The first recorded Viking raid on Ireland was in AD795. This raid, on the monastery at Rathlin Island off the Antrim coast, was just the beginning of many years of Viking attacks on Christian communities across Ireland. But why were the monasteries and churches such prime targets for the Vikings?
This is part of The World Around Us section of BBC Bitesize KS2 level. For more Bitesize content, head to bbc.co.uk/bitesize
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