Ruaidhrà mac Raghnaill (died 1247?) was a leading figure in the
Kingdom of the Isles
The Kingdom of the Isles, also known as Sodor, was a Norse–Gaelic kingdom comprising the Isle of Man, the Hebrides and the islands of the Clyde from the 9th to the 13th centuries. The islands were known in Old Norse as the , or "Southern I ...
and a member of
Clann Somhairle. He was a son of
Raghnall mac Somhairle and was the
eponym
An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''.
Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...
ous ancestor of
Clann RuaidhrÃ. Ruaidhrà may have become the principal member of Clann Somhairle following the annihilation of
Aonghus mac Somhairle in 1210. At about this time, Ruaidhrà seems to have overseen a marital alliance with the reigning representative of the
Crovan dynasty
The Crovan dynasty, from the late 11th century to the mid 13th century, was the ruling family of an insular kingdom known variously in secondary sources as the Kingdom of Mann, the Kingdom of the Isles, and the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles. The ...
,
Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson, King of the Isles, and to have contributed to a reunification of the Kingdom of the Isles between Clann Somhairle and the Crovan dynasty.
In the first third of thirteenth century, the Scottish Crown faced a series of uprisings from the
Meic Uilleim, a discontented branch of the Scottish royal family. Ruaidhrà is recorded to have campaigned with
Thomas fitz Roland, Earl of Atholl against the Irish in the second decade of the century. One possibility is that these maritime attacks were conducted in the context of suppressing Irish supporters of Scottish malcontents. In 1221/1222,
Alexander II, King of Scotland oversaw a series of
invasions into Argyll in which Scottish royal authority penetrated into
Kintyre
Kintyre (, ) is a peninsula in western Scotland, in the southwest of Argyll and Bute. The peninsula stretches about , from the Mull of Kintyre in the south to East Loch Tarbert, Argyll, East and West Loch Tarbert, Argyll, West Loch Tarbert in t ...
. As a result, Ruaidhrà appears to have been ejected from the peninsula and replaced by his younger brother,
Domhnall
Donald is a Scottish masculine given name. It is derived from the Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic
Proto-Celtic, or Common Celtic, is the hypothetical ancestral proto-language of all known Celtic languages, and a ...
. Whilst Alexander's campaign appears to have been directed at RuaidhrÃ, the precise reasons behind it are uncertain. On one hand, the threat of a unified Kingdom of the Isles may have triggered the invasion. On the other hand, if Ruaidhrà had indeed supported the Meic Uilleim, such support to Alexander's rivals could account for royal retaliation directed at RuaidhrÃ.
According to several mediaeval chronicles, a certain Roderick took part in the last Meic Uilleim revolt against Alexander. One possibility is that Ruaidhrà and this Roderick are identical. If correct, RuaidhrÃ's alliance with the Meic Uilleim may have originated as a consequence of his expulsion from Kintyre by the Scottish Crown. Whilst RuaidhrÃ's later descendants certainly held power in the Hebrides and
Garmoran
Garmoran is an area of western Scotland. It lies at the south-western edge of the present Highland Region. It includes Knoydart, Morar, Moidart, Ardnamurchan, and the Small Isles.
History
The medieval lordship of Garmoran was ruled by the Mac ...
, it is uncertain how and when these territories passed into their possession. In 1230, following Scottish interference in the Isles,
Hákon Hákonarson, King of Norway sent
Óspakr-Hákon to restore authority in the region as King of the Isles. The fact that Ruaidhrà is not recorded in the subsequent Norwegian campaign could be evidence that he had occupied himself in supporting the near-concurrent Meic Uilleim rebellion, or that he resented the prospect of Óspakr-Hákon's overlordship.
Ruaidhrà seems to be identical to a certain Mac Somhairle who was slain in
battle
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force co ...
assisting
Maol Seachlainn Ó Domhnaill, King of TÃr Chonaill resist an English invasion. The following year, RuaidhrÃ's son,
Dubhghall, and another Clann Somhairle dynast sought the kingship of the Isles from Hákon. There is reason to suspect that Mac Somhairle had previously been recognised by Hákon as King of the Isles, and that the two Clann Somhairle kinsmen sought to succeed Mac Somhairle as king after his death. Whatever the case, RuaidhrÃ's sons were certainly active in Ireland afterwards, with his younger son,
Ailéan, being one of the earliest
gallowglass commanders on record.
