1 invasion of ireland
1.1 historical background
1.2 arrival , campaign of 1315
1.3 famine
1.4 marriage
1.5 irish kings remonstrance of 1317
1.6 battle of faughart
1.7 historical aftermath
the invasion of ireland
historical background
by 14th century, ireland had not had high king since ruaidri mac tairrdelbach ua conchobair, (rory o connor), had been deposed son in 1186. country divided between irish dynasties , anglo-irish lords ruled parts of ireland. in 1258 of dynasties , clans elected brian ua neill position; defeated normans @ battle of downpatrick in 1260.
being descended aoife macmurrough, edward claim lengthy royal gaelic irish ancestry included brian boru , dermot macmurrough; , hiberno-norse king olaf cuaran. he, along brothers, descended kings/lords of galloway, branch of same kings of mann , isles produced somerled, progenitor of clan donald, clan dougall, , clan ruari.
edward s main mission in invading ireland create second front in ongoing war against england, draining of needed men, materials , finance creating havoc in ireland. became critical when isle of man recaptured english-backed scots king robert s control in january 1315, thereby threatening south , south-west of scotland , reopening potential source of aid english anglo-irish , native irish.
added request aid king of tír eóghain, domhnall mac briain Ó néill. Ó néill had been troubled anglo-irish incursions south-east (the de verdons), east (tenants of earl of ulster) , west (also earl of ulster) of tír eógain , in order retain lands, , twelve of vassals , allies jointly asked aid scotland. bruce brothers agreed, on condition support edward king of ireland, brothers envisaged separate rulers of scotland , ireland, while robert regain man , edward possibly making attack on wales, welsh support. foresaw grand gaelic alliance against england , between scotland , ireland since both countries had common heritage.
Ó néill approved of conditions himself , on behalf of vassals, , preparations began. @ point, roger mortimer, 1st earl of march, received news irish sources invasion take place, , made way ireland held land, in , around castle , town of trim. had fought against bruces @ bannockburn taken prisoner , freed return king edward ii s royal seal, lost in rout.
the scottish assembly met @ ayr on 26 april 1315, across irish channel antrim. king robert did not yet have legitimate male heir, edward proclaimed legal heir , successor king of scotland , other titles in case of death. edward s invasion fleet mustered there, having received calls assemble far previous month.
arrival , campaign of 1315
on 26 may 1315 edward , fleet (estimated @ in excess of 6,000 men) landed on irish coast @ points @ , between olderfleet castle @ larne, , glendrum. brother had sailed tarbert western isles son-in-law walter stewart, subjugate them till isles, great , small, brought will. edward meanwhile swiftly faced army led vassals of earl of ulster such de mandevilles, savages, logans , bissets of glens, , irish allies, led sir thomas de mandeville. defeated in battle scots under thomas randolph. subsequently, scots managed take town, though not castle, of carrickfergus.
in june, Ó néill , twelve fellow northern kings , lords met edward de brus @ carrickfergus , swore fealty him king of ireland. irish annals state de brus took hostages , lordship of whole province of ulster without opposition , consented him being proclaimed king of ireland , gaels of ireland agreed grant him lordship , called him king of ireland. in fact, de brus never receive more purely nominal recognition of more powerful irish kings, , despite entreaties @ various times on next 3 years ignored whom did not directly interest. did directly or indirectly rule of eastern , mid-ulster.
in late june, edward proceeded army carrickfergus along magh line (six mile water), burning rathmore, near antrim town, holding of savages. went south way of moiry pass; called innermallan / enderwillane /imberdiolan in contemporary accounts, between newry , dundalk. ancient routeway had been centuries passage south out of ulster kingdom of mide, leinster , munster because of narrowness ulster armies had ambushed , been ambushed @ pass. here met mac duilechain of clanbrassil , mac artain of iveagh, both of whom had submitted him @ carrickfergus. attempted ambush ended in defeat , army pressed on, destroying de verdon s fortress of castle roche, , on 29 june attacked dundalk. town, possession of de verdon s, totally destroyed population, both anglo-irish , gaelic, massacred alike.
in july, 2 separate armies opposing de brus met , assembled @ sliabh breagh, high ground south of ardee. 1 led out of connacht richard Óg de burgh, 2nd earl of ulster , ally, king of connacht, felim mac aedh ua conchobair. second consisted of forces raised in munster , leinster justiciar, sir edmund butler of ormonde (father of james butler, 1st earl of ormonde). scots-irish army located @ inniskeen, ten miles north. in between sliabh breagh , inniskeen village of louth. de burgh moved army north of louth , set camp while cousin, william liath de burgh attempted ambush edward s forces. while skirmishing did result in number of scots deaths, edward refused give battle , instead, Ó néill, retreated northwards coleraine via armagh. edward de brus , domhnall Ó néill sacked , burned coleraine, threw down bridge on river bann , faced off de burgh s pursuing army on opposite bank. while both sides experiencing shortages of food , supplies, de brus , Ó néill @ least draw support local lords such Ó cathain , Ó floinn. mindful of this, de burgh withdrew forty miles antrim, while butler had return ormond due lack of supplies.
