Amlaíb Cenncairech

Who is Amlaíb Cenncairech?

Amlaíb Cenncairech was a Norse ruler and presumably King of Limerick notable for his military activities in Ireland in the 930s, especially in the province of Connacht and apparently even in Ulster and Leinster. This period, the 920s and 930s, is commonly regarded as the very height of Norse power in Ireland, and was when Limerick essentially equalled Dublin in power.

His epithet Cenncairech is commonly translated into the unflattering "Scabby-Head" but this may be inaccurate. The adjective cairech actually means, according to the Dictionary of the Irish Language, "criminal; guilty; sinful", and thus Cenncairech may be translated "Sinful Head".