Who was Somerled (First King of the Isles)

Somerled was a powerful 12th-century Scottish warrior who is remembered for his military and political accomplishments, as well as his religious patronage. He was born in northern Ireland and belonged to a prominent Norse-Gaelic family. His father, GilleBride, was of royal Irish ancestry and had married Máel Coluim mac Alaxandair, a claimant to the Scottish throne.

Somerled is first mentioned in contemporary sources in 1153, when he rose in rebellion against King Malcolm IV of Scotland. It is believed that he had a stake in the contested royal succession due to his kinship with Malcolm’s sons. He is known for his successful military campaigns, including the sack of Glasgow in 1153 and the establishment of his own kingdom in the Scottish Isles and mainland Scotland. His kingdom included the Inner and Outer Hebrides, as well as parts of the mainland, such as Argyll and Lorne.

In 1153, Olaf of Man died and was succeeded by his son, Godred. However, Godred was unpopular and Somerled was asked by a Manx chief, Thorfinn Ottarson, to allow his son Dugall to be appointed as King of Man and the Isles. Somerled agreed and, with 80 ships, confronted Godred off the coast of Islay in 1156. After the battle, Somerled and Godred divided the Kingdom of Man and the Isles between them, but Godred did not accept Dugall as king. In 1158, Somerled defeated Godred and took control of the entire Kingdom of Argyll, Man and the Isles. He ruled this kingdom until his death in 1164.

Somerled was married to Ragnhild, daughter of Óláfr Guðrøðarson, King of Man and the Isles, in 1140. Through this marriage and his descendants, he claimed the Kingdom of Man and the Isles.

Somerled is remembered as a significant figure in 12th-century Scottish, Gaelic, and Manx history, and is claimed as an ancestor by several Scottish clans. He is credited with driving the Vikings out of the Scottish Isles and establishing a Gaelic-speaking dynasty. His descendants, the Lords of the Isles, ruled this kingdom for several centuries.

Somerled’s legacy also includes the establishment of the clans MacDougall and MacDonald, which trace their ancestry back to him. In addition to his military and political accomplishments, Somerled is also remembered for his religious patronage. He made significant donations to churches and monasteries, including the establishment of a Benedictine abbey on the Isle of Iona.

Somerled’s career is described in four main contemporary sources: the Chronicle of Holyrood, the Chronicle of Melrose, the Chronicles of Mann, and the Carmen de Morte Sumerledi. These sources are all from the 12th century and tend to be partisan, with the Chronicle of Holyrood and the Chronicle of Melrose being sympathetic to the cause of the Scottish kings descended from Malcolm III, and the Chronicle of Mann and the Carmen de Morte Sumerledi being slanted against Somerled. Irish annals are also useful sources of information, but they usually only confirm what is already documented in other sources. Later clan histories, such as the History of the MacDonalds and the Books of Clanranald, contain a lot of detailed information, but they cannot be fully trusted as historical narratives.