164-510: Crovan may refer to: Godred Crovan (died 1095), Norse-Gaelic ruler of the kingdoms of Dublin and the Isles Crovan dynasty , ruling family of islands off north-west Britain in the 11th–13th centuries Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Crovan . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
328-531: A Brittonic or Pictish tribal name. In the 7th century Adomnán referred to the island as Ilea , and the name occurs in early Irish records as Ile and as Íl in Old Norse . The root is not Gaelic and is of unknown origin. In 17th-century maps, the spelling appears as "Yla" or "Ila", a form still used in the name of the whisky Caol Ila . In poetic language, Islay is known as Banrìgh Innse Gall , or Banrìgh nan Eilean usually translated as "Queen of
492-529: A standing stone at Carragh Bhan near Kintra marks Godred Crovan's grave. A genuine 11th-century Norse grave-slab was found at Dóid Mhàiri in 1838, although it was not associated with a burial. The slab is decorated with foliage in the style of Ringerike Viking art and an Irish-style cross, the former being unique in Scandinavian Scotland . Following Godred's death, the local population resisted Norway's choice of replacement, causing Magnus,
656-489: A Gaelic term that, conceivably, originally applied to both the Crovan dynasty and Clann Somairle. Later unease with a matrilineal descendant from Godred may have led to the invention of a patrilineal descent of Clann Somairle from a like-named man with enviable, albeit concocted, Scottish connections. Godred, therefore, may be identical to the anachronistic Gofraid mac Fergusa , an alleged ninth-century figure dubiously noted in
820-471: A brother of the legendary founder of Dál Riata, king Fergus Mór , but the existence of the Cenél Conchride seems to have been brief and the 430 households of the island are later said to have been comprised from the families of just three great-grandsons of the eponymous founder of Cenél nÓengus: Lugaid, Connal and Galán. The ninth-century arrival of Scandinavian settlers on the western seaboard of
984-572: A certain Gofraid mac Amlaíb meic Ragnaill as their king. In fact, this man appears to have been a close kinsman of Echmarcach, possibly his nephew. As such, Gofraid mac Amlaíb meic Ragnaill seems to have been a member of a Norse-Gaelic kindred possessing close marital links with the Uí Briain . Such links may well explain the remarkable rapidity with which the Uí Briain struck out at Dublin and
1148-467: A continuation of the beds that underlie Jura. The geomorphology of these last two zones is dominated by a fold known as the Islay Anticline. To the south is a "shattered coastline" formed from mica schist and hornblende . The older Bowmore Group sandstones in the west centre of the island are rich in feldspar and may be of Dalradian origin. Loch Indaal was formed along a branch of
1312-589: A dozen date between the 1030s and the 1070s. The finds seem to suggest that the island suffered from power struggles until the establishment of Godred and his descendants. The Annals of Tigernach and the Chronicle of Mann evidence Godred's conquest of the Kingdom of Dublin in about 1091. Specifically, the former source accords him the title "King of Dublin" that year, whilst the latter source claims that he subjugated all of Dublin and much of Leinster. Although
1476-580: A king traditionally said to have deprived Norwegian landholders their heritable óðal rights. Although several place names on Mann appear to date to the tenth- and eleventh-centuries, stemming from direct settlement from Norway or Norwegian colonies in Scotland and the Isles , many Manx place names that contain the Old Norse element - bý appear to have been coined by later settlers from Denmark or
1640-468: A mercenary of sorts. Certainly the Chronicle of Mann states that he took part in the ill-fated Norwegian invasion of England in 1066 . This Norwegian campaign culminated in the Battle of Stamford Bridge , a bloody autumn encounter in which Harold Godwinson, King of England utterly destroyed the forces of Haraldr Sigurðarson, King of Norway in north-eastern England. The slaughter at Stamford resulted in
1804-472: A new harbour was constructed at Port Askaig. Initially, a sense of optimism in the fishing and cattle trades prevailed and the population expanded, partly as a result of the 18th-century kelp boom and the introduction of the potato as a staple. The population of the island had been estimated at 5,344 in 1755 and grew to over 15,000 by 1841. Islay remained with the Campbells of Shawfield until 1853 when it
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#17327733606601968-678: A particular kin group; according to the Senchus fer n-Alban ("The History of the Men of Scotland"), it was the Cenél nÓengusa for Islay and Jura. In 627, the son of a king of the Irish Uí Chóelbad , a branch of the Dál nAraidi kingdom of Ulster (not to be confused with Dál Riata), was killed on Islay at the unidentified location of Ard-Corann by a warrior in an army led by King Connad Cerr of
2132-514: A potential threat to Norse-Gaelic mercenarial operations and raiding expeditions in the region, and may partly explain Gothrei's cooperation with Gruffudd. In 1093, at about the time of this cooperation between Gruffudd and Gothrei, the twelfth-century Historia ecclesiastica records the death of Robert de Tilleul , an eminent Anglo-Norman based in Rhuddlan . According to this source, Robert
2296-517: A record of lands granted to an Islay resident in 1408, Brian Vicar MacKay, by Domhnall of Islay, Lord of the Isles , is one of the earliest records of Gaelic in public use, and is a significant historical document. In 1437, the Lordship was substantially expanded when Alexander, the Lord of the Isles , inherited the rule of Ross maternally; this included Skye. The expansion of MacDonald control caused
2460-678: A reference to the title of Bishop of Sodor and Man ). The station of Crovan's Gate as depicted in the books and the TV adaption Thomas & Friends is the junction of the North Western Railway and the narrow gauge Skarloey Railway, and in Awdry's writing was the site of a battle between Godred Crovan and the Norman army. Islay Islay ( / ˈ aɪ l ə / EYE -lə ; Scottish Gaelic : Ìle , Scots : Ila )
2624-522: A ruinous mediaeval fortress on Islay, is traditionally associated with Godred, and overlooks some of the island's most fertile lands. The south-east ridge along Dùn Ghùaidhre is named in Gaelic Clac an Righ ("Ridge of the King"). According to local tradition, Godred slew a dragon at Emaraconart, a site only about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the fortress and ridge. Although the present form of
2788-592: A spoken language in the southern Hebrides throughout the Norse period, but the place name evidence suggests it had a lowly status, possibly indicating an enslaved population. Consolidating their gains, the Norse settlers established the Kingdom of the Isles , which became part of the crown of Norway following Norwegian unification. To Norway, the islands became known as Suðreyjar (Old Norse, traditionally anglicised as Sodor , or Sudreys ), meaning southern isles . For
2952-547: A trophy to the top of his mast . Just as Godred's rise in the Irish Sea region appears to have provoked William II to protect the north-western reaches of his realm, the participation of the Islesmen in war-wracked northern Wales may have provoked a similar response. The activity of the Islesmen in the region, and the prospect of their consolidation on Anglesey, may well have posed a potential threat to English interests in
3116-464: Is a growing interest in renewable energy in the form of wave power . Islay is home to many bird species such as the wintering populations of Greenland white-fronted and barnacle goose , and is a popular destination throughout the year for birdwatchers. The climate is mild and ameliorated by the Gulf Stream . Islay was probably recorded by Ptolemy as Epidion , the use of the "p" suggesting
3280-536: Is described as Gruffudd's "friend" or "ally", no specific kinship is acclaimed by the source, which may indicate that Gruffudd's appeal was one of mere expediency. Whatever the case, having gained support from the Isles—in the form of an armed naval force of sixty ships— Historia Gruffud vab Kenan records that Gruffudd invaded Anglesey and defeated a force of Anglo-Normans, before the Islesmen returned home. Gruffudd and Gothrei appear to have directed their efforts against
3444-415: Is evident that the political upheaval and dynastic instability in the wake of Godred's demise eventually provoked Magnús Óláfsson, King of Norway to forcibly take control of the Isles before the century's end. It wasn't until the about the second decade of the twelfth century that the Crovan dynasty re-established firm control, in the person of Amlaíb , Godred's youngest son. In the mid-twelfth century,
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#17327733606603608-521: Is first noted by the Latin Chronicle of Mann , he is accorded the epithet " Crouan " or " Crovan ". The origin and meaning of this name are uncertain. It may well be derived from the Gaelic crob bhán ("white-handed"). Another Gaelic origin may be cró bán ("white-blooded"), in reference to being very pale. Alternately, it could originate from the Gaelic crúbach ("claw"). If
