Dr Elizabeth Boyle is Head of Early Irish at Maynooth University and an accomplished historian of the medieval world. She has a doctorate from Cambridge University in Anglo Saxon, Norse and Celtic Studies. Lizzie, as she is known, lives between Ireland and England. In this audio interview Helen Shaw gets Lizzie to describe what Ireland was like, as a political and economic society, at the time of the Norse Vikings invasion and settlements in the 9th Century. Lizzie gives a picture of the normalcy of slavery both in Irish society and in the Viking world and gives context to the story of Melkorka the supposedly mute Irish slave princess of the Icelandic Sagas - in the Laxdaela Saga.
To find out more about Elizabeth Boyle's work and research visit:
www.maynoothuniversity.ie/people/elizabeth-boyle
Her personal blog, full of interesting treasures, is here thecelticist.ie/
to find out more about our project go to www.mothersbloodsistersongs.com

Music is Numarimur by Linda Buckley - find out more about Linda's work on
www.lindabuckley.org/