OTOH splendid generosity, informality and humor. This forbidding blade was mounted on a wooden haft of between 6 to 7 feet long (2 meters). The battle Axe had a blade with a wide cutting edge that ranged from 22 to 45cm (9-18 in) long. Weirdest old Irish custom I have heard of was ritually sucking on another man's nipples to indicate subservience sorta like the rest of the world might kiss a ring. The one-handed axe could also be used for other types of work, but the Viking battle axe was designed exclusively as a weapon of war. In Ireland the losers not infrequently were left alive otherwise unhurt with their eyes gouged out. So, throughout the Centuries the Irish, like their immediate kin in the Scottish Highlands were busy slaughtering each other and marrying their cousins, old school style. Pretty much, up until the English imported the Prod Borderers and Lowlanders in large numbers into Ulster, invading Ireland was pretty much like invading Mexico, a couple of generations and the invaders went Native. Also, point of interest, into the Elizabethan era Irish women were famous for their sexual freedom. And Irish girls weren't ugly, DNA says lots of 'em ended up in Iceland creating the present Scandinavian/Celtic hybrid population.
There's this "Viking Y" chromosome, originally from the Mediterranean, common in Scandinavian populations and today found in Scandinavia, Iceland, much of Scotland and in formerly Viking areas in the UK. Not always, and the really weird thing about the Vikings in Ireland is that they apparently left almost none of their DNA behind. But wait, folks will say, the Gallowglass were Norse/Hibernian hybrids from the Western Isles. The Gallowglass, big guys in chain mail with battle axes serving the highest bidder cut a wide swathe well into the 16th Century, again stubbornly retrograde until technology left 'em far behind. But a stubbornly retrograde culture, still running around barefoot with spears well into the Reformation, I mean geeze, they even rejected the stirrup. Mighty warriors down through the ages? Ya as individuals I guess. Some axes featured horns at both the heel and toe of the bit. Others axes were fitted with a cap at the end of the haft to protect the top from being damaged. Some axes’ blades were engraved with elaborate designs.
And the Irish as mercenary exiles in Europe established a sterling reputation. Viking battle axes were normally between one and five feet long (between 30 cm and 1.5 meters).
Throughout the millenia up until recent the Irish were mostly killing each other.