Familial background
Ruaidhrà seems to have been the senior son of
Raghnall mac Somhairle. Raghnall was in turn a son of
Somhairle mac Giolla Brighde, King of the Isles, the common ancestor of
Clann Somhairle. Another son of Somhairle was
Dubhghall,
eponym
An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''.
Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...
ous ancestor of
Clann Dubhghaill. Ruaidhrà was in turn the eponymous ancestor of
Clann RuaidhrÃ, whilst his brother,
Domhnall
Donald is a Scottish masculine given name. It is derived from the Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic
Proto-Celtic, or Common Celtic, is the hypothetical ancestral proto-language of all known Celtic languages, and a ...
, was the eponym of
Clann Domhnaill.
There is uncertainty regarding the succession of the Clann Somhairle leadership following Somhairle's death in 1164. Although the thirteenth- to fourteenth-century ''
Chronicle of Mann'' reports that Dubhghall was the senior dynast in the 1150s, this man's next and last attestation, preserved by the
Durham ''Liber vitae'', fails to accord him a royal title. One possibility is that Dubhghall had been succeeded or supplanted by Raghnall, whose recorded title of ("king of the Isles, lord of Argyll and Kintyre") could indicate that Raghnall claimed control over the Clann Somhairle territories. Like Dubhghall, the year and circumstances of Raghnall's death are uncertain as surviving contemporary sources fail to mark his demise.
Clann Somhairle and the Crovan dynasty
The first specific record of Ruaidhrà dates to 1213/1214.
[ Woolf (2007) p. 80.] About five years beforehand, however, the sons of Raghnall are recorded by the fifteenth- to sixteenth-century ''
Annals of Ulster
The ''Annals of Ulster'' () are annals of History of Ireland, medieval Ireland. The entries span the years from 431 AD to 1540 AD. The entries up to 1489 AD were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrà Ó Luin� ...
'' to have attacked the men of
Skye
The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye, is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated by the Cuillin, the rocky slopes of which provide some o ...
, in an entry that may be evidence that Raghnall's sons were attempting to extend their authority over the island. The following year, the ''Chronicle of Mann'' reports that the three sons of
Aonghus mac Somhairle, as well as Aonghus himself, were slain in battle on Skye. The record of this bloody encounter seems to indicate that Aonghus had succeeded Raghnall as the representative of Clann Somhairle by this date, and that Raghnall's sons responded by eliminating their uncle and his line. If so, it is possible that Ruaidhrà seized the succession of Clann Somhairle after the annihilation of Aonghus' branch of the kindred.
These accounts of Hebridean warfare may, therefore, signify a radical redistribution of the Clann Somhairle imperium.
Although the context of the conflict of 1209 is uncertain, one possibility is that it was connected to the clash of 1210. Another possibility is that it related to friction between Clann Somhairle and the
Crovan dynasty
The Crovan dynasty, from the late 11th century to the mid 13th century, was the ruling family of an insular kingdom known variously in secondary sources as the Kingdom of Mann, the Kingdom of the Isles, and the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles. The ...
. The Clann Somhairle claim to the kingship of the Isles seems to have stemmed from its descent from Somhairle's wife,
Ragnhildr Óláfsdóttir, granddaughter of the Crovan dynasty's common ancestor. In the mid twelfth century, Somhairle confronted Ragnhildr's brother,
Guðrøðr Óláfsson, King of the Isles, and wrested the kingship from him. Somhairle's coup resulted in the division of the
Kingdom of the Isles
The Kingdom of the Isles, also known as Sodor, was a Norse–Gaelic kingdom comprising the Isle of Man, the Hebrides and the islands of the Clyde from the 9th to the 13th centuries. The islands were known in Old Norse as the , or "Southern I ...
between his descendants and Guðrøðr's.
In the second decade of the century, the ''Chronicle of Mann'' reveals that the wife of the reigning representative of the Crovan dynasty,
Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson, King of the Isles, was the sister of the bride of Rǫgnvaldr's rival half-brother,
Óláfr Guðrøðarson. Although the precise identity of the half-brothers' shared father-in-law is uncertain, the chronicle describes him as a nobleman from
Kintyre
Kintyre (, ) is a peninsula in western Scotland, in the southwest of Argyll and Bute. The peninsula stretches about , from the Mull of Kintyre in the south to East Loch Tarbert, Argyll, East and West Loch Tarbert, Argyll, West Loch Tarbert in t ...