3772-495: Is no other evidence linking Godred to this island. Alternately, the word may instead represent the Hebridean island of Islay , where he is otherwise known to have ended his life. Another possibility is that " Ysland " represents Ireland, which, if correct, would evidence Godred's close familial links with that particular island. Whatever the case, according to the same source, he had been brought up on Mann. When Godred
3936-458: Is possible that Godred overthrew Fingal, who may have been weakened by the Uí Briain assault on the island in 1073. On the other hand, the amiable relations between Godred and Fingal's father could suggest that, as long as Fingal lived his kingship was secure, and that it was only after his death that Godred attempted to seize control. Godred's power base may have been located in the Hebrides,
4100-470: Is rugged and mountainous, rising steeply from the Sound of Islay , the highest peak being Beinn Bheigier , which is a Marilyn at 1,612 feet (491 m). The western peninsulas are separated from the main bulk of the island by the waters of Loch Indaal to the south and Loch Gruinart to the north. The fertile and windswept southwestern arm is called The Rinns , and Ardnave Point is a conspicuous promontory on
4264-578: Is the now-mutilated tomb, known as King Orry's Grave ( grid reference SC440844 ), located near Laxey ; another is Cashtal yn Ard ( grid reference SC463893 ), also known as Cashtal Ree Gorree, located near Maughold . The so-called Godred Crovan Stone, a massive granite rock, once located in the Manx parish of Malew but destroyed in the nineteenth century, may have owed its name to eighteenth- or nineteenth-century romanticism . The area surrounding Dùn Ghùaidhre ( grid reference NR38926483 ),
4428-634: Is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Known as "The Queen of the Hebrides ", it lies in Argyll and Bute just south west of Jura and around 40 kilometres (22 nautical miles) north of the Northern Irish coast. The island's capital is Bowmore where the distinctive round Kilarrow Parish Church and a distillery are located. Port Ellen is the main port. Islay is
4592-568: Is uncertain. Whatever the reason, the English counter-operation appears to have been undertaken with mainly defensive objectives in mind. Godred's rule in Dublin lasted until 1094. That year the Annals of Inisfallen reveal that warfare broke out between Muirchertach and a northern Irish alliance that included Godred. This source and the seventeenth-century Annals of Clonmacnoise , the Annals of
4756-414: The Annals of Clonmacnoise , the Annals of Inisfallen , the Annals of Tigernach , and the Annals of Ulster —all single out Godred as one of the many mortalities. The Chronicle of Mann , which also records Godred's death, reveals that he died on Islay. The fact that he met his end on that island could be evidence that Muirchertach not only drove him from Dublin, but from Mann as well. On the other hand,
4920-467: The Annals of the Four Masters , and otherwise only specifically attested in later genealogical accounts concerning Clann Somairle. Godred's arrival on Mann is commonly taken as a starting point of Manx history . This elevated place in the island's historiography is partly due to his position as an apical ancestral figure of later kings, and by his preeminent position in the historical account of
5084-562: The Archbishop of Canterbury , forged by Godred's contemporaries in Dublin, Toirdelbach and Gofraid mac Amlaíb meic Ragnaill. William appears to have died in or before 1095, as the chronicle states that he was succeeded, during Godred's lifetime, by a Manxman named Hamond, son of " Iole ". One of the most significant eleventh- and twelfth-century Welsh figures was Gruffudd, a man who fended off fellow dynasts and Anglo-Normans alike to establish himself in northern Wales. Throughout much of
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5248-526: The Corcu Réti (the collective term for the Cenél nGabráin and Cenél Comgaill , before they split), based at Dunadd . The Senchus also lists what is believed to be the oldest reference to a naval battle in the British Isles —a brief record of an engagement between rival Dál Riatan groups in 719. There is evidence of another kin group on Islay – the Cenél Conchride, supposedly descended from
5412-506: The County of Argyll . During World War I two troop ships foundered off Islay within a few months of each other in 1918. The SS Tuscania , a converted British liner carrying American Doughboys to France, was torpedoed by SM UB-77 on 5 February with the loss of over 160 lives and now lies in deep water 6.4 km (4 mi) west of the Mull of Oa. On 6 October HMS Otranto
5576-567: The Danelaw . Some of these settlers would have arrived on the island from the Danelaw in the tenth century, whilst others could have arrived in the course of Godred's conquest. In fact, as late as the sixteenth century some of the island's most considerable lands contained this word element. Further after-effects of Godred's conquest may perceptible by numismatic evidence. Almost twenty mediaeval silver hoards have been uncovered on Mann. Almost
5740-723: The Great Glen Fault called the Loch Gruinart Fault; its main line passes just to the north of Colonsay . This separates the limestone, igneous intrusions and Bowmore sandstones from the Colonsay Group rocks of the Rhinns. The result is occasional minor earth tremors. There is a tillite bed near Port Askaig that provides evidence of an ice age in the Precambrian . In comparatively recent times
5904-483: The Gulf Stream keeps the climate mild compared to mainland Scotland. Snow is rarely seen at sea level and frosts are light and short-lived. However, wind speeds average 19 to 28 kilometres per hour (10 to 15 knots) annually and winter gales sweep in off the Atlantic , gusting up to 185 km/h (115 mph). This can make travelling and living on the island during the winter difficult, while ferry and air links to
6068-509: The Manx legal system . Godred and King Orry are associated with numerous historic and prehistoric sites on Mann and Islay. While the familial origins of Godred Crovan aren't completely proven, it appears certain that he was a direct descendant of Amlaíb Cúarán, King of Northumbria and Dublin . Although the thirteenth- to fourteenth-century Chronicle of Mann calls him in Latin "... filius Haraldi nigri de Ysland ", implying that his father
6232-471: The Neolithic , settlements had become more permanent, allowing for the construction of several communal monuments. The most spectacular prehistoric structure on the island is Dun Nosebridge . This 375-square-metre (4,040 sq ft) Iron Age fort occupies a prominent crag and has commanding views of the surrounding landscape. The name's origin is probably a mixture of Gaelic and Old Norse: Dun in
6396-539: The Scottish reformation , this led the Scottish-English crown to mount an expedition to subdue them. In 1614 the crown handed Islay to Sir John Campbell of Cawdor , in return for an undertaking to pacify it; this the Campbells eventually achieved. Under Campbell influence, shrieval authority was established under the sheriff of Argyll . With inherited Campbell control of the sheriffdom, comital authority
6560-518: The Sound of Islay . On account of the Corryvreckan whirlpool to the north of Jura, the Sound was the main safe sea route between the mainland and the rest of the Hebrides; Claig Castle essentially gave Somerled control of sea traffic. Following Somerled's 1164 death, the realm was divided between Godred's heirs, and Somerled's sons, whose descendants continued to describe themselves as King of
6724-725: The " heart of the Lordship " to move to the twin castles of Aros and Ardtornish , in the Sound of Mull . In 1462, the last and most ambitious of the Lords, John MacDonald II , struck an alliance with Edward IV of England under terms of the Treaty of Ardtornish-Westminster with the goal of conquering Scotland. The onset of the Wars of the Roses prevented the treaty from being discovered by Scottish agents, and Edward from fulfilling his obligations as an ally. A decade later, in 1475, it had come to
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6888-485: The Anglo-Norman castle of Aberlleiniog , before the former tackled other installations. A significant feature of the encroachment of English power into Gwynedd was the erection of a line of mottes along the northern Welsh coast. The strategic placement of these military sites suggests that they were constructed with the command of the sea in mind. As such, this fortified coastal network could have been perceived as
7052-541: The Campbell's control of the sheriffdom; thereafter they could now only assert their influence in their role as Landlords. A defining aspect of 19th-century Argyll was the gradual improvement of transport infrastructure. Roads were built, the Crinan canal shortened the sea distance to Glasgow and the numerous traditional ferry crossings were augmented by new quays. Rubble piers were built at several locations on Islay and
