Ragnall mac Gofraid (died 1004/1005) was King of the Isles and likely a member of the Uí Ímair kindred. He was a son of Gofraid mac Arailt, King of the Isles. Ragnall and Gofraid flourished at a time when the Kingdom of the Isles seems to have suffered from Orcadian encroachment at the hands of Sigurðr Hlǫðvisson, Earl of Orkney. Gofraid died in 989. Although Ragnall is accorded the kingship upon his own death in 1004 or 1005, the succession after his father's death is uncertain.

During his career, Ragnall may have contended with Gilli, an apparent Hebridean rival who was closely aligned with Sigurðr. Another possible opponent of Ragnall may have been Sveinn Haraldsson, King of Denmark who attacked Mann in 955. This man is recorded to have been exiled from Scandinavia at one point in his career, and to have found shelter with a certain "", a monarch that could refer to Ragnall himself. Whatever the case, Mann also fell prey to Æthelræd II, King of the English in 1000. Both military operations may have been the retaliation.

The circumstances surrounding Ragnall's death in Munster are unknown. On one hand it is possible that he had been exiled from the Isles at the time of his demise. Another possibility is that he had—or was in the process of—forming an alliance with Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig, King of Munster, a man who seems to have held an alliance with Ragnall's father. On possibility is that Ragnall sought assistance from Briain after having been forced from the Isles by Orcadian military might. A power vacuum resulting from Ragnall's demise may partly account from the remarkable English invasion of England by Máel Coluim mac Cináeda, King of Alba.

At about the same time as Ragnall's death, Brian occupied the high kingship of Ireland, and there is evidence to suggest that the latter's authority stretched into the Irish Sea region and northern Britain. Not long afterwards, an apparent brother of Ragnall, Lagmann mac Gofraid, is attested on the Continent, a fact which might be evidence that this man had been ejected from the Isles by Brian. An apparent son Lagmann was slain in battle against Brian's forces in 1014. The lack of a suitable native candidate to reign in the Isles may have led to the region falling under the royal authority of the Norwegian Hákon Eiríksson. The latter's death in 1029 or 1030 may have likewise contributed to the rise Echmarcach mac Ragnaill, King of Dublin and the Isles, a possible son of Ragnall. Other children of Ragnall could include Cacht ingen Ragnaill, and the father of Gofraid mac Amlaíb meic Ragnaill, King of Dublin.

King of the Isles

Ragnall was a son of Gofraid mac Arailt, King of the Isles.Jennings (2015a); Wadden (2015) pp. 17–18; Clancy (2008) p. 29; Downham (2007) pp. 193 fig. 12, 253, 267; Duffy (2006) pp. 53, 54; Hudson, BT (2005) pp. 75, 130 fig. 4; Sellar (2000) p. 189, 192 tab. i; Williams, DGE (1997) p. 145; Smyth (1989) p. 213. Ragnall belonged to the Meic Arailt, a family named after his paternal grandfather, Aralt.Duffy (2013) ch. 3. The latter's identity is uncertain, although he may well have been a member of the Uí Ímair kindred.McGuigan (2015) p. 107; Wadden (2015) pp. 27, 29; Downham (2007) pp. 186–192, 193 fig. 12. From at least 972Williams, DGE (1997) p. 142; Anderson (1922) pp. 478–479 n. 6; Rhŷs (1890) p. 262; Jones; Williams; Pughe (1870) pp. 658, 691; Williams Ab Ithel (1860) pp. 24–25. to 989 Gofraid actively campaigned in the Irish Sea region,Wadden (2016) p. 172; The Annals of Ulster (2012) § 989.4; The Annals of Tigernach (2010) § 989.3; Clancy (2008) p. 26; The Annals of Ulster (2008) § 989.4; Downham (2007) pp. 193 fig. 12, 253; Woolf (2007b) p. 165; Duffy (2006) pp. 53, 54; Macniven (2006) p. 68; Annals of Tigernach (2005) § 989.3; Forte; Oram; Pedersen (2005) p. 220; Williams, DGE (1997) p. 142. after which the political cohesion of Kingdom of the IslesWadden (2016) p. 174; Downham (2007) p. 196.—perhaps shaken by Orcadian encroachment in the 980sEtchingham (2001) p. 179.—seems to have diminished.

