.

The approach we're going to take today, though, is slightly different from that which we've been

following for the past couple of episodes. Rather than simply telling the narrative as it comes

down to us in the Irish Annals, we are first going to explore

these events by following the career of a Norse chieftain who is active in Ireland in

...