7216-504: The Danish mythologists of those days", concerns exploits of Godred in the island's Loch Indaal vicinity. Livingstone's versions of such local traditions appear to be the inspiration behind his epic Gaelic battle-poem Na Lochlannaich an Ile ("The Norsemen in Islay"). The Gaelic folk song Birlinn Ghoraidh Chróbhain , sometimes called Birlinn Ghoraidh Chrobhain and Godred Crovan's Galley ,
7380-552: The Four Masters , and the Annals of Ulster , reveal that Muirchertach marched upon Dublin where he was confronted by the alliance. Godred's maritime force in this campaign is numbered at ninety ships by the seventeenth-century Annals of the Four Masters . Although all these sources indicate that Muirchertach's forces were at first forced to flee, Muirchertach soon returned after the alliance had dispersed, and succeeded in driving Godred from Dublin. The Annals of Inisfallen appears to indicate that warfare between Muirchertach and Godred
7544-535: The Hebrides" and Eilean uaine Ìle – the "green isle of Islay" A native of Islay is called an Ìleach , pronounced [ˈiːləx] . The obliteration of pre-Norse names is almost total, and placenames on the island are a mixture of Norse and later Gaelic and English influences. Port Askaig is from the Norse ask-vík , meaning "ash tree bay" and the common suffix -bus is from the Norse bólstaðr , meaning "farm". Gaelic names, or their anglicised versions such as Ardnave Point, from Àird an Naoimh "height of
7708-472: The Irish Sea may well have had serious repercussions on mainland politics. Certainly, in the eyes of Máel Coluim mac Donnchada, King of Alba , the prospect of Godred's expansion into the Solway region would have been a threatening development. Furthermore, in the last decades of the eleventh century there was a breakdown in relations between Máel Coluim and William II, King of England . In 1091, Máel Coluim led
7872-500: The Irish Sea region amounted to the reunification of the Uí Ímair imperium , and appear to be evidence that contemporaries regarded Dublin and Mann to be components of a single political entity, with the ruler of one part entitled to that of the other. Despite Godred's apparent ancestral connections to the kingdoms of Dublin and the Isles, his rise to power could well have been driven by economic realities as much as royal aspirations. Dublin
8036-493: The Irish Sea region could explain an unsuccessful invasion on Mann in 1087. That year, the fifteenth- to sixteenth-century Annals of Ulster record that an unnamed Ulaid dynast, and two "sons of the son of Ragnall" —perhaps sons of Echmarcach, Gofraid mac Amlaíb meic Ragnaill, or the latter's father —lost their lives in the assault. On one hand, the apparent involvement of Echmarcach's family in this attack appears to evince an attempt to restore themselves on Mann. Additionally,
8200-426: The Irish Sea region outwith the bounds of Dublin. As such, there is reason to suspect that he was Roolwer's antecessor in the Isles. When Dúnán died in 1074, only a few years after Toirdelbach's takeover of Dublin, it is possible that the latter seized this opportunity and oversaw the ecclesiastical separation of Dublin from the Isles through the creation of a new episcopal see in Dublin. If so, Roolwer's episcopacy in
8364-453: The Irish Sea region. Godred's expansion may be further perceptible in the Clyde estuary and Galloway , and may well have forced the English to consolidate control of Cumberland in an effort to secure their western maritime flank. Godred appears to have drawn his power from the Hebrides ; and archaeological evidence from Mann reveals that, in comparison to the decades previous to his takeover,
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#17327733606608528-405: The Isles . Godred's greatest impact on history may have been his foundation of the Crovan dynasty, a vigorous family of sea-kings that ruled in the Isles for almost two centuries, until its extinction in the mid-thirteenth century, when the remaining kingdom was annexed by Alexander III, King of Scotland . There is uncertainty concerning the political situation in the Isles in the last decade of
8692-502: The Isles after Diarmait's demise. In 1073, for instance, Mann was raided by a certain Sitriuc mac Amlaíb and two grandsons of the Uí Briain founder, Brian Bóruma, High King of Ireland . Whilst there is reason to suspect that Sitriuc was a brother of Gofraid mac Amlaíb meic Ragnaill, the attack itself was almost certainly a continuation of the Uí Briain's conquest of Dublin the year before. Godred seems to have spent his early career as
8856-527: The Isles at the time, spurring Somerled into action. The two fought the Battle of Epiphany in the seas off Islay in January 1156. The result was a bloody stalemate , and the island kingdom was temporarily divided, with Somerled taking control of the southern Hebrides. Two years later Somerled completely ousted Godred Olafsson and re-united the kingdom. Somerled built the sea fortress of Claig Castle on an island between Islay and Jura, to establish control of
9020-446: The Isles for almost two centuries. Godred was an important maternal ancestor of Clann Somairle , a family that held power in the Isles centuries after the final extinction of the Crovan dynasty. As such, he may be identical to Gofraid mac Fergusa , an apparent genealogical construct claimed as a Clann Somairle ancestor. Godred may well be identical to the celebrated King Orry of Manx legend, a figure traditionally credited with instituting
9184-401: The Isles from certain king named " Gothrei ", and endured numerous perils together. In fact, Godred's reign in Dublin and the Isles at about this time suggests that he is identical to the Gothrei whom Gruffudd fled to. If Godred was indeed a descendant of Amlaíb Cúarán like Gruffudd, this shared ancestry could well explain the cooperation between the two. On the other hand, although Gothrei
9348-558: The Isles may well have begun in 1074 after Dúnán's death—just like Gilla Pátraic's episcopacy in Dublin—and perhaps ended at some point during Godred's reign. The chronicle reveals that Roolwer's successor was a certain William , whose Anglo-Norman or French name may cast light on his origins, and may in turn evince Godred's links with the wider Anglo-Norman world. Indeed, such connections would seem to parallel those between Dublin and
9512-494: The Isles preserved by the Chronicle of Mann . In fact, this source appears to have been commissioned by Godred's later descendants as a means to legitimize their claims to the kingship, and the later historiographical emphasis that separates Godred from his predecessors may well be unwarranted. That being said, Godred is possibly the historical prototype of the celebrated King Orry ( Manx Gaelic Ree Gorree and Ree Orree ) of Manx folklore . This legendary figure appears in
9676-554: The Isles there, upon an ancient seven-foot-square coronation stone bearing footprint impressions in which the new ruler stood barefoot and was anointed by the Bishop of Argyll and seven priests. The Lord's advisory " Council of the Isles " met on Eilean na Comhairle ( Council Island ), in Loch Finlaggan on Islay, within a timber framed crannog that had originally been constructed in the first century BC. The Islay Charter ,
9840-445: The Isles were partitioned between two rival power blocks. One faction, controlling Mann and the northern Hebrides, was led by the representative of the Crovan dynasty, Gofraid mac Amlaíb, Godred's grandson; the other faction, controlling the southern Hebrides, was ruled by Somairle mac Gilla Brigte, Lord of Argyll , husband of Ragnailt ingen Amlaíb, Godred's granddaughter. Somairle eventually forced his brother-in-law from power, and ruled
10004-408: The Isles who appears to have suffered from Þórfinnr's southward expansion was Echmarcach mac Ragnaill, King of Dublin and the Isles . The turn of the mid-eleventh century saw the gradual decline of Echmarcach's authority. In 1052, he was driven from Dublin by Diarmait mac Maíl na mBó, King of Leinster . Although there is evidence to suggest that Diarmait reinstated Ímar as King of Dublin, the latter
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#173277336066010168-478: The Isles" and "king of Dublin and the Hebrides", a remarkable designation in the fact that it is quite rare, and perhaps only elsewhere accorded to Diarmait mac Maíl na mBó. In the case of the latter, the title may emphasise Diarmait's achievement of stretching his influence from Ireland into the Isles. In Godred's case, the title may instead underscore Godred's expansion into Ireland from the Isles. The chronicle's record of Godred's death on Islay could indicate that
10332-399: The Isles, whilst Dublin was under the ultimate control of Toirdelbach Ua Briain, King of Munster , that Dublin and the Isles were ecclesiastically separated once and for all. Godred's rule in Dublin came to an abrupt end in 1094 with his expulsion at the hands of Muirchertach Ua Briain, King of Munster , a man who may have even driven Godred from Mann as well. Documentary evidence reveals that
