EDWARD BRUCE

'Edward Bruce' ('Edubard a Briuis' as he was known in medieval Gaelic), (c. 1275 – October 14, 1318) was 'King of Ireland' and 'Earl of Carrick'. He was the younger brother of Robert I of Scotland, and supported his brother in the struggle for the crown of Scotland, then pursued a claim in Ireland.

Contents

Early life

Fathering one or two sons

King of Ireland

Historical background

The invasion of Ireland

Arrival and the Campaign of 1315

Famine

Marriage

Battle of Faughart

Historical aftermath

Legacy

External links

Sources

Early life

Edward was a son of Robert de Brus, jure uxoris Earl of Carrick and Marjorie, Countess of Carrick. His date of birth is unknown, but as the second of five brothers it was probably not long after his older brother was born in 1274. The Irish medievalist Seán Duffy suggests that he was probably fostered in Ireland as a child. This was a common Scottish and Irish cultural practice, and would tie in with, and perhaps explain, parts of his later life.
Edward fought alongside Robert throughout his struggle for the Scottish throne, including his desperate period on the run and as a guerilla. The three younger Bruce brothers Niall, Thomas, and Alexander were all captured and executed by the English during this period, but Edward survived. He played an important role capturing and slighting English-held castles in south-west Scotland, and he was a commander at the Battle of Bannockburn on June 23-June 24, 1314.
Some time between 1309 and 1313, Edward was created Earl of Carrick, a title previously held by his maternal grandfather Níall mac Donnchada, his mother and his elder brother.

Fathering one or two sons

A probable marriage with Isabella, daughter of John of Strathbogie, 9th Earl of Atholl, produced a son, Alexander Bruce, who would later inherit his father's earldom. There are records to suggest a second son, Thomas, was also a result of their union. A record for intended marriage to Isabelle de Ross does exist, dated after the probable death of Isabella Strathbogie, but there is no evidence that the marriage actually occurred. This second marriage is also improbable as Edward was campaigning in Ireland at the time, and a marriage in the midst of these events is unlikely. The assumption that Isabella Strathbogie's brother, David of Strathbogie, 10th Earl of Atholl, turned on Robert because of the 'wronging' of his sister is also unproven and unlikely, as the dates do not correlate, and many scholars believe this changing of allegiances was related to land and political disagreements.

King of Ireland

Historical background

By the early 14th century, Ireland had not had a High King since Ruaidri mac Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair, (''Rory O'Connor''), who had been deposed by his son in 1186. The country was divided between Irish dynasties and Anglo-Irish lords who ruled parts of Ireland.
In 1258 some of the dynasties and clans elected Brian O'Neill to this position; however he was defeated by the Normans at the battle of Downpatrick in 1260.

The invasion of Ireland

Bruce's main mission in invading Ireland was to create a second front in the ongoing war against England, draining her of much needed men, materials and finance by creating havoc in Ireland. This became critical when the Isle of Man was recaptured by English-backed Scots from King Robert's control in January 1315, thereby threatening the south and south-west of Scotland and also reopening up a potential source of aid to the English from the Anglo-Irish and native Irish.
Added to this was a request for aid from the King of Tír Eógain, Domnall mac Brian Ó Néill. Ó Néill had been troubled by Anglo-Irish incursions to the south-east (the de Verdons), the east (tenants of the Earl of Ulster) and west (also by the Earl of Ulster) of Tír Eógain and in order to retain his lands, he and some twelve of his vassals and allies jointly asked for aid from Scotland. The Bruce brothers agreed, on condition that they would support Edward as King of Ireland, as the brothers envisaged themselves as separate rulers of Scotland and Ireland, while Robert would regain Man and Edward possibly making an attack on Wales, with Welsh support. They personally envisioned "a grand Gaelic alliance against England", between Scotland and Ireland since both countries had a common heritage.
Ó Néill approved of the conditions for himself and on behalf of his vassals, and preparations began. At about this point, Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March, received news from Irish sources that an invasion was about to take place, and made his way to Ireland where he held land, mainly in and around the castle and town of Trim. He had previously fought against the Bruces at Bannockburn where he was taken prisoner and freed to return King Edward II's royal seal, lost in the rout.
The Scottish assembly met at Ayr on April 26 1315, just across the Irish Channel from Antrim. As King Robert did not yet have any legitimate male heir, Edward was proclaimed his legal heir and successor as King of Scotland and all other titles in case of his death. Edward's invasion fleet also munstered there, having received calls to assemble as far back as at least the previous month.

Arrival and the Campaign of 1315

On May 26, 1315 Edward and his fleet (estimated at in excess of 6,000 men) landed on the Irish coast at points at and between Olderfleet Castle at Larne, and Glendrum. His brother had sailed from Tarbert for the Western Isles with his son-in-law Walter Stewart, to subjugate them till ''"all the isles, great and small, were brought to his will."'' Edward meanwhile was swiftly faced by an army led by vassals of the Earl of Ulster such as the de Mandevilles, Savages, Logans and Bissets of the Glens, and their Irish allies, led by Sir Thomas de Mandeville. However they were defeated in battle by the Scots under Thomas, Earl of Moray. Subsequently, the Scots managed to take the town, though not the castle, of Carrickfergus.
In early June, Ó Néill and some twelve fellow northern Kings and lords met Edward Bruce at Carrickfergus and swore fealty to him as King of Ireland. The Irish annals state that Bruce "took the hostages and lordship of the whole province of Ulster without opposition and they consented to him being proclaimed King of Ireland and all the Gaels of Ireland agreed to grant him lordship and they called him King of Ireland." In fact, Bruce was never to receive anything more than purely nominal recognition from any of the more powerful Irish Kings, and despite entreatys at various times over the next three years was ignored by those whom he did not directly interest. He did however directly or indirectly rule much of eastern and mid-Ulster.
In late June, Edward proceeded with his army from Carrickfergus along Magh Line (Six Mile Water), burning Rathmore, near Antrim town, which was a holding of the Savages. He then went south by way of the Moiry Pass - called ''"Innermallan"/"Enderwillane"/Imberdiolan"'' in contemporary accounts - between Newry and Dundalk. This ancient routeway had been for centuries the passage south out of Ulster into the Kingdom of Mide, Leinster and Munster but because of its narrowness Ulster armies had frequently ambushed and been ambushed at the pass. Here he was met by Mac Duilechain of Clanbrassil and Mac Artain of Iveagh, both of whom had submitted to him at Carrickfergus. Their attempted ambush ended in their defeat and the army pressed on, destroying de Verdon's fortress of Castleroache, and on June 29 attacked Dundalk. The town, another possession of the de Verdon's, was almost totally destroyed with its population, both Anglo-Irish and Gaelic, massacred alike.
In July, two separate armies opposing Bruce met and assemble at Sliabh Breagh, south of Ardee. One was led out of Connacht by Richard Og de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster and his ally, the King of Connacht, Felim mac Aedh Ua Conchobair. The second consisted of forces raised in Munster and Leinster by Justiciar, Sir Edmund Butler of Ormonde (father of James Butler, 1st Earl of Ormonde). The Scots-Irish army was located at Inniskeen, ten miles north. In between Sliabh Breagh and Inniskeen was the village of Louth. De Burgh moved his army north of Louth and set up camp while his cousin, William Liath de Burgh attempted to ambush Bruce's forces. While some skirmishing did result in a number of Scots deaths, Bruce refused to give battle and instead, with the Ó Néill, retreated northwards to Coleraine via