Hi, Ben.
There's no question that the Vikings raided many areas of Ireland and
elsewhere. They initially did rape, plunder and pillage (one can't avoid
that fact), but later they settled many areas, and Viking leaders and
soldiers/warriors often married local women.
So in some cases, Viking names did take hold, particularly for geographic
areas. Some aspects of Viking names also stayed on in Irish names (and, of
course, names in other languages.)
So Carlingford did come from somewhere, and our research indicates that it
relates to "Cairlinn's fjord." I can't discuss whether this was
Cairlinn=Carlin or Cairlinn=Carling, since both spellings are variants of
one another, but the Carlingford name apparently does come from a Viking
named Cairlinn.
However, none of this is in any way documented. We know the name had to come
from somewhere, and the above story may be true, and probably is. And we
obviously have to accept the fact that we won't ever find any records or
documentation to back up this story.
But, in actuality, we don't know anything at all about Cairlinn. We presume
that, since his name is on the fjord in Ireland, that he was a leader of
some sort, since geographic sites weren't normally named after soldiers.
But was Cairlinn a Viking longboat captain? A high-ranking aide to the
chief of an expedition? Was he of noble ancestry, thus making him a
longboat captain? Or did he achieve his captaincy through fighting?
My guess is that it's safe to say that Cairlinn was a Viking longboat
captain. IMHO, this is probably true (although undocumented).
For a version of this story, which is supported by the folks in Carlingford,
check out our Carlingford website,
http://www.attorney.carlin.net/carlingford-history.htm. It has the Cairlinn
Viking saga, and I think you'll enjoy reading it.
IMHO, the principal expert on the origins of the Carlin name is Mr. Colin
Carlin of England, who has been researching this matter for more than 20
years. His email address is ColinCarlin(a)compuserve.com, and I'm sure he'll
be glad to respond to any questions you may have about the Cairlinn saga.
With best wishes,
Fred