10496-500: The Islesmen—perhaps including Godred himself—and Gruffudd ap Cynan, King of Gwynedd , in the last decade of the eleventh century. Further expansion of Godred's authority may be perceptible in the Clyde estuary and Galloway, where place names and church dedications suggest Isles-based Norse-Gaelic influence and rule from the ninth- to eleventh centuries. There is also evidence suggesting that, following Fingal's disappearance from
10660-684: The MacDonalds, and in 1493 had thus been seen as the natural replacement for them, leading to a branch of the MacLeans being granted Dunyvaig Castle by king James, and expanding into Islay. Naturally, the restoration of the MacDonalds created some hostility with the MacLeans; in 1549, after observing that Islay was fertile, fruitful, and full of natural pastures, with good hunting and plentiful salmon and seals, Dean Monro describes Dunyvaig, and Loch Gorm Castle " now usurped be M’Gillayne of Doward ". . The dispute continued for decades, and in 1578
10824-527: The MacDougall lands forfeit, and distributed them between the MacDonalds and Macruari (the latter already owning much of Lorne , Uist , parts of Lochaber , and Garmoran ). The Macruari territories were eventually inherited by Amy of Garmoran ., who married her MacDonald cousin John of Islay in the 1330s; having succeeded Aonghus Óg as head of the MacDonalds, he now controlled significant stretches of
10988-698: The Macleans were expelled from Loch Gorm by force, and in 1598 their branch was finally defeated at the Battle of Traigh Ghruinneart . However, when Sorley Boy MacDonnell (of the Islay MacDonalds) had a clash with the Irish branch of the Macleans, and the unpopularity of the MacDonalds in Edinburgh (where their use of Gaelic was regarded as barbaric), weakened their grip on their southern Hebridean possessions. In 1608, Coupled with MacDonald hostility to
11152-539: The Norse Kingdom of the Isles . The later medieval period marked a "cultural high point" with the transfer of the Hebrides to the Kingdom of Scotland and the emergence of the Clan Donald Lordship of the Isles , originally centred at Finlaggan . During the 17th century the power of Clan Donald waned, but improvements to agriculture and transport led to a rising population, which peaked in
11316-576: The Norwegian king died. In 1266, his more peaceable successor ceded his nominal authority over Suðreyjar to the Scottish king ( Alexander III ) by the Treaty of Perth , in return for a very large sum of money. Alexander generally acknowledged the semi-independent authority of Somerled's heirs; the former Suðreyjar had become a Scottish crown dependency, rather than part of Scotland. By this point, Somerled's descendants had formed into three families –
11480-413: The Norwegian king , to launch a military campaign to assert his authority. In 1098, under pressure from Magnus, the king of Scotland quitclaimed to Magnus all sovereign authority over the isles. In the mid 12th century, a granddaughter of Godred Crovan's married the ambitious Somerled , a Norse-Gaelic Argyle nobleman. Godred Olafsson , grandson of Godred Crovan, was an increasingly unpopular King of
11644-513: The Scots across their southern border. Although peace was subsequently restored without bloodshed, the temporary truce fell apart the following year when William seized Cumberland , and established an English colony at Carlisle . Although this northern advance is sometimes regarded as an attempt to keep the Scots in check, the operation also established English control over Norse-Gaelic coastal populations, and further secured England's vulnerable north-western maritime flank. Godred's conquest of Dublin
11808-511: The Scots that no one who built a ship or boat dared use more than three iron bolts". Godred also became King of Dublin at an unknown date, although in 1094 he was driven out of the city by Muircheartach Ua Briain , later known as High King of Ireland , according to the Annals of the Four Masters . He died on Islay " of pestilence ", during the following year. A local tradition suggests that
11972-463: The Sudreys until the 13th century. Somerled's grandson, Donald received Islay, along with Claig Castle, and the adjacent part of Jura as far north as Loch Tarbert . Nominal Norwegian authority had been re-established after Somerled's death, but by the mid 13th century, increased tension between Norway and Scotland led to a series of battles, culminating in the Battle of Largs , shortly after which
12136-565: The Ulaid's actions appear to mirror their own response to Dublin-based intrusion into the North Channel earlier in the century, and the fact that the attack took place in the year after Toirdelbach's death could indicate that the Ulaid seized upon the resulting confusion amongst the Uí Briain. On the other hand, it is possible that raid was actually an Uí Briain initiative, conducted in the context of an ongoing internal power struggle within
12300-499: The area. Certainly, Historia Gruffud vab Kenan records that William II launched an utterly unsuccessfully campaign into the region, directed at Gruffudd himself, and that the English were forced to turn back without having gained any plunder. Nevertheless, an alternate possibility is that William II had been lured into the region by the native resurgence throughout the Welsh Marches —an event in which Gruffudd's participation
12464-412: The attention of the Scottish court, but calls for forfeiture of the Lordship were calmed when John quitclaimed his mainland territories, and Skye. However, ambition wasn't given up so easily, and John's nephew launched a severe raid on Ross , but it ultimately failed. Within 2 years of the raid, in 1493, MacDonald was compelled to forfeit his estates and titles to James IV of Scotland ; by this forfeiture,
12628-471: The bedrock at the northern end of the Rinns. It is a quartz -rich metamorphic marine sandstone that may be unique to Scotland and which is nearly 5,000 m (16,400 ft) thick. South of Rubh' a' Mhail there are outcrops of quartzite , and a strip of mica schist and limestone cuts across the centre of the island from The Oa to Port Askaig. Further south is a band of metamorphic quartzite and granites,
12792-481: The brothers, the expansive island empire that their father had forged appears to have quickly disintegrated under their joint rule. Although there is no record of the brothers conducting military operations in the Isles and Ireland, the thirteenth-century Orkneyinga saga states that the peripheral regions of their father's lordship reverted to the control of local leaders. It was into this power vacuum that Godred first emerges into recorded history . The ruler of
12956-410: The case, Historia ecclesiastica states that Robert was slain during a sea-borne predatory raid in which Grithfridus' three-ship force made landfall under the cliffs of Great Orme . The invaders are further said to have ravished the surrounding countryside, loading their ships with livestock and captives. Having crushed Robert's forces, Grithfridus is stated to have had the former's severed head bound as
13120-498: The case, Godred's acquisition of this coastal settlement may well have been a strike of sheer opportunism in which he took advantage of the ongoing conflict between the kingdoms of Munster and Leinster. His probable familial links with Dublin could have contributed to his remarkable success as well, and it is possible that the Dubliners considered this conquest as a restoration of the kingdom's royal family. Certainly his conquests in
13284-431: The chronicle's statement regarding Leinster is almost certainly an exaggeration, it may well refer to the seizure of the full extent of Fine Gall , and the extension of royal authority over adjoining regions. Dublin's political affiliation at about this period in time is uncertain. In 1088, Donnchad mac Domnaill Remair, King of Leinster seems to have utilised troops from Dublin in his attack on Waterford . Whilst within
13448-457: The context of an Islesman securing possession of the region's southernmost routes, thereby giving him total control of the Irish Sea trade nexus. According to the Chronicle of Mann , Godred "held the Scots in such subjection that no one who built a vessel dared to insert more than three bolts", a statement implying his maritime dominance over contemporaries. The naval power of the Islesmen is perhaps evidenced in known military cooperation between
13612-419: The court of Gofraid mac Sitriuc, King of the Isles , a likely kinsman of his. During the 1070s, the latter died and was succeeded by his son, Fingal . Within the decade, Godred violently seized the kingship for himself, although the exact circumstances surrounding this takeover are uncertain. By 1091, Godred attained the kingship of Dublin, and thereby secured complete control of the valuable trade routes through
13776-421: The decade. As for Gofraid mac Sitriuc himself, the generosity that he showed Godred could well be explained if the two were indeed kinsmen. Whatever the case, the former's death is recorded in 1070, after which his son, Fingal, apparently succeeded to the kingship. Possibly in about 1075, or 1079, the chronicle reveals that Godred succeeded in conquering Mann following three sea-borne invasions. On one hand, it