, which suggests that he was a member of Clann Somhairle, as sources concerning this kindred associate it with Kintyre more than any other region.
The half-brother's father-in-law, therefore, may well have been either Raghnall, or RuaidhrÃ
—both of whom appear to have been styled "
Lord of Kintyre" in contemporary sources—or possibly even Domhnall.
[ Woolf (2007) p. 82.]
It is conceivable that Rǫgnvaldr's union dates before 1210,
[ Woolf (2007) p. 81.] perhaps not long after 1200 considering the age of his son,
Guðrøðr Dond, who was active in about 1223.
[ Oram (2013) ch. 4.] The marital alliance appears to have been orchestrated in an effort to patch up relations between Clann Somhairle and the Crovan dynasty. It is possible that Rǫgnvaldr's kingship was formally recognised by Ruaidhrà as the principal member of Clann Somhairle, and that Ruaidhrà thereby established himself as a leading magnate within a reunified Kingdom of the Isles. Such a development may have taken place at about the time of Aonghus' elimination.
Ruaidhrà is likely one of the unnamed sons of Raghnall who is recorded by various
Irish annals
A number of Irish annals, of which the earliest was the Chronicle of Ireland, were compiled up to and shortly after the end of the 17th century. Annals were originally a means by which monks determined the yearly chronology of feast days. Over ti ...
to have campaigned with
Thomas fitz Roland, Earl of Atholl in a fleet of over seventy ships against the Irish in 1211/1212. Ruaidhrà is certainly reported by the same sources to have assisted Thomas in ravaging
Derry
Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...
and the surrounding countryside again in 1213/1214. On one hand, these seaborne operations may have been undertaken in the context of supporting the Irish interests of Rǫgnvaldr, who seems to have been under pressure at about this period. The attacks could indicate that Thomas and his Clann Somhairle allies were supporting the cause of the English Crown in Ireland, and were coordinated with the campaigning of the English
justiciar
Justiciar is the English form of the medieval Latin term or (meaning "judge" or "justice"). The Chief Justiciar was the king's chief minister, roughly equivalent to a modern Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
The Justiciar of Ireland was ...
,
John de Grey, Bishop of Norwich. Like his kinsman Rǫgnvaldr, Thomas was the recipient of an English grant of Irish lands at about this time. It is also possible that the raids were conducted in specific regard to the interests of both the Scottish and English Crowns, and particularly aimed at limiting Irish support of the
Meic Uilleim, a disaffected rival branch of the Scottish royal family.
Confrontation with the Scottish Crown
Expulsion from Kintyre
In 1221/1222,
Alexander II, King of Scotland seems to have overseen a series of
invasions into Argyll, as evidenced by sources such as the thirteenth-century ''
Gesta Annalia I'', the fifteenth-century ''
Scotichronicon
The ''Scotichronicon'' is a 15th-century chronicle by the Scottish historian Walter Bower. It is a continuation of historian-priest John of Fordun's earlier work '' Chronica Gentis Scotorum'' beginning with the founding of Ireland and thereby ...
'', and the fifteenth-century ''
Orygynale Cronykil of Scotland''. According to the former source, the king personally led the first of two incursions in 1221. Although this operation is stated to have been curtailed by adverse weather, it is said to have been followed by a resoundingly successful offensive the year after. The campaign itself marks the earliest point at which the region was drawn into the Scottish realm. In fact, there is reason to suspect that the inhabitants of
Argyll
Argyll (; archaically Argyle; , ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county of western Scotland. The county ceased to be used for local government purposes in 1975 and most of the area ...
were unlikely to have regarded themselves as
Scots until the midpoint of the century. As a result of this aggressive projection of royal authority, Alexander seems to have gained the pacification of Kintyre,
[ Stringer, K (2004); Duncan (1996) p. 528.] Knapdale
Knapdale (, ) forms a rural district of Argyll and Bute in the Scottish Highlands, adjoining Kintyre to the south, and divided from the rest of Argyll to the north by the Crinan Canal. It includes two parishes, North Knapdale and South Knapdale. ...
,
Cowal
Cowal () is a rugged peninsula in Argyll and Bute, on the west coast of Scotland. It is connected to the mainland to the north, and is bounded by Loch Fyne to the west, by Loch Long and the Firth of Clyde to the east, and by the Kyles of Bute ...
