or Ireland. At times there also appear to have been competing claims for all or parts of the territory. The islands have a total land area of over 8300 km2 and extend for more than 500 km from north to south.

Viking influence in the area began in the late 8th century. There is no doubt that the [[Uí Ímair]] (Ivar) dynasty played a prominent role in this early period, but the records for the dates and details of its rulers are