13940-439: The earliest example of Manx literature , the so-called Manannan Ballad , an eighteenth-century text that appears to contain content of sixteenth-century provenance. This traditional account of Mann asserts that, following King Orry's arrival, and his subsequent introduction of the island's legal system , thirteen of his descendants ruled in turn as king before Alexander III's takeover. In fact, this tally appears to conform to
14104-584: The eighteenth-century Book of Clanranald , reveal that it was through Ragnailt's descent that Clann Somairle, and Somairle himself, claimed kingship in the Isles. Godred's place at the royal apex of the two dynasties who contested the kingship of the Isles in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries suggests that he is identical to the like-named man proclaimed as an eminent ancestral figure in two thirteenth-century poems concerning Clann Somairle dynasts. The professed descendants of this Gofraid were poetically conceptualised as Síol nGofraidh ("the seed of Gofraid"),
14268-400: The eleventh century. It is apparent, however, that the dynasty descended from him soon turned upon itself. Although Godred's eldest son, Lagmann , appears to have succeeded him during the decade, the latter was soon forced to fend off rivals' factions supporting Godred's younger sons, Aralt in particular. Irish power appears to have encroached into the Isles at about this time as well, and it
14432-527: The entire kingdom for almost a decade before the Crovan dynasty regained control of their permanently partitioned domain. Although the dynasty expired in the mid-thirteenth century, Somairle's descendants— Clann Somairle —held power in the Hebrides for centuries to come. In fact, the later mediaeval Clann Somairle Lordship of the Isles , which survived into the late fifteenth century, was a direct successor of Godred's maritime imperium. The Chronicle of Mann , Orkneyinga saga , and later tradition preserved in
14596-476: The episcopal succession only starts at about the time of Godred's reign. The bishop first mentioned by this source is a certain " Roolwer ", whose recorded name appears to be a garbled form of the Old Norse Hrólfr . The chronicle records that Roolwer was the bishop before Godred's reign, which could either mean that he died before the beginning of Godred's rule, or that Roolwer merely occupied
14760-410: The epithet is instead Old Norse in origin, it could be derived from kruppin ("cripple"). In several Irish annals , Godred is accorded the epithet meranach . This word could represent either the Gaelic meránach ("mad", "confused", "giddy"); or else méránach (which can also be rendered mérach ), a word derived from mér ("finger" or "toe"). If meranach indeed corresponds to
14924-624: The eventual English defeat at the hands of the Normans , and further gave the Godwinsons military assistance in their insurrections against the new Norman regime in 1068 and 1069. Regardless of Godred's possible ancestral links with Ireland, his political leanings could have meant that Dublin was unsafe for him in 1066. Another factor influencing Godred's arrival on Mann may have been the absence of Echmarcach—Gofraid mac Sitriuc's predecessor and Ímar's bitter adversary—at some point earlier in
15088-418: The expertise to ensure the vitality of the kingdom's commerce and currency. Annalistic evidence from throughout Europe indicates that the continent suffered from a resurgence of plague and famine during the first years of the 1090s. In fact, if the Annals of the Four Masters is to be believed, about a quarter of Ireland's population succumbed to pestilence in 1095. This source, and a host of others—such as
15252-612: The fifth-largest Scottish island and the eighth-largest island of the British Isles , with a total area of almost 620 square kilometres (240 sq mi). There is ample evidence of the prehistoric settlement of Islay and the first written reference may have come in the first century AD. The island had become part of the Gaelic Kingdom of Dál Riata during the Early Middle Ages before being absorbed into
15416-406: The former language means "fort" and knaus-borg in the latter means "fort on the crag". There is no evidence that Islay was ever subject to Roman military control although small numbers of finds such as a coin and a brooch from the third century AD suggest links of some kind with the intermittent Roman presence on the mainland. The ruins of a broch at Dùn Bhoraraic south east of Ballygrant and
15580-475: The fort's name appears to refer to Godred himself, it is unknown if there is any historical connection between him and the site. A nearby site is Àiridh Ghutharaidh. The etymology of this place name is uncertain. It could be derived from the Gaelic àirigh (" shieling ") and * Gutharaidh (a hypothesised Gaelic form of the Old Norse personal name Guðrøðr ). The fact that this site is only about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from Dùn Ghùaidhre could suggest that
15744-786: The heirs of Donald (the MacDonalds , led by Aonghas Óg MacDonald ), those of Donald's brother (the Macruari , led by Ruaidhri mac Ailein), and those of Donald's uncle (the MacDougalls , led by Alexander MacDougall ). At the end of the 13th century, when king John Balliol was challenged for the throne by Robert the Bruce , the MacDougalls backed Balliol, while the Macruari and MacDonalds backed Robert. When Robert won, he declared
15908-669: The high-kingship, Domnall Mac Lochlainn, King of Cenél nEógain . It possible that this compact contributed to Godred's successes in Dublin. Just as Godred's seizure of Dublin appears to have taken place at a point when two superior powers were occupied elsewhere, his expulsion from the kingdom appears to have taken place at a time when Muirchertach's hands were free, having temporarily settled matters with his rival half-brother, Diarmait Ua Briain , and having earned some success in extending Uí Briain authority into Connacht . Contemporary numismatic material concerning Dublin indicates that, starting in 1095, immediately following Godred's demise,
16072-533: The historical record, Fingal's descendants ruled in parts of Galloway. Specifically, in 1094, the eleventh- to fourteenth-century Annals of Inisfallen record the death of a certain King of the Rhinns named " Macc Congail ", whose recorded patronym may represent confusion between the names Fingal and Congal . Whatever the case, it is unknown if Macc Congail was independent from, or dependent upon, Godred's authority. Godred's interference in this part of
16236-548: The hybrid nature of the Norse-Gaelic Kingdom of the Isles . One of the foremost leaders of the eleventh-century Norse world was Þórfinnr Sigurðarson, Earl of Orkney , a man whose maritime empire, like that of his father before him , stretched from Orkney to the Isles , and perhaps even into Ireland as well. Þórfinnr died in about 1065, and was succeeded by his two sons, Páll and Erlendr . Unfortunately for
16400-471: The island formed a secondary power centre in the Isles. The fact that Historia Gruffud vab Kenan notes that Gruffudd travelled into the Isles to obtain military assistance from Gothrei could also be evidence that Godred's headquarters was located there. The record of Godred's death on Islay further suggests that he may well have been buried on the nearby holy island of Iona , the burial place of his like-named grandson, Gofraid mac Amlaíb, King of Dublin and
16564-500: The island seems to have enjoyed a period of relative peace. During his reign, Godred appears to have lent military assistance to Gruffudd ap Cynan, King of Gwynedd , a probable kinsman, who was then locked in continuous conflicts with Welsh rivals and encroaching English magnates. The earliest known Bishops of the Isles date from about the time of Godred's reign, although it is almost certain that earlier ecclesiastes held this position. It may have been just prior to Godred's accession in
16728-511: The island was ice-covered during the Pleistocene glaciations save for Beinn Tart a' Mhill on the Rinns, which was a nunatak on the edge of the ice sheet. The complex changes of sea level due to melting ice caps and isostasy since then have left a series of raised beaches around the coast. Throughout much of late prehistory the low-lying land between the Rinns and the rest of the island was flooded, creating two islands. The influence of
16892-634: The island was recorded at over 6,600 cows and 2,200 horses in a 1722 rental listing. In 1726 Islay was purchased by John Campbell of Mamore using compensation from Glasgow Town Council (£9000) for damages during the Malt tax riots . When he died in 1729 the island passed to his son, Daniel Campbell of Shawfield . Following the Jacobite insurrections of 1745–6, the Heritable Jurisdictions Act 1746 abolished comital authority, and
