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Ivar of Waterford

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Ivar of Waterford (Irish: Ímar, rí Puirt Láirgi; Old Norse: Ívar) (died 1000) was the Norse king of Waterford from at least 969 until his death in the year 1000, and also reigned as King of Dublin, possibly from 989 to 993,[1] and certainly again for less than a year between 994 and 995, returning after his expulsion from the city in 993 by Sigtrygg Silkbeard, who would expel him for good the next time.

Like his relation and contemporary Ivar of Limerick, and with whom he may actually be confused in one or two instances, Ivar's parentage is a little uncertain. However Clare Downham argues that his claim to Dublin and the names of his sons and grandsons suggest he did belong to the Uí Ímair dynasty.[2] In 1867 James Henthorn Todd suggested him as a son of another Ímar, slain in battle against Ruaidrí ua Canannáin in 950,[3] and assumed to be a son of the powerful Ragnall ua Ímair,[4] King of Northumbria, who occupied Waterford and raided Munster from it in the second decade of the 10th century before moving on to take Scandinavian York. Ivar of Waterford had children and grandchildren also named Ragnall. Mary Valante agrees with Todd.[5]

Career

Ivar appears to have had a long and active career, and is first noted in 969 allied with, among several other parties, Mathgamain mac Cennétig of Dál gCais, to defend the Osraige against an attack by Murchad mac Finn, King of Leinster.[6] In 982 Ivar plundered Kildare.[7] In 983 he was allied with the king of Leinster Domnall Claen of the Uí Dúnlainge in a major battle against Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill of Clann Cholmáin, High King of Ireland, and Glúniairn (son of Amlaíb Cuarán), the king of Dublin, in which his side suffered a rout and many were slain, with his son Gilla Pátraic and others of distinction among the dead.[8] Máel Sechnaill then ravaged Leinster. A year later in 984 Ivar appears to have entered into an alliance with Brian Bóruma (successor of Mathgamain), and with Maccus mac Arailt and Gofraid mac Arailt, Kings of Mann and the Isles, turning from his alliance with Leinster to agree to attack both that kingdom and Dublin. According to Clare Downham, "their combined armies ravaged through the province but do not appear to have reached Dublin".[9] She also suggests that Ivar's dynasty's long alliance with Dál gCais may have aided Brian in his later quest to dominate Ireland, and offers evidence of a similar long alliance with the Osraige.[10]

Nine years later in 993 he is reported in the Annals of Inisfallen as being expelled from Dublin, possibly after having reigned there from 989, by Glúniairn's brother Sigtrygg Silkbeard,[11] but according to the Annals of the Four Masters this was achieved "through the intercession of the saints".[12] A year or two later in 994 or 995 Ivar is noted for expelling Sigtrygg from the kingship.[13] However he would only reign for a short time as Silkbeard returned to force him out later in 995.[14]

Ivar's last known activity was a raid into Uí Cheinnselaig in Leinster in 998, where his army lost some men and the greater part of their horses.[15] The annals report him dying two years later, but do not mention the cause.

Family

Again, Ivar was very likely a grandson of Ragnall ua Ímair, although the precise line of descent is uncertain, and the middle generation, that of the "Imhar, Tanist of the foreigners" slain in a major battle against Ruaidrí ua Canannáin in 950, is only an educated guess made by Todd and followed by Valante.

The names of Ivar's wife or wives are unknown but one was likely the daughter of Donnubán mac Cathail,[16] king of Uí Fidgenti, probably by a daughter or granddaughter of Ivar of Limerick. Another may have been a daughter of an Osraige dynast,[17] possibly Gilla Pátraic mac Donnchada, king of Osraige.

His known descendants were:[18]

  • Gilla Pátraic (died 983) - name suggests association with the Osraige as well as Christian identity [19]
  • Ragnall (died 995)
  • Donndubán (died 996) - an extremely rare name, thus probably a grandson of Donndubán mac Cathail
  • Ragnall mac Ímair, king of Waterford (died 1018) - Ivar's successor
    • ? mac Ragnaill (died 1015)
    • Ragnall mac Ragnaill, king of Waterford (died 1035)
  • Sihtric mac Ímair, king of Waterford (died 1022)

