Turgesius

Turgesius (died 845) (also called Turgeis, Tuirgeis, Turges, and Thorgest) was a Viking chief active in Ireland during the 9th century.

[5] It has been speculated that Muslim poet and diplomat Yahya ibn al-Hakam al-Bakri al-Jayyani (d. 864) may have paid a visit to the court of this Norse ruler.

[10] Among the sites he captured was the rich monastery of Clonmacnoise on the eastern bank of the River Shannon and south of Lough Ree.

On the plain of Moynith, the forces of King Niall and Turgesius met and, according to the annals, "a countless number fell".

Without a second thought, Turgesius recommended destroying their nests and this inspired Maél Sechnaill to do the same in order to rid his territory of the Vikings.

[12] The seventeenth century historian Geoffrey Keating wrote in Foras Feasa ar Éirinn[13] "Now at this time Maoilseachlainn with a body of soldiers was with his daughter, and he directed a number of those youths who were with her disguised as women, the moment Turgesius should lay hands on his daughter for the purpose of detaining her with him, to seize him by force and take him captive, and another party to take possession of the arms that were in the house, and to spring upon the chiefs who were within; and he said that he himself with his body of soldiers would be near the house, and that he would rush into the house at the first cry to help them slay the Lochlannaigh.

"By the twelfth century, when The War of the Irish with the Foreigners (Cogad Gaedel re Gaillaib) was composed to magnify the achievements of Brian Bóruma, Turgesius had become a major figure.

[16] According to The War of the Irish with the Foreigners, Turgesius was married to Ottar or Ota (commonly thought to be Old Norse Auðr, Odda or another name beginning in Odd-), who took possession of the cathedral at Clonmacnoise and gave audiences seated on the great altar.