17056-472: The kindred. If so, the attack could have been undertaken by Echmarcach's family at the connivance of the Meic Taidc—a branch of the Uí Briain matrilineally descended from Echmarcach—who may have used the operation as a means of preventing Mann from falling into the hands of their rival uncle, Muirchertach. Although the latter was certainly in the midst of securing control of Dublin, it is questionable whether he
17220-715: The king. A charter was soon sent from the Scottish King confirming this state of affairs; it declares that Skye and the Outer Hebrides are to be considered independent from the rest of the former Lordship, leaving only Islay and Jura remaining in the comital unit. James V sent gunners to garrison forts in Islay in 1540. Initially dispossessed in the wake of royal opposition to the Lordship, Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg 's holdings in Islay were restored in 1545. The MacLean family had been granted land in Jura in 1390, by
17384-501: The kingdom's coinage became drastically debased in terms of weight and stylistic quality. For about a generation previous, Dublin's coinage had imitated the near contemporary styles of the English and Anglo-Normans, albeit with varying consistency, but immediately after 1095 Dublin's coins dramatically degenerated into poor imitations of nearly century-old designs . This could be evidence that, in comparison to Muirchertach's immediate Norse-Gaelic predecessors in Dublin, his own regime lacked
17548-528: The land their predecessors had farmed for centuries. In 1891 the census recorded only 7,375 citizens, with many evictees making new homes in Canada, the United States and elsewhere. The population continued to decline for much of the 20th century and today is about 3,500. In 1899, counties were formally created, on shrieval boundaries, by a Scottish Local Government Act ; Islay therefore became part of
17712-524: The lands became part of Scotland, rather than a crown dependency. James ordered Finlaggan demolished, its buildings razed, and the coronation stone destroyed, to discourage any attempts at restoration of the Lordship. When Martin Martin visited Islay in the late 17th century he recorded a description of the coronations Finlaggan had once seen. . John was exiled from his former lands, and his former subjects now considered themselves to have no superior except
17876-452: The last decade of the eleventh century saw an upsurge in plague and famine. According to Irish sources, one quarter of Ireland perished from pestilence in 1095 alone. One of the fatalities was Godred himself, who died on Islay , an apparent power centre in the Isles. Godred's greatest impact on history may have been his founding of the Crovan dynasty , his patrilineal descendants who ruled in
18040-590: The last two decades of the eleventh century Gwynedd was occupied by ever encroaching Anglo-Normans; and it is apparent that Gruffudd enjoyed close connections with the Norse-Gaelic world. Specifically, the thirteenth-century Historia Gruffud vab Kenan reveals that, not only was Gruffudd born and raised in Dublin, he was yet another distinguished descendant of Amlaíb Cúarán, and that on several occasions Gruffudd availed himself of Norse-Gaelic military assistance. After an apparent lull of about two decades, there
18204-455: The latter meaning, the epithet would appear to mirror Crouan / Crovan , and imply something remarkable about Godred's hands. Godred and his patrilineal royal descendants, who reigned in the Isles for about two centuries, are known to modern scholars as the Crovan dynasty , a name coined after Godred himself. The combination of Old Norse personal names and Gaelic epithets accorded to Godred, and his dynastic descendants, partly evidence
18368-525: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Crovan&oldid=1015665728 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Disambiguation pages with surname-holder lists Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Godred Crovan Godred Crovan (died 1095), known in Gaelic as Gofraid Crobán , Gofraid Meránach , and Gofraid Méránach ,
18532-499: The mainland can suffer delays. The driest months are April to July and the warmest are May to September, which as a result are the busiest times for tourism. Sunshine hours are typically highest around the coasts, especially to the west. The earliest settlers on Islay were nomadic hunter-gatherers who may have first arrived during the Mesolithic period after the retreat of the Pleistocene ice caps. A flint arrowhead , which
18696-484: The mainland had a long-lasting effect, beginning with the destruction of Dál Riata. As is the case in the Northern Isles , the derivation of place names suggests a complete break from the past. Jennings and Kruse conclude that although there were settlements prior to the Norse arrival " there is no evidence from the onomasticon that the inhabitants of these settlements ever existed ". Gaelic continued to exist as
18860-444: The mid-19th century. This was followed by substantial forced displacements and declining resident numbers. Today, Islay has over 3,000 inhabitants, and the main commercial activities are agriculture, malt whisky distillation and tourism. The island has a long history of religious observance, and Scottish Gaelic is spoken by about a quarter of the population. Its landscapes have been celebrated through various art forms, and there
19024-531: The name "river" despite their small size. The most significant of these are the River Laggan which discharges into the sea at the north end of Laggan Bay, and the River Sorn which, draining Loch Finlaggan, enters the head of Loch Indaal at Bridgend. There are numerous small uninhabited islands around the coasts, the largest of which are Eilean Mhic Coinnich and Orsay off the Rinns, Nave Island on
19188-452: The names of both locations refer to Godred. On the other hand, it is possible that the names of the fort, ridge, and shieling are merely the result of folk etymology . Another Islay site associated with Godred is Conisby ( grid reference NR262618 ). This place name is derived from the Old Norse * Konungsbýr ("king's farm"), a prestigious designation that appears to echo the district's not insignificant size and quality of lands. Whether
19352-442: The natives lands in the north, on the condition that they give up all heritable rights to this territory. It was through this act, alleges the chronicle, that Godred's later successors owned the entirety of the island. This portrayal of Godred's takeover—in which a conqueror establishes his dynasty's dominance over the traditional rights of a native landholding populace—parallels the traditional mediaeval accounts of Haraldr hárfagri ,
19516-599: The nearby mainland and adjacent islands, lay within the Gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata with strong links to Ireland. The widely accepted opinion is that Dál Riata was established by Gaelic migrants from Ulster, displacing a native Brythonic culture (such as the Picts ), but some scholars claim that the Gaels in this part of Scotland were indigenous to the area. Dál Riata was divided into a small number of regions, each controlled by
19680-523: The next four centuries and more this Kingdom was under the control of rulers of mostly Norse origin. Godred Crovan was one of the most significant of the rulers of this sea kingdom . Though his origins are obscure, it is known that Godred was a Norse-Gael , with a connection to Islay. The Chronicles of Mann call Godred the son of Harald the Black of Ysland, (his place or origin variously interpreted as Islay, Ireland or Iceland ) and state he "so tamed
19844-416: The northern reaches of the realm. After his takeover of Mann, a conquest that culminated in the Battle of Sky Hill , the chronicle claims that Godred offered his followers the choice of either plundering the island or of settling upon it. Only a few of his Islesmen are stated to have remained with him on Mann. According to the chronicle, Godred granted the incomers lands in the south of the island, and allowed
20008-624: The northwest coast, Am Fraoch Eilean in the Sound of Islay, and Texa off the south coast. The underlying geology of Islay is intricate for such a small area. The deformed Palaeoproterozoic igneous rock of the Rhinns complex is dominated by a coarse-grained gneiss cut by large intrusions of deformed gabbro . Once thought to be part of the Lewisian complex , it lies beneath the Colonsay Group of metasedimentary rocks that forms
20172-478: The northwest coast. The south coast is sheltered from the prevailing winds and, as a result, relatively wooded. The fractal coast has numerous bays and sea lochs, including Loch an t-Sailein , Aros Bay and Claggain Bay . In the far southwest is a rocky and now largely uninhabited peninsula called The Oa , the closest point in the Hebrides to Ireland. The island's population is concentrated mainly in and around
20336-519: The number of historical Manx rulers during the Crovan dynasty's floruit. King Orry, and thus Godred himself, is seemingly referred to in Manx legislation dating to the early fifteenth century, as the term "in King Orryes Days" was recorded at the 1422 sitting of Tynwald . This phrase likely equates to " time immemorial ", a time beyond memory, once defined under English law as the time before