,
and the
islands of the Firth of Clyde. Such success may account for the commencement of the
royal castle of Tarbert,
[ Oram (2011) p. 186; Oram (2008) p. 176; Murray, N (2005) p. 291, 291 n. 27; Stringer, K (2004); McDonald (1997) pp. 84, 241–242; Duncan (1996) p. 528; Barrow (1981) p. 114.] the conferment of
burgh
A burgh ( ) is an Autonomy, autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots language, Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when David I of Scotland, King David I created ...
al status on
Dumbarton
Dumbarton (; , or ; or , meaning 'fort of the Britons (historical), Britons') is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven, Dunbartonshire, River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. ...
shortly afterwards, and the notice of a royal constable at
Dunoon
Dunoon (; ) is the main town on the Cowal peninsula in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is located on the western shore of the upper Firth of Clyde, to the south of the Holy Loch and to the north of Innellan. As well as forming part of the cou ...
—a record that appears to reveal the construction of a
castle
A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...
onsite and the transfer of Cowal to
Walter fitz Alan II, Steward of Scotland
Walter Steward of Dundonald (died 1246) was 3rd hereditary High Steward of Scotland and Justiciar of Scotia.
Life
He was the eldest son of Alan fitz Walter, 2nd High Steward of Scotland, by his second wife Alesta of Mar. He was the first mem ...
. It is evident that the amicable cooperation between Ruaidhrà and Thomas had ended by the early 1220s. As the king's principal adherents in the maritime west, Thomas and his brother,
Alan fitz Roland, Lord of Galloway, likely played a leading role in the king's operations. The former was certainly active in naval operations between the Hebrides and Ireland in 1221/1222, when he defeated a Hebridean fleet en route to Ireland. One possibility is that this particular action concerned the disruption of Clann Somhairle assistance to
Irish kindreds opposed to English interests in Ireland.

There is reason to suspect that Alexander's campaign resulted in a local regime change, with Ruaidhrà being replaced by Domhnall in Kintyre. For example, whilst Ruaidhrà is recorded to have held lands in Kintyre during the thirteenth century, a later charter of Domhnall's son,
Aonghus Mór
Aonghus Mór mac Domhnaill (died 1293) was a leading figure in the thirteenth-century kingdoms of the Kingdom of the Isles, Isles and Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland. He was a son of Domhnall mac Raghnaill, the eponym of Clann Domhnaill, a branc ...
, specifically locates one of the latter's ecclesiastical possessions "in my land which is called Kintyre". Although Clann Domhnall is well attested in Kintyre later in the century, there is no further evidence of Ruaidhrà or his Clann Ruaidhrà descendants on the peninsula. If Domhnall indeed replaced Ruaidhrà in the region it does not necessarily mean that he sided with the Scots against his brother: for example, although submission to the Scottish Crown seems to have been unpalatable to RuaidhrÃ, Domhnall may have been more willing to endure Scottish overlordship.
According to ''Gesta Annalia I'', upon the conclusion of the Scottish campaign, some of the men of Argyll offered Alexander money and hostages for a grant of peace. Other men of the region are said to have fled the region, whereafter the same source states that Alexander granted away their lands and possessions to his own followers.
Another beneficiary of RuaidhrÃ's apparent ousting may have been
Donnchadh mac Dubhghaill,
[ Oram (2013) ch. 4; Woolf (2007) p. 82; Sellar (2000) p. 201.] who seems to have become the principal member of Clann Somhairle at about this time. Donnchadh may have capitalised on the resulting power vacuum in Argyll,
and seems to have been entrusted with the
Lordship of Argyll as a
vassal
A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain ...
of Alexander.
RuaidhrÃ's expulsion may have also been connected to the apparent marriage alliance between his kindred and the Crovan dynasty. Since the majority of RuaidhrÃ's territories appear to have been mainland possessions, it is very likely that Alexander regarded this alliance and apparent reunification of the Isles as a threat to his own claims of overlordship of Argyll.
