The Scotsman Who Was The Last King of Ireland
So, who was the Scotsman that was the last high king of Ireland? Scottish history tour guide, Bruce Fummey tells the tale or Robert the Bruce, his brother Edward and their invasion of Ireland in opposition to Edward II of England during the Scottish wars of Independence. What was happening in Scotland as Edward Bruce was fighting at Faughart?
He was crowned High King of Ireland in 1316, but his reign was short-lived.
The Scotsman who was the last High King of Ireland was Edward Bruce, the brother of Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland. Edward Bruce led a military campaign in Ireland from 1315 to 1318, aiming to unite Ireland and Scotland against English rule. He was crowned High King of Ireland in 1316, but his reign was short-lived. His forces struggled against famine, internal conflicts, and English resistance. He was ultimately defeated and killed at the Battle of Faughart in 1318, marking the end of his rule and the Bruce invasion of Ireland.
Edward Bruce’s reign as High King of Ireland (1315–1318) was a bold but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to unite Ireland and Scotland against English rule. His campaign, known as the Bruce Invasion, was marked by military victories, political maneuvering, and devastating hardships.
The Bruce Invasion of Ireland
- In May 1315, Edward Bruce landed in Ulster with a Scottish army of around 6,000 men. He was supported by Irish lords, particularly Domhnall Ó Néill, who saw him as a potential liberator from Anglo-Norman rule.
- By 1316, Bruce was crowned High King of Ireland, but his reign was plagued by famine, internal conflicts, and resistance from Anglo-Irish forces.
- His forces won key battles, including the Battle of Connor (1315) and the Battle of Kells (1315), strengthening his position in northern Ireland.
- However, his campaign was hindered by the Great European Famine, which led to widespread starvation and weakened his army.
The Fall of Edward Bruce
- In February 1317, Bruce and his forces reached Castleknock, near Dublin, but failed to capture the city.
- By 1318, Bruce’s army was severely weakened. He marched south for one final push but was confronted by an Anglo-Irish force led by John de Bermingham at the Battle of Faughart.
- Bruce was killed in battle on October 14, 1318, and his body was dismembered, with parts displayed in various Irish towns as a warning.
Legacy
- Though his reign was short-lived, Bruce’s invasion had lasting effects. It disrupted English control in Ireland and strengthened Irish-Scottish ties.
- His defeat marked the end of Scotland’s ambitions in Ireland, and the Anglo-Norman lordship remained dominant.
Edward Bruce’s story is one of ambition, hardship, and resistance.
Edward Bruce’s campaign in Ireland
Up until the medieval period and even up as far as the early modern period, Ireland was divided into numerous small kingdoms. The High King of Ireland was a title of a king of one of these kingdoms who ruled over the majority of the smaller kingdoms. Notable High Kings include Brian Boru who defeated the Vikings in the battle of Clontarf in 1014 and Rory O’Connor who by defeating the King of Leinster in 1167 led to the subsequent Norman invasion of Ireland. The title was more honorific rather than an absolute ruler like English or French kings.
Robert the Bruce, as you may well know from watching the film Braveheart, was a Scottish noble who was crowned King of Scots and who defeated the English army of King Edward II at the battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Edward was Robert’s younger brother. Robert’s three other brothers were captured and executed by English forces during their struggle. It is thought that Edward spent his childhood in the north of Ireland and it is likely that he had Irish ancestry. At the time, there was no such thing as the nations of Scotland and Ireland. The north coast of Ireland and the Scottish coast and islands had very similar culture, language and heritage. After the victory at Bannockburn, the Bruces decided to open up a second front against the English by invading Ireland. Ireland at the time was divided between the Norman Lordship of Ireland ruled by the King of England and Gaelic Ireland. Some powerful Gaelic kings supported the Bruce invasion and the Bruce vision included “a grand Gaelic alliance against England” between Scotland and Ireland.
In May 1315 Edward landed in Larne in County Antrim. His army defeated resistance from the Earl of Ulster and his Irish allies. Edward was joined at this stage by some Northern Irish Kings who swore fealty to him. This joint Scots-Irish force went on to win a string of battles. A year later on the 2nd of May 2016 he was crowned High King of Ireland on the hill of Maledon in Dundalk. However, famine struck much of northwest Europe at this time. The people started to turn against the foreign invader whose army survived by pillaging and plundering. His army was eventually defeated by a larger Anglo-Irish force at the battle of Fuaghart in 1318. Edward Bruce died in battle and with him the last High King of Ireland.
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