20500-437: The only Leinster lords who refused to acknowledge Muirchertach's overlordship. From a late-eleventh-century Irish perspective, dominance of Dublin appears to have been a virtual prerequisite of gaining the Irish high-kingship, and Muirchertach's quest for control of this coastal kingdom appears to have been undertaken in such a context. In fact, it is evidence that Godred had allied himself with Muirchertach's fiercest rival for
20664-501: The population of Argyll was to be found dispersed in small clachans of farming families and only two villages of any size, Killarow near Bridgend and Lagavulin, existed on Islay at the time. (Killarow had a church and tolbooth and houses for merchants and craft workers but was razed in the 1760s to "improve" the grounds of Islay House.) The agricultural economy was dependent on arable farming including staples such as barley and oats supplemented with stock-rearing. The carrying capacity of
20828-446: The position at the time of Godred's accession. Roolwer's recorded name may be evidence that he is identical to one of the earliest bishops of Orkney . Specifically, either Thorulf or Radulf. Considering the evidence of early-eleventh-century Orcadian influence in the Isles, it is not inconceivable that the near contemporaneous Church in the region was then under the authority of an Orcadian appointee. A noted contemporary of Roolwer
20992-451: The possibility that Islay was an important locus of royal power in the Isles, combined with the evidence of his father's links with the island could instead be evidence against such an overthrow. Furthermore, the chronicle itself states that Godred was succeeded by his eldest son, Lagmann . On Godred's death, the Annals of Inisfallen accord him the title " ríg Atha Cliath & Inse Gall " (translated variously as "King of Dublin and of
21156-661: The reign of the celebrated Richard I, King of England . According to local tradition on Islay, Godred's grave is marked by Carragh Bhàn ( grid reference NR32834781 ), a standing stone situated near the settlement of Kintra, on the island's Oa peninsula. The site itself is likely prehistoric, although there is a legitimate late-eleventh-century cross-slab found on the island, near Port Ellen ( grid reference NR357458 ), that appears to contain motifs from contemporary Scandinavian and Irish art . As with Godred on Islay, supposed burial places of King Orry are traditionally marked by prehistoric burial sites on Mann. One such site
21320-485: The remains of numerous Atlantic roundhouses indicate the influences of northern Scotland, where these forms of building originate. There are also various crannogs on Islay, including sites in Loch Ardnave, Loch Ballygrant and Loch Allallaidh in the south east where a stone causeway leading out to two adjacent islands is visible beneath the surface of the water. By the sixth century AD Islay, along with much of
21484-708: The rivers Liffey and Boyne in Ireland (thereby connecting the ports of Chester and Holyhead in Wales, with those of Dublin and Drogheda in Ireland); the third trade route running perpendicular to the aforementioned, extending south to the Continent and north through the Hebrides to Iceland , Orkney , Shetland , Scandinavia , and the Baltic region . Godred's conquest of Dublin, therefore, could have been undertaken in
21648-404: The royalist garrison at Dunnyvaig, laying waste to the island. It was not until 1677 that the Campbells felt sufficiently at ease to construct Islay House at Bridgend to be their principal, and unfortified, island residence. Martin Martin recorded that Sir Hugh Campbell of Caddell was the king's steward of Islay in the late seventeenth century. At the beginning of the 18th century much of
21812-481: The saint" ,are very common. Several of the villages were developed in the 18th or 19th centuries, and English is a stronger influence in their names as a result. Port Charlotte for example, was named after Lady Charlotte Campbell , daughter of 5th Duke of Argyll and wife of the island's then-owner, Colonel John Campbell (1770–1809) of Shawfield and Islay. Islay is 40 kilometres (25 mi) long from north to south and 24 kilometres (15 mi) broad. The east coast
21976-587: The same year, troops from Dublin, Waterford, and Wexford were repulsed in an attack on Cork by the Uí Echach Mumain . The following year, Donnchad is further accorded the title rí Gall , which suggests that he ruled Dublin by this point. Muirchertach Ua Briain, King of Munster certainly gained authority over Dublin within the year, although the fact that the annal-entry evidencing Godred's kingship there in 1091 contains no verb could suggest that he too reigned in Dublin as early as 1089. Whatever
22140-541: The site was ever owned by a king is unknown, although local tradition certainly associates it with Godred himself. The eighteenth-century poet Thomas Chatterton composed Godred Crovan , a poem that appeared in print in 1769, under the full title Godred Crovan. A poem. Composed by Dopnal Syrric, Scheld of Godred Crovan, King of the Isle of Man , published in the Town and Country Magazine . The poem appears to have influenced
22304-416: The so-called Ossianic poetry of the contemporaneous poet James Macpherson . In fact, it was likely through Chatterton's work that Blake was most influenced by Macpherson. Unlike Macpherson, who deceptively insisted that his epic Ossianic corpus was translated from the work of an ancient Celtic bard , Chatterton did not claim his Ossianic inspired compositions were the remnants of ancient literature. In
22468-535: The son of "Harallt Ddu" (Harald "The Black" of Islay), who in turn was the son of "Ifor Gamle" (Ímar mac Arailt). As such, it appears that Godred was not the son, nephew or brother, but, in fact, the grandson of Ímar mac Arailt, King of Dublin , patrilineal descendant of Amlaíb Cúarán, King of Northumbria and Dublin , and member of the Uí Ímair . The chronicle's passage may further cast light on Godred's familial origins. Although " Ysland " may represent Iceland , there
22632-741: The song is a certain Gorree/Orree/Orree Beg, a hero who corresponds to Garadh/Garaidh in cognate tales. The spelling of this hero's name in Fin as Oshin suggests that he represents Godred himself, thereby giving the story a native slant. Godred's place in this song probably accounts for its survival in local memory. In Vindication of the Celtic Character , the nineteenth-century Gaelic poet William Livingstone offered imaginative accounts of Viking incursions on Islay. One such tale, alleged by Livingstone to have been "handed down from
22796-427: The total destruction of Norwegian military power, and it took almost a generation before a king of this realm could reassert authority in the Norse colonies of the British Isles . If the eleventh-century chronicler Adam of Bremen is to be believed, an Irish king was slain during the battle, which could indicate that Godred formed part of the Irish Sea contingent, a host perhaps led by the slain king. At any rate, it
22960-404: The varying political alignments in the Irish Sea region. Whilst he had allied himself to the cause of the invading Haraldr, the cause of the defending Harold was clearly adhered to by Diarmait, the contemporary overlord of Dublin. In fact, the latter seems to have lent Harold's family— the Godwinsons —assistance in the decade before the Norwegian invasion. He later sheltered Harold's sons following
23124-416: The villages of Bowmore and Port Ellen . Other smaller villages include Bridgend , Ballygrant , Port Charlotte , Portnahaven and Port Askaig . The rest of the island is sparsely populated and mainly agricultural. There are several small freshwater lochs in the interior including Loch Finlaggan , Loch Ballygrant, Loch Lossit and Loch Gorm, and numerous burns throughout the island, many of which bear
23288-437: The wake of Macpherson's publications, several examples of Manx folksongs appear to have first come to light. One particular piece, a Manx Gaelic song called Fin as Oshin , is the only example of fíanaigecht existing in Manx musical tradition . Surviving in several eighteenth-century manuscripts, Fin as Oshin tells a tale similar to other poems recounting the story of the burning of Finn's house. A central character in
23452-405: The western seaboard of Scotland from Morvern to Loch Hourn , and the whole of the Hebrides save for Skye (which Robert had given to Hugh of Ross instead). From 1336 onwards John began to style himself Dominus Insularum —" Lord of the Isles ", a title that implied a connection to the earlier Kings of the Isles and by extension a degree of independence from the Scottish crown; this honorific
23616-502: The work of the contemporaneous poet William Blake , particularly Blake's first piece of revolutionary poetry, Gwin, King of Norway . Whilst Chatterton's composition tells the tale of an invasion of Mann by a tyrannous Norseman named Godred Crovan, Blake's ballad is about a tyrannous Norse king who is slain by a native giant named Gordred. Chatterton's compositions in Town and Country Magazine were strongly influenced by, and imitative of,
