Óttar of Dublin
| Óttar | |
|---|---|
| King of Dublin | |
| Reign | 1142–1148 |
| Predecessor | Conchobar Ua Briain |
| Successor | Brodar mac Torcaill |
| Born | Probably the Hebrides |
| Died | 1148 Dublin |
| Spouse | Helga |
| Issue | ?Óttar, Thorfinn Mac Oitir |
| Father | Óttar |
Óttar of Dublin (or Óttarr of Dublin), in Irish Oitir Mac mic Oitir (Oitir the son of a son of Oitir), was a Hiberno-Norse King of Dublin, reigning in 1142–48. Alternative names used in modern scholarship include Óttar of the Isles and Óttar Óttarsson.
Óttar was a powerful man from the Norse-Gaelic territory of the Western Isles of Scotland, known as the Sudreyjar to the Vikings. He seized control of the Kingdom of Dublin in 1142, according to Clare Downham after having been invited by the townspeople to become their king. He is described as the grandson of Óttar in the Annals of the Four Masters and as the son of Óttar (McOtyr) in the Annals of Clonmacnoise. It is possible that both records are correct and that Óttar of Dublin was the son of a man named Óttar whose own father was also Óttar. Either his father or grandfather was the Jarl Óttar, killed in 1098, who is recorded as controlling half of the Isle of Man. One source unambiguously names Jarl Óttar of Man as the father of Óttar of Dublin, and also names his mother, one Svanhilda "a Danish lady." Before his takeover of Dublin he is not specifically mentioned as holding the title jarl, but his evident access to substantial military resources and the use of the title by both his forebears and descendants suggests that he was of that rank.
Óttar of Dublin belonged to what has been referred to as a 'dynasty of Óttars,' a family characterised by the repeated use of the personal name . Over a number of centuries its members were active throughout the Irish Sea zone, often in conjunction with the Uí Ímair, from Caithness in the far north of Scotland to Cork in the south of Ireland.
According to G. de P. Cotter, following his occupation of Dublin, Óttar "...burned the cathedral of Kells, and plundered that town. This most likely refers to the Church at Kells in County Meath, even though this church wasn't elevated to the status of "cathedral" until after the synod of Kells. The Annals of the Four Masters record that Kells ("Ceanannus") was burned in 1143 and three times in 1144.
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