Apprehension of this rejuvenated island realm may have been one of the factors that led to the Scots' invasion and RuaidhrÃ's expulsion. In fact, the ''Chronicle of Mann'' reveals that, also in about 1221/1222, Óláfr was freed from his marriage by his apparent adherent,
Reginaldus, Bishop of the Isles, after which Óláfr married a daughter of
Fearchar mac an tSagairt, Earl of Ross. The latter was an emerging magnate closely linked to the Scottish Crown, and it is likely that Óláfr's realignment with such a figure was influenced by the concurrent campaign against RuaidhrÃ, and was perhaps intended by the Scots to further destabilise the Isles.
According to the thirteenth-century ''
Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar
''Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar'' ("The Saga of Haakon Haakonarson") or ''Hákonar saga gamla'' ("The Saga of Old Haakon") is an Old Norse Kings' Saga, telling the story of the life and reign of King Haakon Haakonarson of Norway.
Content and styl ...
'',
Hákon Hákonarson, King of Norway was visited by a certain Gillikristr, Óttar Snækollsson, and many Islesmen, who presented the king with letters concerning certain needs of their lands. Although it is possible that these men visited Norway with news regarding the kin-strife between Rǫgnvaldr and Óláfr, another possibility is that the delegation was concerned with the threat of Scottish aggression in the Isles, following the Scottish Crown's conquest of Kintyre in 1221/1222.
Adherent of the Meic Uilleim insurgency
According to ''Gesta Annalia I'', at some point in the 1220s the Meic Uilleim again rose in revolt, with the source identifying the participating Meic Uilleim faction members as: Giolla Easpaig, his unnamed sons, and a certain Roderick. Whilst this source is echoed by ''Scotichronicon'', the wording of the version of events preserved by the fourteenth-century ''
Chronicle of Lanercost'' seems to isolate Roderick from being a member of the Meic Uilleim.
The fact that ''Gesta Annalia I'' is a more contemporary source suggests that it's identification of Roderick as a member of the Meic Uilleim may be more accurate than the less than unambiguous wording of the ''Chronicle of Lanercost''. Nevertheless, if the latter source is to be believed, it could be evidence that this man is identical to Ruaidhrà himself. Although the sources that note Roderick's participation in the last Meic Uilleim revolt reveal that the kindred was utterly overcome and apparently extirpated, the fate of Roderick is not recorded. If Ruaidhrà is indeed identifical to Roderick, it is uncertain when he may have initiated such assistance to the insurgency. One possibility is that Ruaidhrà had supported the uprisings of the Meic Uilleim in the 1210s, which in turn could account for his dispossession from Kintyre. Evidence against such an early alliance may be the annalistic evidence of RuaidhrÃ's attacks in Ireland in 1211/1212 and 1213/1214, if these operations were indeed conducted on behalf of the Scottish Crown against Irish associates of the Meic Uilleim. In fact, it may have only been after his expulsion that Ruaidhrà was compelled to align himself with Alexander's Meic Uilleim enemies.
Although it is possible that Ruaidhrà controlled the lands that made up
Garmoran
Garmoran is an area of western Scotland. It lies at the south-western edge of the present Highland Region. It includes Knoydart, Morar, Moidart, Ardnamurchan, and the Small Isles.
History
The medieval lordship of Garmoran was ruled by the Mac ...
and various islands in the Hebrides, there is uncertainty as to how and when these territories entered into the possession of his family. Later leading members of Clann Ruaidhrà certainly possessed these lands, but evidence of custody before the mid thirteenth century is lacking.
Seemingly as a consequence of the
Comyn family's part in the suppression of the Meic Uilleim revolt,
Walter Comyn acquired the Highland lordships of
Badenoch
Badenoch (; ) is a district of the Scottish Highlands centred on the upper reaches of the River Spey, above Strathspey. The name Badenoch means the drowned land, with most of the population living close to the River Spey or its tributaries ...
and
Lochaber
Lochaber ( ; ) is a name applied to a part of the Scottish Highlands. Historically, it was a provincial lordship consisting of the parishes of Kilmallie and Kilmonivaig. Lochaber once extended from the Northern shore of Loch Leven, a distric ...
in 1229×1234. If Ruaidhrà and Roderick are indeed one and the same—and Ruaidhrà indeed possessed Garmoran—the proximity between this province to Badenoch and Lochaber could indicate that these territories had been centres of the Meic Uilleim insurrection. As such, Ruaidhrà would have been well placed to harbour the Meic Uilleim in Garmoran. RuaidhrÃ's possession of Garmoran would also mean that the king's grant to the Comyn kindred placed Walter Comyn upon the borders of both Donnchadh and RuaidhrÃ. Alexander, therefore, may have intended for the Comyns to exert pressure upon their Clann Somhairle neighbours. The fact that no disturbances are recorded in the region after 1230 could be evidence that the king was successful in such machinations.
