Irish-Bruce Wars (1315-1318)

Bruce campaign in Ireland
Part of First War of Scottish Independence
The Lordship of Ireland (pink) c.1300
Date 26 May 1315 – 14 October 1318 (3 years, 4 months and 18 days) Location Ireland Result Victory for the English and their Irish allies
Belligerents
Kingdom of Scotland and Irish allies	Kingdom of England Lordship of Ireland and Irish allies
Commanders and leaders
Edward Bruce † Fedlim Ó Conchobair † Tadhg Ó Cellaigh † Donnchad Ó Briain Ualgharg O'Ruairc	Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster Sir Thomas de Mandeville Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March John de Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth Edmund Butler Maurice FitzThomas
Strength
c. 6,000	c. 20,000
Casualties and losses
unknown	unknown

Kingdom of England

The Bruce campaign was a three-year military campaign by Edward Bruce, brother of the Scottish king Robert the Bruce, in Ireland. It lasted from his landing at Larne in 1315 to his defeat and death in 1318 at the Battle of Faughart in County Louth.

After his victory at the Battle of Bannockburn, Robert decided to expand his war against the English by sending an army under his younger brother Edward to invade Ireland. Another reason for the expedition was that supporters of the exiled House of Balliol had fled to Ireland after fighting at Bannockburn and remained a dangerous threat. These men were led by John MacDougall of Lorn, who was the cousin of John III Comyn, Lord of Badenoch, nephew of King John Balliol. The murder of Comyn in 1306 had set off a bloody civil war for the throne of Scotland which King Robert had all but won at Bannockburn and was now attempting to finish by capturing their last remaining stronghold. Robert was also invited by some of the native Irish to send an army to drive out the Norman settlers and in return they would crown his brother High King of Ireland. This campaign to revive the High Kingship effectively ended with Edward's defeat and death in the Battle of Faughart in 1318.

By the early 14th century, Ireland had not had a High King since Ruaidri mac Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair (Rory O'Conor) who had been deposed by his son in 1186. Further, the Plantagenet dynasty had been assigned Ireland by the papal document Laudabiliter in 1155 and indirectly ruled much of the eastern part of the island. The country was divided between the Gaelic dynasties that survived the Norman invasion and the Hiberno-Norman Lordship of Ireland.

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Wikipedia