There is evidence to suggest that Sigurðr Hlǫðvisson, Earl of Orkney extended his authority from Orkney into the Isles in the late tenth- and early eleventh century.Cannon (2015); Jennings (2015b); Crawford (2013) ch. 3; Davies (2011) pp. 50, 58; Downham (2007) p. 196; Forte; Oram; Pedersen (2005) pp. 220–221; Crawford (2004); Williams, G (2004) pp. 94–96; Oram (2000) p. 11; Crawford (1997) pp. 65–68; Williams, DGE (1997) pp. 142–143; Jennings (1994) p. 225; Smyth (1989) p. 150. According to various Scandinavian sources, Sigurðr oversaw numerous raids into the Isles during his career. For instance, the thirteenth-century Njáls saga states that one of Sigurðr's followers, Kári Sǫlmundarson, extracted taxes from the northern Hebrides, then controlled by a Hebridean earl named Gilli.Crawford (2013) ch. 3; Thomson (2008) p. 61; Downham (2007) p. 196; Macniven (2006) p. 77; Raven (2005) p. 140; Etchingham (2001) pp. 173–174; Crawford (1997) p. 66; Williams, DGE (1997) pp. 142–143; Hudson, BT (1994) p. 113; Jennings (1994) p. 225; Johnston (1991) pp. 18, 114, 248; Smyth (1989) p. 150; Dasent (1967) pp. 148–149 ch. 84; Anderson (1922) pp. 497–498, 497–498 n. 3; Jónsson (1908) pp. 184–186 ch. 85. Also noted are additional assaults conducted by accomplices of Sigurðr throughout the Hebrides, Kintyre, Mann, and Anglesey.Thomson (2008) p. 61; Williams, G (2004) pp. 95–96; Etchingham (2001) pp. 173–174; Williams, DGE (1997) pp. 142–143; Jennings (1994) p. 224; Smyth (1989) p. 150; Johnston (1991) p. 114; Dasent (1967) pp. 160–163 ch. 88; Anderson (1922) pp. 502–503; Jónsson (1908) pp. 199–203 chs. 89; Vigfusson (1887) p. 324 ch. 90. The thirteenth-century Orkneyinga saga makes note of Sigurðr's raids into the Hebrides,Downham (2007) p. 196; Hudson, BT (2005) p. 75; Williams, G (2004) p. 95; Vigfusson (1887) p. 14 ch. 11; Anderson; Hjaltalin; Goudie (1873) pp. 209–210 ch. 186. whilst the thirteenth-century Eyrbyggja saga states that his forces reached as far as Mann where he collected taxation.Crawford (2013) ch. 3; Thomson (2008) p. 61; Downham (2007) p. 196; Hudson, BT (2005) p. 75; Williams, G (2004) p. 95, 95 n. 139; Crawford (1997) p. 66; Williams, DGE (1997) pp. 37, 88, 142–143; Hudson, BT (1994) p. 113; Anderson (1922) p. 528; Gering (1897) p. 103 ch. 29; Morris; Magnússon (1892) p. 71 ch. 29.

The extent of Gofraid's own authority in the Hebrides is unknown due to his apparent coexistence with Gilli, and to the uncertainty of Orcadian encroachment. Gofraid's successor is likewise uncertain.Williams, DGE (1997) pp. 142–144; Jennings (1994) p. 222. On one hand, he may have been succeeded by Ragnall himself.Walker (2013) ch. 5; Duffy (2006) p. 54; Forte; Oram; Pedersen (2005) p. 221; Hudson, BT (2005) p. 75; Oram (2000) p. 11. Although it is conceivable that either Gilli or Sigurðr capitalised on Gofraid's death, and extended their overlordship as far south as Mann, possible after-effects such as these are uncorroborated.Williams, DGE (1997) pp. 142–144. Although it is possible that Gilli controlled the Hebrides whilst Gofraid ruled Mann, the title accorded to the latter on his death could indicate otherwise.Jennings (1994) pp. 225–226. If so, the chronology of Gilli's subordination to Sigurðr may actually date to the period after Ragnall's death in 1004/1005.Jennings (1994) pp. 226, 229. Little is certain of Ragnall's reign.Williams, DGE (1997) p. 145. Certainly, he was accorded the kingship of the Isles by the time of his death,Duffy (2013) ch. 3; Jennings (1994) p. 222. and it is possible that he faced opposition from Sigurðr during his career.Duffy (2006) p. 54.