According to Seán Duffy, Ivar and his family engaged in a nearly century-long debilitating feud with the descendants of Amlaíb Cuarán, eventually resulting in the loss of control of Norse Dublin to the Irish Uí Cheinnselaig and Uí Briain dynasties,[20] although this argument depends on whether or not Echmarcach mac Ragnaill was a descendant of Ivar. He argues Echmarcach was a son or grandson of one of the Ragnalls above (died 1018 or 1035). Benjamin Hudson has argued Echmarcach was not, and that his paternal grandfather was Gofraid mac Arailt.[21] Colmán Etchingham agrees with Hudson while Alex Woolf has voiced (to Etchingham) agreement with Duffy.[22]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Etchingham, p. 181
  2. ^ Downham 2007, pp. 56–7
  3. ^ Annals of the Four Masters 948.15[950]
  4. ^ Todd, p. 294
  5. ^ Valante, p. 178
  6. ^ Annals of the Four Masters 967.12[969]
  7. ^ Annals of Ulster 982.4; Annals of Tigernach 982.2
  8. ^ Annals of Ulster 983.2; Annals of Tigernach 983.1; Chronicon Scotorum 983; Annals of the Four Masters 982.5[983]
  9. ^ Downham 2007, pp. 56–7
  10. ^ Downham 2004, p. 89, 94
  11. ^ Annals of Inisfallen 993.6
  12. ^ Annals of the Four Masters 992.21[993]
  13. ^ Annals of Tigernach 995.1; Annals of the Four Masters 994.6
  14. ^ Annals of Clonmacnoise 988[995]; Downham 2007, p. 261
  15. ^ Annals of the Four Masters 997.10[998]
  16. ^ Todd, pp. 295, 249
  17. ^ Downham 2004, p. 89
  18. ^ Downham 2007, p. 56; Duffy, pp. 95 ff.
  19. ^ Downham 2004, p. 89, claims the name was already common among the Osraige at this time, but this is not the case. In fact their first was probably Gilla Pátraic mac Donnchada (died 996), possibly the father of one of Ivar's wives. However, this king of Osraige was in fact slain by Ivar's son Donndubán and Domnall mac Faelain, king of the Déisi. Thus the situation was obviously complicated. Possibly good relations had briefly turned sour, or it was a personal feud.
  20. ^ Duffy, Irishmen and Islesmen
  21. ^ Hudson, Viking Pirates
  22. ^ Etchingham, "North Wales, Ireland and the Isles"

References

Annals
  • Annals of Clonmacnoise, translated by Connell MacGeoghegan (1627), ed. Denis Murphy (1896). The Annals of Clonmacnoise. Dublin: Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland.
  • O'Donovan, John, ed. (1856). Annála Rioghachta Éireann. Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters ... with a Translation and Copious Notes. 7 vols. Translated by O'Donovan (2nd ed.). Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. CELT editions. Full scans at Internet Archive: Vol. 1; Vol. 2; Vol. 3; Vol. 4; Vol. 5; Vol. 6; Indices.
  • Seán Mac Airt, ed. (1944). The Annals of Inisfallen (MS. Rawlinson B. 503). Translated by Mac Airt. Dublin: DIAS. Edition and translation available from CELT.
  • Annals of Tigernach, ed. & partial trans. by Whitley Stokes (1895–1897). "The Annals of Tigernach". Revue Celtique. 16–18. (= Vol. 16 (1895), p. 374-419; 17 (1896), p. 6-33, 116-263, 337-420; 18 (1897), p. 9-59, 150-197, 267-303, 390-391). Edition available from CELT and Full PDF at Internet Archive. Full translation by Gearóid Mac Niocaill (2010), The Annals of Tigernach. Unpublished electronic file ed. by Emer Purcell and Donnchadh Ó Corráin for UCC.
  • Seán Mac Airt; Gearóid Mac Niocaill, eds. (1983). The Annals of Ulster (to AD 1131). Translated by Mac Airt; Mac Niocaill. Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
  • Gearóid Mac Niocaill, ed. (2003). Chronicon Scotorum. Translated by Gearóid Mac Niocaill. Unpublished manuscript made available to UCC – via CELT: The Corpus of Electronic Texts. Edition and translation.
Regnal titles
Preceded by
?
 King of Waterford
?–1000 		Succeeded by
Ragnall mac Ímair
Preceded by King of Dublin
(989–993)
994–995 		Succeeded by
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