Óspakr-Hákon's invasion of the Isles
Meanwhile, in the Isles, the struggle between Rǫgnvaldr and Óláfr for the kingship continued on. Although Rǫgnvaldr had enlisted Alan fitz Roland's support by way of a marital alliance, Óláfr seized the
kingship of the Isles in 1226, and slew Rǫgnvaldr three years later. The death of Alan fitz Roland's ally did not deter
Gallovidian interests in the Isles. In fact, it is apparent that Alan fitz Roland and members of Clann Dubhghaill upheld pressure upon the recently inaugurated Óláfr. Reports of open warfare in the Isles reached the royal court of Hákon in the summer of 1229. Although Óláfr arrived at the Norwegian court early the next year, having been forced from the Isles by Alan fitz Roland and his allies, it is evident that Hákon had already decided upon a course of action. As a matter of fact, the Norwegian king is recorded to have handed over the kingship of the Isles to an apparent member of Clann Dubhghaill named
Óspakr, and further bestowed upon this man the royal name ''Hákon'', giving him command of the Norwegian fleet tasked with restoring peace in the Isles.

Having arrived in the Isles not long afterwards, ''Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar'' reports that Óspakr-Hákon's fleet linked forces with other leading members of Clann Dubhghaill at
Islay
Islay ( ; , ) 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, Scotland, Jura and around north of the Northern Irish coast. The island's cap ...
. The reason why Ruaidhrà and Domhnall are unrecorded in the context of the campaign is uncertain. Not only had Ruaidhrà suffered from Alexander's encroachment, but his maternal kinsman, Guðrøðr Dond, played a prominent part in the campaign.
If Ruaidhrà indeed partook in the final Meic Uilleim rebellion, his apparent absence from Óspakr-Hákon's campaign could be evidence that his desire for requital against the Scots was temporarily sated, or that he had perished with the Meic Uilleim.

The fact that Óláfr's previous struggle against Alan fitz Roland and Clann Somhairle is acclaimed by ''Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar'' suggests that Hákon did not intend to replace Óláfr with Óspakr-Hákon. Instead, Hákon seems to have planned for Óspakr-Hákon to reign over the sprawling domain of Clann Somhairle in an attempt to ensure this kindred's obedience. Óspakr-Hákon's prospective realm, therefore, may have comprised Argyll, Kintyre, and the
Inner Hebrides
The Inner Hebrides ( ; ) is an archipelago off the west coast of mainland Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. Together these two island chains form the Hebrides, which experience a mild oceanic climate. The Inner Hebrides compri ...
. If correct, RuaidhrÃ's nonappearance in the campaign may have been due to resentment of Óspakr-Hákon's prospective overlordship. Domhnall's absence, on the other hand, could relate to the fact that he seems to have come to an accommodation with the Scottish Crown in the wake of RuaidhrÃ's expulsion, and to have owed his lordship in Kintyre to Alexander. If correct, the Norwegian muster off Islay may be indicative of an attempt by Óspakr-Hákon to overawe Domhnall.
Whatever the case, Óspakr-Hákon's fleet afterwards entered the
Firth of Clyde
The Firth of Clyde, is the estuary of the River Clyde, on the west coast of Scotland. The Firth has some of the deepest coastal waters of the British Isles. The Firth is sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by the Kintyre, Kintyre Peninsula. The ...
, and made landfall on
Bute
Bute or BUTE may refer to:
People
* Marquess of Bute, a title in the Peerage of Great Britain; includes lists of baronets, earls and marquesses of Bute
* Lord of Bute, a title in medieval Scotland, including a list of lords
* Lucian Bute (born ...
, where his forces successfully stormed and captured the island's fortress, a stronghold that is almost certainly identical to
Rothesay Castle.
The castle itself was a holding of Walter fitz Alan II, and the attack upon it seems to evince the anxiety felt by Clann Somhairle in the face of the steward's steadily increasing regional influence.
Mac Somhairle

Despite the ambiguous evidence concerning Roderick, the last record of Ruaidhrà is the undated record of his lordship in Kintyre.
