Ivar Ivarsson (abt. 850 - abt. 904)

Born about 0850 in Ireland [uncertain]

Died about 0904 at about age 54 in Scotland

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Biography

Ímar ua Ímair was a Norse-Gaelic King of Dublin; a grandson of Ivar Gudrödrødsson and one of the Uí Ímair dynasty.

Viking Dublin had been founded in the 840s, in 902, the kingdoms of Brega and Leinster formed an alliance and drove the Vikings from Dublin. 'The heathens were driven from Ireland, i.e. from the fortress of Áth Cliath (Dublin), by Mael Finnia son of Flannacán with the men of Brega (Irish kingdom including Dublin) and by Cerball son of Muiricán, with the Laigin; (men of Leinster) and they abandoned a good number of their ships, and escaped half dead after they had been wounded and broken.' ^[1]

Ímar and his men moved on to Scotland and the Isles, where kinsmen of the Uí Ímair had established a number of secure bases. They raided inland, and fought with Constantine's men. The Scots/Irish Constantine had become king of Scots in 900, and was actively engaged in the process of merging the kingdoms of Dál Riata and the Picts; and in seeing off incursions by raiding parties of the Norse/Irish. The Chronicle of the Kings of Alba records - 'And in his (Constantine's) 3rd year (903) the Northmen plundered Dunkeld, and all Albaniam' (Alba/Scotland). In the following year (904) the Northmen were slain in Straith hErenn (Strathearn). ^[2]

Ivar and his men sailed around the north of Scotland to raid down the east coast; the Annals of Ulster record - 'Ímar grandson of Ímar, was killed by the men of Foirtriu, and there was a great slaughter around him.' Foirtriu was a Pictish kingdom centred around Moray, north-east Scotland; and on the southern boundary of what would become the Viking kingdom of Thorfinn a hundred years later.^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ Celt: Annals of Ulster : U902.2
2. ↑ The The Chronicle of the Kings of Alba "The Chronicle of the Kings of Alba / The Scottish Chronicle in the Poppleton Manuscript. The main source for Scottish history c.850-c.975. trans: Duffus
3. ↑ Celt: Annals of Ulster : U904.4

• Wikipedia : Ímar ua Ímair
• Gaelic Kingdom : Kingdoms of Ireland : Viking Kingdom of Dublin / Dyflin