in addition this, de brus sent separate messages both king felim , rival dynast, cathal ua conchobair, promising support them if withdrew. cathal managed return connacht , had himself proclaimed king, leaving felim no choice return put down rebellion. worse follow: de burgh found himself deprived of not 2 3 allies , armies when kinsman, walter mac walter cattach burke deserted connacht @ head of several hundred men, guard own estates upcoming conflict. when in august edward de brus , men crossed bann in 4 ships supplied scots sea captain, thomas dun, de burgh retreated still further connor, on either first or ninth of september charge scots-irish led defeat. william liath captured , taken hostage scotland moray arrived there on 15 september 1315 raise more troops, ships filled booty . de burgh retreated connacht, while other anglo-irish took refuge in carrickfergus castle.
finally apprised of seriousness of situation, edward ii had on 1 september ordered assembly of leading anglo-irish, met @ parliament in dublin in late october, no decisive action taken. on 13 november, edward marched further south via dundalk where, incredibly, gave them right hand (a fight), occupied nobber on 30th, , advanced kells, met mortimer. mortimer had managed raise large force consisting both of anglo-irish , gaelic vassals, in addition forces of other magnates. @ same time, edward de brus reinforced moray had returned scotland around 5 hundred fresh troops , supplies. battle of kells fought on 6 or 7 november, mortimer being decisively defeated de brus. mortimer forced retreat dublin while lieutenant, walter cusack, held out @ trim. set sail england urge edward ii reinforcements. @ same time, governor of ireland (and bishop of ely) john de hothum began take drastic action defend dublin de brus, such leveling entire tenements , churches.
after sacking , burning kells, de brus proceeded same granard, finnea, cistercian monastery of abbeylea , raided angaile (annually), lordship of gaelic lord o hanely. de brus spent christmas @ de verdon s manor of loughsewdy, consuming supplies entirely , before leaving, razing ground. manors left alone belonged irish lords intimidated join him, or of junior branch of de lacy family in effort gain lands voluntarily joined him.
famine
at first irish/scottish alliance seemed unstoppable won battle after battle. in less year had of ireland in control. however, beginning of 1317 famine had stricken of country making difficult king edward provide food of men. shortly king robert returned scotland , management of own kingdom, promised more aid , more volunteers brother. year anglo-norman barons did little retake land since famine made difficult either side provide food soldiers in field.
marriage
edward obtained dispensation marriage isabella of ross, daughter of uilleam ii, earl of ross, on 1 june 1317. marriage might or might not have taken place before edward s death.
irish kings remonstrance of 1317
as rule on ireland had been offered plantagenets papal bull laudabiliter in 1155, edward s allies, led donall o neill, sent remonstrance pope john xxii in 1317. asked laudabiliter revoked , informed pope had chosen edward king:
...we have unanimously established , set him our king , lord in our kingdom aforesaid, in our judgment , common judgment of men pious , prudent, humble , chaste, exceedingly temperate, in things sedate , moderate, , possessing power (god on high praised) snatch mightily house of bondage of god , our own justice, , willing render due him of right, , above ready restore entirely church in ireland possessions , liberties...
the papacy neither recognised edward s claim, nor agreed remonstrance, , rule remained de facto on parts of ireland , never de jure on whole island.
battle of faughart
then in late summer of 1318, sir john de bermingham army began march against edward de brus. on 14 october 1318, scots-irish army badly defeated @ battle of faughart de bermingham s forces. edward killed, body being quartered , sent various towns in ireland, , head being delivered king edward ii. annals of ulster (erroneously under year 1315) summed hostile feeling held many among anglo-irish , irish alike of edward de brus:
edward de brus, destroyer of ireland in general, both foreigners , gaels, killed foreigners of ireland dint of fighting @ dun-delgan. , there killed in company mac ruaidhri, king of insi-gall hebrides , mac domhnaill, king of argyll, slaughter of men of scotland around him. , there not done beginning of world deed better men of ireland deed. there came death , loss of people during time in ireland in general space of 3 years , half , people undoubtedly used eat each other throughout ireland.
historical aftermath
edward de brus created havoc in colonised parts of ireland, , might said have brought settlement knees. notwithstanding this, failed in end, , him attempt create kingdom of ireland , drive out settlers ceased. on gaelic revival failed find national leader. impulse remained local down end of middle ages; success measured in innumerable battles fought local chieftains or confederations of chieftains. while everywhere gaelic recovery of lost territories remarkable, there never serious attempt made unite gaelic ireland or bring downfall of english government in ireland , end of colony.
edward bruce buried in churchyard on hill of faughart on cooley peninsula near dundalk, co. louth.
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