However, the author of the Caithréim had available to him an extensive collection of official Munster pedigrees and his inclusion of known historical figures for purposes of giving credibility to his propaganda tract would indicate the existence of the individuals.
[6] None of this necessarily proves his descent from the early medieval Uí Chairpre but simply associates Donovan's family with the later kingship of their territories in the 10th century.
[10] Something of this sort might even be hinted at in a 14th-century official pedigree, the earliest surviving, reprinted by Cú Choigcríche Ó Cléirigh in the early-mid 17th century,[11] where his own father is given as Amlaíb (mac Cathail).
[12] In spite of all this controversy, the O'Donovan family belong to the Y-DNA clade R-Z16259, which they share with the Collins, Reagans, and O'Heas (Hayes),[13] all documented either Uí Fidgenti, Corcu Loígde or both.
[18] The author of CGG further claims Mathgamain took hostages from Donovan at this time, but this is rejected by the antiquarian Canon John O'Mahony, noting subsequent events.
[20] According to Alice Stopford Green this act of going into a probable enemy's house was "the formal sign of submission and renouncing supremacy", and it may have been understood that from there he was to go on to yield allegiance to Máel Muad.
Today's records do not fully illuminate the events of that day, and the political tides and developing relationships and commerce between the Danes and the Irish, and so the reason for the meeting has been lost.
The spectacular success of his younger brother Brian becoming a genuine monarch of Munster and eventually Ireland, had a powerful influence on the minds of later historians.
While unsupported by the brief annals this is supported by Donovan's close association with the Limerick dynasty, and Canon O'Mahony has pointed out that Máel Muad was a considerable distance away at the time, making his way north from his stronghold in Desmond.
[23] His argument that all of this removes Máel Muad from the plot may or may not be refuted in principle by the fact he quickly received word of the prisoner and ordered him put to death.
According to the writer of CGG Brian went on an expedition into Uí Fidgenti against both Donovan and the newly elected king of the Norse of Munster Aralt (Harald), who is given as a third son of Ivar.
/ Cath-raoineadh ria m-Brian, mac Ceinnéittigh for Gallaibh Luimnigh, & for Donnabhán, mac Cathail, tigherna Ua Fidhgeinnte, dú i t-torcratar Goill Luimnigh, & in ro ladh a n-ár.It is unclear if the Annals of Inisfallen refer to the same or a different event the previous year, but here they do not mention Donovan: AI977.3: A raid by Brian, son of Cennétig, on Uí Fhidgeinte, and he made a slaughter of foreigners therein.In any case, these two accounts support the claims of the O'Donovans in their pedigrees that Donovan survived the battle with Brian.
[25][26] These state that he was killed later in the "battle of Croma" against Dunchuan mac Cennétig, a brother of Brian, and was assisted by the troops of Curradh-an-Roe or Curra the Red and the Corcu Baiscinn, many of whom were slain on the field.
However these accounts, as well as the one given by John Collins of Myross, and the one found in the Dublin Annals of Inisfallen, state that Donovan's Norse companion was Auliffe (Olaf), whose parentage is not given.
According to the first:[27] A.D. 977: Brian, son of Kennedy, marched at the head of an army to Ibh-Fighenti, where he was met by Donovan, dynast of that territory, in conjunction with Auliff, king of the Danes of Munster.
Brian gave them battle, wherein Auliff and his Danes, and Donovan and his Irish forces, were all cut off.Collins of Myross took his own account from an apparently now lost source:[28] Donovan, who was well acquainted with the personal abilities and spirit of Brian, Mahon's brother, who now succeeded him as king of North Munster, took into his pay, besides his own troops, fifteen hundred heavy-armed Danes, commanded by Avlavius, a Danish soldier of great experience.
According to the author of CGG the Uí Chairpre/Uí Dhonnabháin were in "occupation" of territory he claims actually belonged to the Dál gCais, namely "... Caille Cormaic, from Oclan to Luimnech, and from Cnam-Coill to Luachair.
The first is that she was actually the daughter of the later (2nd) Amlaíb/Olaf mentioned above, himself possibly identical with Olaf son of Ivar of Limerick, who was killed along with his father in 977 but who may simply have replaced Aralt in the later accounts of the following battles.