early in january 1229, ragnall launched yet another invasion of mann. although the chronicle's description of the attack alludes to gallovidian involvement, as it states that the expedition originated from galloway, the fact that ragnall commanded only five ships suggests that this support may have been waning. weeks later, ragnall and amlaíb dub met in battle on mann, where the former was finally defeated and slain. the lack of substantial gallovidan support in ragnall's final foray may have been due to a flare-up of insurrection in scotland that required alan's immediate attention as constable of the realm. according to bower, a certain gilla escoip, who was almost certainly a meic uilleim, had burned the castle of abertarff and sacked inverness. alexander's presence at elgin in june 1228 corroborates bower's claim that royal forces operated in the north against gilla escoip. the campaign itself appears to have been long and arduous, as bower reports that gilla escoip and his two sons were slain in the following year. alexander appears to have conducted further operations in the north in 1230, about the time that the meic uilleim were extirpated once and for all.