Ímar ua Ímair facts for kids

Ímar mac Bárid, also known as Ivar II, was a powerful Norse-Gaelic king of Dublin. He was a grandson of the famous Viking leader Ivar Gudrødsson. Ímar mac Bárid was an important member of the Uí Ímair family, a group of Viking rulers who had a big impact on Ireland and Scotland. He died in the year 904.

Ímar ua Ímair: A Viking King

Ímar ua Ímair became the King of Dublin sometime before 902. It's likely he took the throne after 896, when his uncle or father, Sitriuc mac Ímair, passed away. Before Ímar's rule, Dublin faced many challenges. There were lots of fights within the royal family. These fights made the kingdom weaker.

Challenges and Raids in Dublin

Neighboring Irish kings saw a chance to gain more power. They also wanted revenge for Viking attacks on Irish religious sites. For example, in just two years (890-891), Vikings raided many Irish monasteries. These included places like Ardbraccan, Clonard, and Glendalough.

Losing the Kingdom of Dublin

In 902, two Irish kingdoms, Brega and Leinster, joined forces. They successfully drove the Vikings out of Dublin. Ímar ua Ímair and other Vikings from Dublin had to leave. They went to parts of Scotland where they still had some control.

Fighting in Scotland

The next year, in 903, Ímar and his followers were fighting in Scotland. They raided a place called Dunkeld. They were in conflict with Constantine, who was the King of the Picts. The Picts were an ancient people living in Scotland.

Constantine won a big victory the following year, in 904. This battle took place at a location known as Strath Erenn. The Annals of Ulster, an old Irish record, mentions Ímar ua Ímair for the first and only time in this year. It states that he died in this battle, killed by the Picts of Fortriu. This is believed to be the same battle mentioned in the Chronicle of the Kings of Alba.

The Return of the Vikings

The Vikings did not return to Dublin until 917. That year, Sihtric, another grandson of Ímar, brought his forces to Ireland. He won a major victory against the armies of Leinster. This allowed the Vikings to reclaim Dublin.

Ímar's Family Connections

The name "ua Ímair" means "grandson of Ímar." Some historians have wondered if it just meant "descendant" or someone from the same family. However, this title was not used after 948. This suggests it was only used for actual grandsons.

Ímar had at least three sons who were also kings of Dublin:

• Bárid (died 881)
• Sichfrith (died 888)
• Sitriuc (died 896)

We don't know for sure which of these sons was the father of Ímar ua Ímair. Other grandsons of Ímar included Ragnall, Sihtric Cáech, Amlaíb, and Gofraid. Many of these grandsons also became kings in their own right.