Kings of Dublin

The Kings of Dublin, or Dyflin.

Dyflin - pronounced "dyoov-lin" (in either Old Norse or Modern Norwegian) - is the Old Norse spelling of Dubh Linn ("doov linn"), meaning "Black Pool" in English. The English later took Old Irish "Dubh Linn" and collapsed the spelling, and pronunciation, to "Dublin."

The ancient village of 'Dubh Linn' was known to the Romans in the Latin guise of Eblana. The Vikings invaded the territory in the ninth century, establishing the Norse Kingdom of Dublin. This corresponded to most of present day County Dublin. Norse Rulers of Dublin were often co-kings, and occasionally also Kings of Jorvik in what is now England.

In 988, High King Mael Seachlainn II led the initial Irish conquest of the Norse Kingdom of Dublin, giving the place its modern name in Irish - Baile Átha Cliath, meaning "Town at the Hurdle Ford." Thus, the founding of Dublin is counted from the year 988, notwithstanding a village has existed on the site of Dublin since before the Roman occupation of Great Britain nearly a thousand years earlier.

Mael Seachlainn II was dethroned by Brian Boru, 1002-1014, and the Norse kept fighting back - so the Irish conquest of Dublin was never complete. Irish dominance of Dublin did take hold in the middle of the eleventh century, under the kings of Leinster; but the city still had a Norse king until the Norman invasion of 1171, and native Ireland itself was in the throes of the regnal wars over the high kingship since the death of Mael Seachlainn II in 1022. Though the last Norse king of Dublin was killed by the Normans in 1171, the population of the city retained their distinctiveness based on their origins for some further generations. Families such as Archbold and Harrold are contemporary descendants of the Norse of Dublin. See: Pale.
*Thorgest 839-845
*Olaf 853-873
*Ivar 856-873
*Auisle 853-867
*Eystein Olafsson 873-875
*Halfdan 873/875-877
*Bard 875/877-881
*mac Auisle 881-883
*Eoloir Jarnknesson ?-?
*Sichfrith Ivarsson 883?-888
*Sigtrygg (Sitric) Ivarsson 888-893
*Sichfrith Jarl 893-894
*Sigtrygg (Sitric) Ivarsson 894-896
*Ivar 893-902

''Dublin abandoned by the Norse from 902 to 917.
*Sigtrygg (Sitric) Gael 917-921
*Godfrid 921-934
*Olaf III Guthfrithson 934-941
*Sigtrygg (Sitric) 941-943
*Blacar Godfridsson Earl 943-945
*Olaf Cuaran 945-980
*Gluniarainn Olafsson 980-989
*Sigtrygg (Sitric) Silkbeard Olafsson 989-1036
*Echmarcach mac Ragnaill 1036-1038
*Ivar Haraldsson 1038-1046
*Echmarcach mac Ragnaill 1046-1052
*Murchad mac Diarmata mac Mael na mBo 1052-1070
*Diarmait mac Mael na mBo 1070-1072
*Domnall mac Murchada mac Diarmata 1070-1072
*Gofraid mac Amlaib mac Ragnaill 1070-1072
*Toirrdelbach ua Briain 1072-1074?
*Muirchertach mac Toirrdelbach ua Briain 1074-1086
*Enna mac Diarmata mac Mael na mBo 1086-1089
*Donnchad mac Domnail Remair mac Mael na mBo 1086-1089
*Gofraid Meranach after1091-1094
*Domnall mac Muirchertaig ua Briain c.1094-1118
*Donnchad mac Murchada mac Diarmata ????-1115
*Diarmat mac Enna 1115-1117
*Enna mac Donnchada mac Murchada 1118-1126
*Conchobair mac Tiorrdelbach Ua Conchobair 1126-1127
*Thorkell fl.1133
*Conchobair Ua Briain 1141-1142
*Ottar 1142-1148
*Ragnall Thorkellsson 11??-1146
*Brotar Thorkellsson 1146-1160
*Asculf Thorkellsson 1160-1171

(N.B. "Sitric" is the Irish variant of Norwegian "Sigtrygg")