Ivar of Waterford (Irish:Ímar,rí Puirt Láirgi;Old Norse:Ívarr[ˈiːˌwɑrː]; died 1000) was theNorse king ofWaterford from at least 969 until his death in the year 1000, and also reigned asKing 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 bySigtrygg Silkbeard, who would expel him for good the next time.
Like his relation and contemporaryIvar of Limerick, and with whom he may actually be confused in one or two instances, Ivar's parentage is a little uncertain. HoweverClare Downham argues that his claim to Dublin and the names of his sons and grandsons suggest he did belong to theUí Ímair dynasty.[2] In 1867James Henthorn Todd suggested him as a son of another Ímar, slain in battle againstRuaidrí ua Canannáin in 950,[3] and assumed to be a son of the powerfulRagnall ua Ímair,[4]King of Northumbria, who occupied Waterford and raidedMunster from it in the second decade of the 10th century before moving on to takeScandinavian York. Ivar of Waterford had children and grandchildren also named Ragnall. Mary Valante agrees with Todd.[5]
Ivar had a long and active career,[6] and is first noted in 969 allied with, among several other parties,Mathgamain mac Cennétig ofDál gCais, to defend theOsraige against an attack byMurchad mac Finn,King of Leinster.[7] His activities are then unknown (in the surviving sources) for over a decade, but following the retirement and death ofAmlaíb Cuarán,King of Dublin in 980–1,Alex Woolf argues Ivar could have been assuming the role of leader of the Norse-Irish resistance toMáel Sechnaill mac Domnaill,[8] who had defeated Amlaíb in theBattle of Tara in 980 and to whom Amlaíb's sonGlúniairn and theKingdom of Dublin were now subordinate. In 982 Ivar plunderedKildare in Máel Sechnaill's territory.[9] Next year he joined forces with the King of LeinsterDomnall Claen in a major battle against Máel Sechnaill and Glúniairn, in which his side suffered a rout and many were slain, with his son Gilla Pátraic and others of distinction among the dead.[10] Máel Sechnaill then ravagedLeinster. A year later in 984 Ivar appears to have entered into an alliance withBrian Bóruma (successor of Mathgamain), and with the brothersMaccus andGofraid 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".[11] 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.[12]
Nine years later in 993 he is reported in theAnnals of Inisfallen as being expelled from Dublin, possibly after having reigned there from 989 after Glúniairn's death, by Glúniairn's brotherSigtrygg Silkbeard,[13] although according to theAnnals of the Four Masters this was achieved "through the intercession of the saints".[14] A year or two later in 994 or 995 Ivar is noted for expelling Sigtrygg from the kingship,[15] but he would only reign for a short time as Silkbeard returned to force him out later in 995.[16] However, theAnnals of Clonmacnoise report the sequence of events a little differently, saying "Hymer raigned in Dublin after Awley. Randolphe [Ivar's son] was killed by the Leinstermen, Hymer was put to flight and Gittrick was king of Dublin in his place.",[17] ignoring the reign of Glúniairn. Ivar is attested in no other source in Dublin so early and the account may be confused.
His last known activity was a raid intoUí Cheinnselaig in Leinster in 998, where his army lost some men and the greater part of their horses.[18] The annals report him dying two years later, but do not mention the cause.[19]
According toGeoffrey Keating in his circa 1634History of Ireland, which is based on the annals and other sources, Ivar at some point in his career joined forces withDomnall mac Fáelain, King of theDéisi Muman, to invade the province ofMunster, and they plundered the greater part of it before being defeated by Brian Bóruma, who burned Waterford in retaliation.[20] No mention is made of any previous or following alliance between Ivar and the Dál Cais.
Outside Ireland and returning to the early 980s, Alex Woolf suggests Ivar may have engaged in a number of raids in southwestern England which are reported in theAnglo-Saxon Chronicle.[21] These entries mention no leader specifically but he was the most active Norse-Irish ruler at the time.
Again, Ivar was very likely a grandson ofRagnall 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 againstRuaidrí 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 ofDonnubán mac Cathail,[22] king ofUí Fidgenti, and whose mother was probably by a daughter ofIvar of Limerick. Another may have been a daughter of anOsraige dynast,[23] possiblyGilla Pátraic mac Donnchada,king of Osraige.
His known descendants were:[24]
The complexities of the relationships of this group are illustrated by annal records, which noted:
Diarmaid, son of Domhnall, lord of Ui-Ceinnsealaigh, was killed by Donndubhan, son of Imhar, through treachery. Then, Gillaphadraig, son of Donnchadh, lord of Osraighe, was killed by Donndubhan, son of Imhar, and by Domhnall, son of Faelan, lord of the Deisi. Donndubhan, son of Imhar, was afterwards slain by the Leinstermen, namely, by Cuduiligh, son of Cinaedh, one of the Ui-Failghe, at the end of a week, in revenge of Diarmaid, son of Domhnall.[27]
According to Seán Duffy, Ivar and his family engaged in a nearly century-long debilitating feud with the descendants ofAmlaíb Cuarán, eventually resulting in the loss of control of Norse Dublin to the IrishUí Cheinnselaig andUí Briain dynasties,[28] although this argument depends on whether or notEchmarcach 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 wasGofraid mac Arailt.[29] Colmán Etchingham agrees with Hudson whileAlex Woolf has voiced (to Etchingham) agreement with Duffy.[30] However Duffy has received his loudest support from Forte,Oram, and Pedersen in their recent title.[31]
Depending on the interpretation of the surviving sources,Cacht ingen Ragnaill, Queen ofDonnchad mac Briain and usually assumed to be a sister of Echmarcach, may or may not have been a granddaughter or great-granddaughter of Ivar. Echmarcach's daughter Mór, wife of Tadg Ua Briain, may have surviving descendants.[32]
n. 25. Clare Downham (2004, p. 89) states 'A son of Ímar, king of Waterford, in the late tenth century bore the name Gillaphátraic (†983).77 This name was common in the royal dynasty of the Osraige. The name is indicative of Irish affinities as well as Christian identity. An alliance between Waterford and the Osraige is evidenced for 998, and it may be that Ímar enjoyed a long-term alliance with the Osraige which was strengthened by marriage'. There's no indication that she's claiming Gillaphátraic was *already* a common name in Osraige by 983, the implication seems to be that the name came to the Osraige royal dynasty as a result of a marriage alliance with Gillaphátraic of Waterford.
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by ? | King of Waterford ?–1000 | Succeeded by Ragnall mac Ímair |
| Preceded by | King of Dublin (989–993) 994–995 | Succeeded by |
| 9th century |  | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th century | ||
| 11th century | ||
| 12th century | ||
^ Disputed * Speculative | ||