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Gofraid mac Arailt (died 989), inOld NorseGuðrøðr Haraldsson[ˈɡuðˌrøðz̠ˈhɑrˌɑldsˌson], was aScandinavian orNorse-Gael king. He and his brotherMaccus were active in the lands around theIrish Sea in the 970s and 980s.
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Gofraid and Maccus are usually assumed to be members of theUí Ímair, a kin group tracing its descent fromÍmar (died 873), sometimes identified with thesaga-characterIvar the Boneless. Their father Aralt or Harald is usually identified with theAralt mac Sitric, king of Norse-GaelLimerick, who was killed inConnacht in 940. This identification would make Maccus and Gofraid nephews ofAmlaíb Cuarán, theKing of Dublin. An alternative proposal, advanced byBenjamin Hudson, makes Gofraid and Maccus sons of aViking chief namedHarald who was active inNormandy, but this has received little support.
The first record of Gofraid is probably an attack onAnglesey in 971 by a son of Harald. TheBrut y Tywysogion states that it was Gofraid who led this. The following year he collected tribute from Anglesey. He probably led a raid onPowys in 979, and in 980 was allied withCustennin ap Iago, and they again ravaged Anglesey, but Custennin was killed byHywel ap Ieuaf.Chester was attacked in 980, the attackers perhaps led by Gofraid. In 982 he was again inWales, this time in the southwest attackingDyfed.
In 984, along with Maccus, he brought a fleet toWaterford, where they joined up withBrian Bóruma,king of Munster, andIvar of Waterford, king of Waterford. Their combined armies and fleets attackedDublin. An unnamed son of Harald won a battle on theIsle of Man in 987, but whether this was Maccus or Gofraid is unclear. Gofraid attacked Anglesey for the third time in 987, according to theBrut y Tywysogion, taking 2,000 captives.
Gofraid died in 989, said to be killed inDál Riata, but whether this refers to theGlens of Antrim or perhaps to some part of the western coasts ofScotland is unclear. The notice of his death calls him king ofInnse Gall, that is theHebrides. Gofraid and Maccus are both usually included in lists of rulers of the Isle of Man.
Gofraid's son Ragnall died inMunster in 1005, and he too is called king of the Hebrides.Echmarcach mac Ragnaill may or may not have been Gofraid's grandson, as he is also contended to have been a grandchild or great-grandchild ofIvar of Waterford. The same is the case forCacht ingen Ragnaill, queen ofDonnchad mac Briain, often assumed to be Echmarcach's sister. TheBanshenchas record that a daughter of one Gofraid named Máel Muire married Gilla Pátraic mac Donnchada,king of Osraige. If this is correct,Donnchad mac Gilla Pátraic, laterKing of Leinster, was this Gofraid's grandson, and all subsequent kings of Osraige and members of theFitzPatrick dynasty are their descendants. Although lacking a patronymic, scholars have identified him with Gofraid mac Arailt.
Lagmann, whomWilliam of Jumièges calls "king of Swedes", probably an error for "king of the Sudreys", the Norse name for the Hebrides, is believed to have been a son of Gofraid. Lagmann's son Amlaíb is said by theCogadh Gáedhel re Gallaibh to have been killed at theBattle of Clontarf and his genealogy is given there linking Lagmann and Gofraid.