It may be that the creation of the Comyn lordship of Badenoch and Lochaber, together with the establishment of various lordships throughout
Great Glen
The Great Glen ( ), also known as Glen Albyn (from the Gaelic "Glen of Scotland" ) or Glen More (from the Gaelic "Big/Great Glen"), is a glen in Scotland running for from Inverness on the edge of the Moray Firth, in an approximately straig ...
, and the foundation of Fearchar's
Earldom of Ross, successfully served to neutralise Ruaidhr×if he indeed possessed Garmoran.
In 1248, both RuaidhrÃ's succeeding son,
Dubhghall, and Donnchadh's succeeding son,
Eóghan, are stated by ''Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar'' to have arrived in
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
, with both men seeking the kingship of the northern from Hákon. The entirety of the —an
Old Norse
Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...
term meaning "Southern Islands"—roughly equates to the Hebrides and
Mann
Mann may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Mann'' (film), a 1999 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama
* Mann (chess), a variant chess piece
* ''Mann'' (magazine), a Norwegian magazine
* Mann (rapper), Dijon Shariff Thames (born 19 ...
. The precise jurisdiction that Dubhghall and Eóghan competed for is uncertain. For example, the northern Hebridean islands of
Lewis and Harris
Lewis and Harris (), or Lewis with Harris, is a Scottish island in the Outer Hebrides, around from the Scottish mainland.
With an area of (approximately 1% the size of Great Britain) it is the largest island in Scotland and the list of isl ...
and Skye appear to have been held by the Crovan dynasty, then represented by Óláfr's succeeding son,
Haraldr Óláfsson, King of the Isles. One possibility is that Eóghan and Dubhghall sought kingship of the same jurisdiction that Hákon had awarded to Óspakr-Hákon about a decade before.
Although 1247 was also the year of Hákon's royal
coronation
A coronation ceremony marks the formal investiture of a monarch with regal power using a crown. In addition to the crowning, this ceremony may include the presentation of other items of regalia, and other rituals such as the taking of special v ...
, and it is possible that the arrival of the Clann Somhairle dynasts was a result of the reimposition of Norwegian overlordship in the Isles, another reason for their arrival may relate to the death of a certain Mac Somhairle—an apparent member of Clann Somhairle—slain whilst resisting an English invasion of
TÃr Chonaill
Tyrconnell (), also spelled Tirconnell and Tirconaill, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland. It is associated geographically with present-day County Donegal, which was officially named ''County Tirconaill'' between 1922 and 1927. At times it also i ...
in 1247. Merely a year before, Haraldr seems to have submitted to
Henry III, King of England, and it is possible that Hákon had consequently recognised Mac Somhairle's kingship in the Isles in retaliation to Haraldr's acceptance of English overtures. If correct, the voyage of Dubhghall and Eóghan to Norway may reveal that both men sought to succeed their fallen kinsman in the Isles.
[ Woolf (2007) pp. 83–84.] Although the identity of Mac Somhairle uncertain, he may well be indentitical to Ruaidhrà himself.
Certainly, Dubhghall's presence in Norway suggests that he was indeed dead by this date.

An alliance with a ruler of the Isles would have certainly benefited Henry's ongoing military operations in Ireland, and it is possible that it was Haraldr's pact with him that had prompted Mac Somhairle's involvement against the English in Ireland.
In fact, Clann Somhairle may have faced immediate repercussions for their alignment with the
Norwegian Crown.
[ Woolf (2007) p. 84.] For example, English financial records for 1248 reveal that
Walter Bisset was tasked to fortify a castle along the Scottish coast. This castle appears to be that of
Dunaverty, seated upon the southern coast of Kintyre. This could indicate that Walter Bisset's
Ulster
Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...
-based actions in Kintyre were undertaken as a means to divide the Isles, isolating Mann from the Hebrides.
If Ruaidhrà is indeed identical to Mac Somhairle, and therefore died in 1247, Walter Bisset's activity at Dunaverty could be evidence of him capitalising upon a fortress that had formerly been held by RuaidhrÃ. Apparently in about the same year that the
Bissets seized Dunaverty, Thomas' illegitimate son, Alan, stormed the castle in a devastating attack that may have culminated in the capture Walter Bisset himself. Alan's attack upon the Bissets may have been partly connected to the activities of Clann Somhairle in Ireland.
