Depending on whether or not Mathgamain and Máel Muad were successful in achieving anything following their resolution in 972, Ivar may or may not have found himself in a very weakened position. Curiously neither of our major primary sources has anything clear to say about the state of affairs at this time. But in 974 Ivar met with misforture, the Annals of Inisfallen reporting that "The son of Aralt made a circuit of Ireland with a great company, and plundered Inis Cathaig, and brought Ímar from it into captivity.",Annals of Inisfallen 974.2 and the Annals of the Four Masters "The plundering of Inis-Cathaigh by Maghnus [Maccus], son of Aralt, with the Lag-manns [lawmen] of the islands along with him; and Imhar, lord of the foreigners of Luimneach, was carried off from the island, and the violation of Seanan thereby."Annals of the Four Masters 972.13[974] His captor is easily identified as Maccus mac Arailt, King of Mann and the Isles, but what are unknown are the circumstances. Ivar may have gone to Scattery because he had been driven out of Limerick proper, or it could have been for some other reason, and whether or not he and Maccus were already associated is unknown. Benjamin Hudson has offered the explanation that this event can be related to Ivar's earlier adventure in Britain as reported in the Cogad, arguing that the "King of Britain" reported slaying his comrade Amlaíb mac Amlaíb should be understood as either Maccus or his brother Gofraid mac Arailt and not some king of the Welsh, otherwise "it probably would have been mentioned in the insular records".Hudson, p. 59 (Assuming Hudson is referring only to the Welsh and English records.) Elaborating, he reads this sequence beginning with "a battle over the exploitation of the Welsh" which the sons of Aralt won, and eventually ending with Maccus following Ivar all the way around Ireland to finish it.Hudson does not mention that this would have been around six years later. The Cogad reports Ivar in Britain c. 968.
