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Ireland’s introduction to slavery began with Viking raids. Starting in 795 AD, Norse invaders pillaged monastic towns like Armagh and Kildare, capturing Irish men and women as slaves. Many were taken to Scotland, Norway, and Iceland, where they were ransomed, sold, or forced into labor.

In 875, Irish slaves in Iceland staged a rebellion, one of the largest in Europe since the fall of Rome. By 1014, after the pivotal Battle of Clontarf, Viking dominance waned, and thousands of slaves were freed.