The fall of Mac Somhairle is noted by numerous sources, such as the fifteenth- to sixteenth-century ''
Annals of Connacht
The ''Annals of Connacht'' (), covering the years 1224 to 1544, are drawn from a manuscript compiled in the 15th and 16th centuries by at least three scribes, all believed to be members of the Clan Ó Duibhgeannáin.
The early sections, commenc ...
'',
[ ''Annála Connacht'' (2011a) § 1247.7; ''Annála Connacht'' (2011b) § 1247.7; Duffy (2007) pp. 1, 15; Woolf (2007) p. 77; McLeod (2005) p. 42; Brown (2004) p. 81; Duffy (2004c) p. 47; Verstraten (2003) p. 36 n. 131; McLeod (2002) p. 31; Sellar (2000) pp. 200–201; Ó Murchadha (1992–1993) p. 57; Lydon (1992) p. 7; Simms (1975–1976) p. 106.] the ''Annals of Ulster'', the seventeenth-century ''
Annals of the Four Masters
The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' () or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' () are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Genesis flood narrative, Deluge, dated as 2,242 Anno Mundi, years after crea ...
'',
[ ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (2013a) § 1247.3; ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (2013b) § 1247.3; Duffy (2007) p. 15; Woolf (2007) p. 77; Murray, N (2005) p. 302; Duffy (2002) p. 56.] and the sixteenth-century ''
Annals of Loch Cé
The ''Annals of Loch Cé'' (also ''Annals of Lough Cé'') cover events, mainly in Connacht and its neighbouring regions, from 1014 to 1590. It takes its name from Lough Cé in the kingdom of Moylurg - now north County Roscommon - which was th ...
''.
[ ''Annals of Loch Cé'' (2008) § 1247.7; Duffy (2007) p. 15; Woolf (2007) p. 77; ''Annals of Loch Cé'' (2005) § 1247.7; Murray, N (2005) p. 302; McDonald (1997) p. 94; Ó Murchadha (1992–1993) p. 57.] At the time of his demise, Mac Somhairle was supporting the cause of
Maol Seachlainn Ó Domhnaill, King of TÃr Chonaill, who was attempting to halt to expansion of the English when his forces were crushed by
Maurice fitz Gerald, Lord of Offaly at
Ballyshannon
Ballyshannon () is a town in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located at the southern end of the county where the N3 road (Ireland), N3 from Dublin ends and the N15 road (Ireland), N15 crosses the River Erne. The town was inc ...
. Not only did Mac Somhairle lose his life in the affair, so too did Maol Seachlainn and the latter's principal underking, An Giolla Muinealach Ó Baoighill. At the time of his fall, Mac Somhairle would have undoubtedly commanded a force of fighting men—known later in the century as
gallowglasses—and could have either lent military assistance to the
Uà Domhnaill voluntarily, or else marketed such services to the kindred as a mercenary. About a decade after Mac Somhairle's death, RuaidhrÃ's son, Dubhghall—also named by various Irish annals—is recorded to have fought the English in
Connacht
Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uà Fiachrach, Uà Briúin, Uà Maine, C ...
, and to have contracted a marital alliance with
Aodh na nGall Ó Conchobhair, who thereby received a
tocher that included one hundred and sixty gallowglass warriors commanded by RuaidhrÃ's younger son,
Ailéan. RuaidhrÃ's Clann Ruaidhrà descendants are recorded to have acted in Ireland as gallowglass commanders as late as the mid fourteenth century.
[ ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (2013a) § 1342.2; ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (2013b) § 1342.2; ''Annála Connacht'' (2011a) § 1342.3; ''Annála Connacht'' (2011b) § 1342.3; Nicholls (2007) p. 89; ''Annala Uladh'' (2005) § 1339.2; McLeod (2005) p. 46; ''Annala Uladh'' (2003) § 1339.2; ''AU 1339'' (n.d.); ''Mac Ruaidhri'' (n.d.a); ''Raid Resulting from Political Encounter'' (n.d.); ''The Annals of Connacht, p. 287'' (n.d.).]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruaidhri Mac Raghnaill
1247 deaths
Nobility from Argyll and Bute
People from the Kingdom of the Isles
13th-century rulers of the Kingdom of the Isles
13th-century Scottish nobility
Clann RuaidhrÃ
Clann Somhairle