Kingdom of Dublin

Kingdom of Dublin Dyflin / Duibhlinn
← 839–1171 →
Flag
Maximum extent of Dublin (pink) and other Norse settlements (green) in Ireland.
Capital	Dublin
Language(s)	Old Norse, Old and Middle Irish
Religion	Norse paganism Celtic Christianity Roman Catholicism
Government	Monarchy
King
- 839–845 (first)	Thorgest
- 1160–1171 (last)	Hasculf Thorgillsson
History
- Established	839
- Disestablished	1171

The Vikings invaded the territory around Dublin in the 9th century, establishing the Norse Kingdom of Dublin, the earliest and longest lasting Norse kingdom in all of Europe outside of Scandinavia, excepting the so-called Kingdom of Mann and the Isles. This corresponded to most of present-day County Dublin. The Norse referred to the kingdom as Dyflin, which is derived from Irish: Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". The first reference to the Vikings comes from the Annals of Ulster and the first entry for 841AD reads: "Pagans still on Lough Neagh". It is from this date onwards that we get references to ship fortresses or longphorts being established in Ireland. It may be safe to assume that the Vikings first over-wintered in 840–841AD. The actual location of the longphort of Dublin is still a hotly-debated issue. Norse rulers of Dublin were often co-kings, and occasionally also Kings of Jórvík in what is now Yorkshire.

Over time, the rulers of Dublin became increasingly Gaelicized. They began to exhibit a great deal of Gaelic and Norse cultural syncretism, and are often referred to as Norse-Gaels.

In 988, Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill led the initial Irish conquest of Dublin. As a result the founding of Dublin is counted by some from the year 988, notwithstanding that a village has existed on the site of Dublin since before the Roman occupation of Great Britain nearly a thousand years earlier. Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill was dethroned by Brian Boru (1002–1014).

In the mid 11th century, the Kingdom of Leinster began exerting influence over Dublin, but its kings remained Norse-Gaels until the Norman invasion of 1171. Though the last Norse king of Dublin was killed by the Normans in 1171, the population of the city retained their distinctiveness based on their origins for some further generations.

Norse Kings

Ruler	Reign	Notes
Amlaíb Conung	853–873	brother of Ímar and Auisle
Ímar	856–873
Auisle	853–867
Eystein Olafsson	873–875
Halfdan	873/875–877
Barid	875/877–881
Mac Auisle	881–883
Eoloir Jarnknesson	unclear
Sichfrith Ivarsson	c. 883–888
Sigtrygg (Sitric) Ivarsson	888–893
Sichfrith Jarl	893–894
Ímar ua Ímair	896–902
Dublin abandoned by the Norse from 902 to 917.
Sihtric ua Ímair (a.k.a. Sihtric Cáech)	917–921	defeated Niall Glundub; also king of Jórvík
Gofraid ua Ímair	921–934	grandson of Ímar
Olaf III Guthfrithson	934–940	son of Gofraid ua Ímair
Blácaire mac Gofrith	940 - 945
Sigtrygg (Sitric)[citation needed]	941–943
Amlaíb Cuarán	945 - 947
Blácaire mac Gofrith	947 - 948	restored
Gofraid mac Sitriuc	948 - 951
Amlaíb Cuarán	952–980	restored
Glúniairn	980–989
Ivar of Waterford or Sigtrygg Silkbeard	989–993
Ivar of Waterford	994–995
Sigtrygg (Sitric) Silkbeard Olafsson	995–1036
Echmarcach mac Ragnaill	1036–1038
Ímar mac Arailt	1038–1046
Echmarcach mac Ragnaill	1046–1052
Murchad mac Diarmata mac Mael na mBo	1052–1070
Diarmait mac Mail na mBo	1070–1072
Domnall mac Murchada mac Diarmata	1070–1072
Gofraid mac Amlaíb meic Ragnaill	1072–1075
Muirchertach Ua Briain	1075–1086
Enna mac Diarmata mac Mael na mBo	1086–1089
Donnchad mac Domnail Remair mac Mael na mBo	1086–1089
Godred Crovan	after1091–1094
Domnall mac Taidc Ua Briain	c.1094–11??
Donnchad mac Murchada mac Diarmata	????–1115
Diarmat mac Enna	1115–1117
Enna mac Donnchada mac Murchada	1118–1126
Conchobair mac Tiorrdelbach Ua Conchobair	1126–1127
Torcall	fl.1133
Conchobair Ua Briain	1141–1142
Ottir	1142–1148	from the Hebrides
Ragnall mac Torcaill	11??–1146
Brotar mac Torcaill	1148–1160
Ascall mac Ragnaill	1160–1171

(N.B. "Sitric" is the Irish variant of Norwegian "Sigtrygg")

See also

• Uí Ímair
• Irish nobility
• Norse-Gaels
• The Pale

References

• Downham, Clare, Viking Kings of Britain and Ireland: The Dynasty of Ívarr to A.D. 1014. Edinburgh. 2007.
• Forte, Angelo, Oram, Richard, & Pedersen, Frederik, Viking Empires. Cambridge University Press. 2005 ISBN 0-521-82992-5.
• Hudson, Benjamin T., Viking Pirates and Christian Princes: Dynasty, Religion, and Empire in the North Atlantic. Oxford. 2005 ISBN 0-19-516237-4.
• Larsen, Anne-Christine (ed.), The Vikings in Ireland. Roskilde: The Viking Ship Museum. 2001.
• Todd, James Henthorn (ed. and tr.), Cogadh Gaedhel re Gallaibh: The War of the Gaedhil with the Gaill. Longmans. 1867.
• Woolf, Alex, "Age of Sea-Kings: 900-1300", in Donald Omand (ed.), The Argyll Book. Edinburgh. 2004. pp. 94–109.