Oistin mac Amlaíb

Oistin mac Amlaíb
King of Dublin (possibly)
Reign	873–875
Predecessor	Ímar
Died	875
Father	Amlaíb Conung

Oistin mac Amlaíb (Old Norse: Eysteinn Óláfsson) was a ninth-century Norse or Norse-Gael leader who is sometimes identified as a King of Dublin. He was a son of Amlaíb Conung and nephew of Ímar, founder of the Uí Ímair dynasty. He is sometimes identified with Thorstein the Red, a figure who features in the Norse sagas.

The earliest mention of Oistin may be by Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib, which in 873 describes how Bárid mac Ímair and an unnamed son of Amlaíb Conung plundered the caves of Ciarraige. This unnamed son of Amlaíb is probably Oistin.Downham suggests this raid was undertaken as a show of strength; it occurred shortly after the death of Ímar, with Bárid probably succeeding him as King of Dublin. Though Oistin is not named as a king in the annals, it has been suggested by others that Oistin and Bárid ruled together as co-kings after the death of Ímar.

The one and only mention of Oistin by name in contemporary annals is by the Annals of Ulster in 875:

"Albann" is generally agreed to be identical to Halfdan Ragnarsson, supposed son of the legendary Viking Ragnar Lodbrok. Some scholars identify Halfdan as a brother of Amlaíb, Ímar and Auisle, and hence uncle of Oistin. This identification is contingent upon Ímar being identical to Ivar the Boneless: Halfdan and Ivar are named as brothers in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. If Halfdan and Oistin were indeed kin, then it may explain the reason for the conflict: it was a dynastic squabble for control of the kingdom.

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