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 " Cennc ( h ) airech " 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 " Cennc ( h ) airech " may be translated " Sinful Head " . Career . Amlaíb is mentioned by name only in the " Annals of the Four Masters " and " Annals of Clonmacnoise " . The dating in both cases is regarded to be off , and in general the sources for western Ireland are not great . The " Chronicon Scotorum " records several of the same and related events but does not mention Amlaíb by name . Annals of the Four Masters . The Annals of the Four Masters are generally off by two years . Capture or recruitment ? The traditional interpretation of these notices , the second immediately following the first in the manuscripts , is that what Amlaíb mac Gofraid was actually doing was compelling or recruiting Amlaíb Cenncairech for his upcoming battle with Athelstan of England . This would turn out to be the famous Battle of Brunanburh . More recently historians have tended to interpret this as the culmination of an extended conflict between the Norse of Dublin and Limerick , dating from the arrival of Tomrair mac Ailchi in 922 . They assume that the two Amlaíbs actually engaged in a battle and that " mac Gofraid " won a " decisive victory " over Cenncairech , effectively ending Limerick as a major player in Ireland for the next two or three decades . Annals of Clonmacnoise . It is uncertain but likely that Cenncairech soon succeeded Colla ua Bairid , who died in 932 , as King of the Limerick Norse , and thus it is likely he was involved in the events of 933 . Again the expedition to England follows , but here no mention is made of any conflict with Dublin . Chronicon Scotorum . Again here no mention is made of any conflict with Dublin . Irish saga . A certain Amlaíb of Limerick features as a character in the 12th century saga and propaganda tract " Caithréim Chellacháin Chaisil " , who is killed by Cellachán Caisil himself . Alexander Bugge takes no position regarding his historicity , but offers Amlaíb Cenncairech as his primary example of an historical Amlaíb associated with Limerick . Donnchadh Ó Corráin allows that " The Amlaíb of the text may be a vague memory of Amlaíb Cennchairech but it must be remembered that Amlaíb is one of the commonest Viking names in Ireland . " Bugge does believe that this Amlaíb of Limerick can be identified as the father of the Amlaíb mac Amlaíb mentioned in the " Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib " as an ally of Ivar of Limerick . According to this saga and propaganda tract ( dated near contemporary with the " Caithréim Chellacháin Chaisil " ) , Amlaíb mac Amlaíb was banished along with Ivar following the Norse loss at the Battle of Sulcoit against the Dál gCais led by Mathgamain mac Cennétig in 967 . The two are said to have " attempted the conquest of Britain " together , apparently without success , as Amlaíb " was killed by the king of Britain " and Ivar soon after reestablished himself in Limerick .