A Short Military History of Dark Age/Medieval Mann
Late 4th - Early 5th Cent. Irish adventurers subdue the Island becoming saints in the process.
6th Cent, North Welsh occupation of the Isle of Man.
637 AD. Northumbrian Saxons invade and subdue the Isle of Man on their way to doing the same at Anglesey.
798 AD. First viking raid.
913 AD. Sea Battle in Ramsey Bay.
Ragnall (Norse) beat Bovid MacOttir (Ulster) in Ramsey Bay and landed. MacOttir was killed at sea and the defenders lost heart and did not fight.
1079 AD. Battle of Skyhill.
Godred Crovan twice failed to conquer Mann but on the 3rd attempt with 600 men he defeated the Manx at the Battle of Skyhill to the south-west of Ramsey.
Culminated in the Battle of Santwat, near Peel. Those from the North obtained the victory. In the engagement were slain earls Other and Macmaras, the chiefs of both parties.
1158 AD. Somerled raided the Island.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somerled
1164 AD. Godred returned from Norway and fought his brother Reginald. Godred won.
1210 AD. King John sent John de Cantelupe to Mann to pillage the island.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_de_Cantilupe_(died_1239)
1225-26 AD. Civil War. Reginald deposed & Olaf made King.
1227 AD. Reginald joins forces & returns to Mann.
They plunder Mann and then Reginald returns with 5 ships and attacks St Patrick’s Isle by night, burning all of Olaf’s ships. He then landed at Ronaldsway and rallied enough men to carry out a guerrilla war.
1229 AD. Reginald killed in a battle fought near Tynwald mound. A battle between Reginald & Olave for sovereignty of the Island.
1238 AD. A battle at Tynwald between Laughlan & Dugal Maol Mhuise and Joseph, deputies of Harold. The latter were slain.
1266 AD. Haakon's successor concluded the Treaty of Perth by which he ceded the Isle of Man and the Western Isles to Alexander III, King of Scotland in return for a monetary payment. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_III_of_Scotland
1275 AD. Alexander III landed on St Michael’s Isle. He was attacked by a Manx army who lost 500 men.
1313 AD. Robert the Bruce landed at Derbyhaven and laid seige to Castle Rushen. After a month’s siege the Castle surrendered. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_the_Bruce
1316 AD. On Ascension Day Irish Freebooters landed at Ronaldsway (so much for Airport Security). The Manx resisted and retreated to the slopes of South Barrule but were beaten and the freebooters ravaged the Island.
Late 4th - Early 5th Cent. Irish adventurers subdue the Island becoming saints in the process.
6th Cent, North Welsh occupation of the Isle of Man.
637 AD. Northumbrian Saxons invade and subdue the Isle of Man on their way to doing the same at Anglesey.
798 AD. First viking raid.
913 AD. Sea Battle in Ramsey Bay.
Ragnall (Norse) beat Bovid MacOttir (Ulster) in Ramsey Bay and landed. MacOttir was killed at sea and the defenders lost heart and did not fight.
1079 AD. Battle of Skyhill.
Godred Crovan twice failed to conquer Mann but on the 3rd attempt with 600 men he defeated the Manx at the Battle of Skyhill to the south-west of Ramsey.
- Troops: both North (‘celts’) and South (‘vikings’) each had three sheedings each of which had four skeids (warships) seating 26. This would indicated around 600 men.
Culminated in the Battle of Santwat, near Peel. Those from the North obtained the victory. In the engagement were slain earls Other and Macmaras, the chiefs of both parties.
1158 AD. Somerled raided the Island.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somerled
1164 AD. Godred returned from Norway and fought his brother Reginald. Godred won.
1210 AD. King John sent John de Cantelupe to Mann to pillage the island.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_de_Cantilupe_(died_1239)
1225-26 AD. Civil War. Reginald deposed & Olaf made King.
1227 AD. Reginald joins forces & returns to Mann.
They plunder Mann and then Reginald returns with 5 ships and attacks St Patrick’s Isle by night, burning all of Olaf’s ships. He then landed at Ronaldsway and rallied enough men to carry out a guerrilla war.
1229 AD. Reginald killed in a battle fought near Tynwald mound. A battle between Reginald & Olave for sovereignty of the Island.
1238 AD. A battle at Tynwald between Laughlan & Dugal Maol Mhuise and Joseph, deputies of Harold. The latter were slain.
1266 AD. Haakon's successor concluded the Treaty of Perth by which he ceded the Isle of Man and the Western Isles to Alexander III, King of Scotland in return for a monetary payment. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_III_of_Scotland
1275 AD. Alexander III landed on St Michael’s Isle. He was attacked by a Manx army who lost 500 men.
1313 AD. Robert the Bruce landed at Derbyhaven and laid seige to Castle Rushen. After a month’s siege the Castle surrendered. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_the_Bruce
1316 AD. On Ascension Day Irish Freebooters landed at Ronaldsway (so much for Airport Security). The Manx resisted and retreated to the slopes of South Barrule but were beaten and the freebooters ravaged the Island.