23780-458: The year before, therefore, may well have influenced William's strategy in the north-west. The ecclesiastical jurisdiction within the Isles during the reigns of Godred's mid-twelfth-century successors was the Diocese of the Isles . Little is known of the early history of the diocese, although its origins may well lie with the Uí Ímair imperium. Unfortunately, the Chronicle of Mann' s coverage of
23944-535: Was Dúnán , an ecclesiast generally assumed to have been the first Bishop of Dublin . In fact, the Annals of Ulster instead accords him the title " ardespoc Gall " ("high-bishop of the Foreigners"), and the first Bishop of Dublin solely associated with Dublin is Gilla Pátraic , a man elected to the position by the Dubliners during the regime of Toirdelbach and Gofraid mac Amlaíb meic Ragnaill. Dúnán's title could indicate that he held episcopal authority in
24108-446: Was Gofraid mac Sitriuc, King of the Isles , a man who appears to have reigned under Diarmait's overlordship. Like Godred himself, Gofraid mac Sitriuc may have been a descendant of Amlaíb Cúarán. On Diarmait's unexpected death in 1072, Toirdelbach Ua Briain, King of Munster invaded Leinster, and acquired control of Dublin. Within a year of gaining lordship over the Dubliners, Toirdelbach appears to have installed, or at least recognised
24272-437: Was a Norse-Gaelic ruler of the kingdoms of Dublin and the Isles . Although his precise parentage has not completely been proven, he was certainly an Uí Ímair dynast, and a descendant of Amlaíb Cúarán, King of Northumbria and Dublin . Godred first appears on record in the context of supporting the Norwegian invasion of England in 1066. Following the collapse of this campaign, Godred is recorded to have arrived on Mann , at
24436-532: Was a remarkable increase in Norse-Gaelic predatory raids upon Wales throughout the 1070s and 1080s. In fact, this resurgence coincides with Gruffudd's struggle for power, and may not be an unrelated coincidence. At one point in his career, after briefly gaining power in 1081, Gruffudd was captured by Hugh d'Avranches, Earl of Chester , and appears to have been held captive for over a decade, perhaps twelve years. According to Historia Gruffud vab Kenan , Gruffudd managed to escape his captors and sought military aid in
24600-615: Was also an RAF Coastal Command flying boat base at Bowmore from 13 March 1941 using Loch Indaal. In 1944 an RCAF 422 Squadron Sunderland flying boat's crew were rescued after their aircraft landed off Bowmore but broke from her moorings in a gale and sank. There was an RAF Chain Home radar station at Saligo Bay and RAF Chain Home Low station at Kilchiaran. The mainstays of the modern Islay economy are agriculture, fishing, distilling , and tourism. Much of Islay remains owned by
24764-409: Was claimed by his heirs for several generations. The MacDonalds had thus achieved command of a strong semi-independent maritime realm, and considered themselves equals of the kings of Scotland, Norway, and England. Initially, their power base was on the shores of Loch Finlaggan in northeastern Islay, near the present-day village of Caol Ila . Successive chiefs of Clan Donald were proclaimed Lord of
24928-488: Was composed by Duncan Johnston , and released in part one of his 1938 book Cronan nan Tonn . Johnston's song describes the journey of Godred's royal birlinn from Mann to Islay, and commemorates the sea-power of the Crovan dynasty. Due to Godred's place in Manx history, he is given a role in the fictional history of The Island of Sodor in The Railway Series by Wilbert Awdry (the name Sodor itself being
25092-472: Was dead within two years, and at some point Diarmait appears to have placed his own son, Murchad , upon the throne. About a decade after Diarmait's conquest of Dublin, an invasion of Mann by Murchad appears to have resulted in the submission or expulsion of Echmarcach altogether, effectively giving Diarmait control over the Irish Sea region. When Murchad died in 1070, Diarmait assumed control of Dublin and perhaps Mann as well. The ruler of Mann in about 1066
25256-598: Was erected on the coast of The Oa by the American Red Cross to commemorate the sinking of these two ships. A military cemetery was created at Kilchoman where the dead from both nations in the latter disaster were buried (all but one of the American bodies were later exhumed and returned home). During World War II , the RAF built an airfield at Glenegedale which later became the civil airport for Islay. There
25420-547: Was found in a field near Bridgend in 1993 and dates from 10,800 BC, is amongst the earliest evidence of a human presence found so far in Scotland. Stone implements of the Ahrensburgian culture found at Rubha Port an t-Seilich near Port Askaig by foraging pigs in 2015 probably came from a summer camp used by hunters travelling round the coast in boats. Mesolithic finds have been dated to 7000 BC using radiocarbon dating of shells and debris from kitchen middens . By
25584-458: Was in any position to contemplate operations in the Irish Sea at this point. In fact, Godred was nearing the height of his own power, and it is unclear if the Meic Taidc enjoyed more amiable relations with the Ulaid than Muirchertach himself. At any rate, Godred's expansion into Dublin could have been undertaken in the aftermath of his successful defence of the island. Godred's expansion in
25748-482: Was in the aftermath of this defeat that the chronicle first notes Godred: stating that, following his flight from the battle, Godred sought sanctuary from Gofraid mac Sitriuc, and was honourably received by him. Godred's participation in the Norwegian enterprise, which was also supported by the sons of Þórfinnr, partly evidences the far-flung connections and interactions of the contemporary Norse elite. Godred's arrival on Mann, rather than Dublin, may well be explained by
25912-487: Was involved in a collision with HMS Kashmir in heavy seas while similarly transporting American Doughboys from New York Harbor . Otranto lost steering and drifted towards the west coast of the Rinns. Answering her SOS the destroyer HMS Mounsey attempted to come alongside and managed to rescue over 350 men. Nonetheless, the Otranto was wrecked on the shore near Machir Bay with a total loss of 431 lives. A monument
26076-537: Was named Aralt, the fourteenth-century Annals of Tigernach instead calls him in Gaelic "... mac Maic Arailt ", contrarily implying that it was Godred's grandfather who was named Aralt. Godred, therefore, may have been either a son, nephew, or brother of Ímar mac Arailt, King of Dublin . However, the early-thirteenth-century pedigree Achau Brenhinoedd a Thywysogion Cymru in the Welsh collection of genealogical tracts records "Gwrthryt Mearch" (Godred Crovan) as
26240-502: Was one of the wealthiest ports in western Europe. By the end of the eleventh century, it was the most important population centre in Ireland. There appear to have been three main routes in the region: one running from southern Wales to south-eastern Ireland (connecting the settlements of Waterford and Wexford in Ireland, with Bristol and St Davids in Wales); another route running from the river Dee in northern Wales to Mann itself, and to
26404-511: Was relatively superfluous, and the provincial identity ( medieval Latin : provincia ) of Islay-Jura faded away. The situation was soon complicated by the Civil War , when Archibald , the head of the most powerful branch of the Campbells, was the de facto head of Covenanter government, while other branches (and even Archibald's son ) were committed Royalists . A Covenanter army under Sir David Leslie arrived on Islay in 1647, and besieged
26568-399: Was slain by a certain king named " Grithfridus ". Although there is reason to suspect that the latter is identical to Gruffudd, this identification is by no means certain, as the less than impartial Historia Gruffud vab Kenan makes no mention of this episode at all. In fact, another possibility is that the sea-roving Grithfridus is identical to Gothrei, and thus Godred himself. Whatever
26732-534: Was sold to James Morrison of Berkshire , ancestor of the third Baron Margadale , who still owns a substantial portion of the island. The sundering of the relationship between the landowners and the island's residents proved consequential. When the estate owners realised they could make more money from sheep farming than from the indigenous small farmers, wholesale Clearances became commonplace. Four hundred people emigrated from Islay in 1863 alone, some for purely economic reasons, but many others having been forced off
26896-474: Was wrought throughout the year. The source also reveals that, during Dublin's fall, Muirchertach captured Conchobar Ua Conchobair Failge, King of Uí Failge. Although the Kingdom of Uí Failge had previously enjoyed the patronage of the Uí Briain, it is possible that Godred had forged an alliance with Conchobar. Following the Uí Briain conquest of Dublin, the Ua Conchobair kings of Uí Failge may have been
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