Fingal – Fine Gall, the land of the Viking foreigners
Fingal takes its name from the medieval territory of Fine Gall, the 'tribe of the foreigners', which referred to the Viking settlers north of Dublin. The Vikings themselves called Dublin's hinterland Dyflinarskiri, and their influence shaped the area for generations.
A unique reminder of this mixed heritage is Fingallian, a now-extinct local language that blended Old and Middle English with Old Norse influences. As an administrative county, Fingal is young: it was created in 1994 as one of three successor counties when County Dublin was reorganised. Today it combines coastal towns, farmland and Dublin's northern suburbs. Do you know a Fingal story, a local tradition or family memory? Share it with the community!