Njáls saga specifically states that the latter and his men overcame a king on Mann named Gofraid after which they plundered the Isles.Crawford (2013) ch. 3; Thomson (2008) p. 61; Downham (2007) p. 196; Hudson, BT (2005) p. 75; Williams, G (2004) p. 95; Crawford (1997) p. 66; Williams, DGE (1997) pp. 88, 142; Dasent (1967) p. 150 ch. 85; Anderson (1922) p. 500; Jónsson (1908) p. 187 ch. 86. Whilst this royal figure may well refer to Ragnall's father,Downham (2007) p. 196; Hudson, BT (2005) p. 75; Williams, G (2004) p. 95, 95 n. 137; Hudson, BT (1994) p. 113 n. 9. another possibility is that source actually refers to Ragnall himself.Hudson, BT (2005) p. 75. Contemporary Orcadian expansion may be perceptible in the evidence of the land-assessment system of ouncelands in the Hebrides and along the western coast of Scotland.Crawford (2013) ch. 3; Crawford (2004); Williams, G (2004) pp. 94–96; Andersen (1991) pp. 73–74; Johnston (1991) p. 248. If Sigurðr's authority indeed stretched over the Isles in the last decades of the tenth century, such an intrusion could account for the numbers of silver hoards dating to this time.Crawford (2013) ch. 3. The remarkable proportion of silver hoards from Mann and the Scandinavian regions of Scotland that date to about 1000 seem to reflect the wealth of Sigurðr's domain at about the apogee of his authority. The hoards from Argyll that date to this period could be indicative of conflict between Sigurðr and Ragnall.Williams, G (2004) p. 74 fig. 2, 75.

At some point in the decade following Gofraid's demise, Sveinn Haraldsson, King of Denmark was forced from his own realm. According to Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum by Adam of Bremen, Sveinn fled to Æthelræd II, King of the English, before he found shelter with a certain "".Duffy (2013) ch. 6; Woolf (2007a) p. 223; Hudson, BT (2005) pp. 74–75; Downham (2004) p. 60; Hudson, B (1994) p. 320; Anderson (1922) p. 481 n. 1; Schmeidler (1917) p. 95. Whilst this unnamed monarch could be identical to the reigning Cináed mac Maíl Choluim, King of Alba,Hudson, BT (2005) pp. 74–75; Hudson, B (1994) p. 320. the term can refer to the Irish just as well as the Scots.Duffy (2013) ch. 6. Adam is otherwise known to have been less than well-informed of affairs in Britain, and it is possible that was confused as to the king's true identity.Woolf (2007a) p. 223 n. 6. For instance, Adam may well have referred to a Scottish, Irish,Woolf (2007a) p. 223 n. 6; Hudson, BT (2005) pp. 74–75; Downham (2004) p. 60; Hudson, B (1994) p. 320. Cumbrian, or Norse-Gaelic monarch.Woolf (2007a) p. 223 n. 6; Hudson, BT (2005) pp. 74–75. In fact, Ragnall's position of power in the Irish Sea could well have led Adam to regard him as an Irish royal.Hudson, BT (2005) pp. 74–75. In 995, the "B" version of the eleventh- to thirteenth-century Annales Cambriæ, the thirteenth- and fourteenth-century texts Brenhinedd y Saesson and Brut y Tywysogyon, report that Mann suffered an invasion from Sveinn.Wadden (2016) p. 174; Wadden (2015) p. 18; Gough-Cooper (2015) p. 45 § b1017.1; Downham (2007) p. 131; Downham (2004) p. 60; Jennings (1994) p. 222; Rhŷs (1890) p. 264; Jones; Williams; Pughe (1870) p. 659; Williams Ab Ithel (1860) pp. 32–33. One possibility is that this assault was directed at the Uí Ímair. Certainly, Ragnall does not appear to have achieved the same level of success as his father, whilst Sveinn's invasion coincided with a bitter struggle for Dublin between Ímar, King of Waterford and Sitriuc mac Amlaíb, King of DublinAnnals of Inisfallen (2010) § 993.6; The Annals of Tigernach (2010) § 995.2; Annals of Inisfallen (2008) § 993.6; Downham (2007) p. 131 n. 151; Annals of Tigernach (2005) § 995.2.—strife amongst the Uí Ímair that was also capitalised upon by Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill, King of Mide within the year.The Annals of Tigernach (2010) § 995.5; Downham (2007) p. 131 n. 151; Annals of Tigernach (2005) § 995.5.

Death