Battle of Moiry Pass

Background

Following the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169, the Lordship of Ireland was created with the King of England as lord. He was represented by a Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, who ruled over the Anglo-Irish portions of the Island. Parts of Ireland that survived the Norman invasion were controlled by Gaelic dynasties.

On May 23rd, 1315, Edward Brus, Earl of Carrick, and brother of Robert the Bruce, invaded Ireland with the full support of his brother. A few MacDougalls and their allies had fled from Scotland to Ireland, and the Bruce considered Ireland another front against Norman England and sought to restore the High Kingship there.

Edward landed in Ireland near Larne unopposed with 6,000 troops and defeated an army of Robert's father-in-law, Richard de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster, who was led by Thomas de Mandeville. Edward then moved on to take the town of Carrickfergus, but was unable to take the castle.

Battle

In late June, Edward and his army moved from Carrickfergus along the Magh Line (Six Mile Water) and burned Rathmore, near Antrim Town, a holding of the Savages. He then headed south by way of the Moiry Pass, a mountain pass running along Slieve Gullion between Newry and Dundalk. There, he was ambushed by Mac Duilechain of Clanbrassil and Mac Artain of Iveagh, both of whom submitted to him earlier at Carrickfergus and pledged loyalty to him.

Edward defeated the ambush, and the Scottish army recovered some of the supplies left behind by the fleeing Anglo-Irish. According to John Barbour, a 14th century chronicler, the Scots were led by Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray, who had them fight on foot, as was his way.

Aftermath

The Scots then moved south and destroyed Nicholas de Verdun's stronghold of Castle Roche, near Dundalk. Outside of Dundalk, they encountered an army led by John FitzThomas, 4th Earl of Offaly, Maurice FitzGerald, 4th Baron Desmond, and Edmund Butler, Earl of Carrick, and pushed them back towards Dundalk, laying waste to the town and the people who lived there. At Ardee, the Scots set fire to the church where several people had taken refuge and were subsequently burned to death.

The Battle of Moiry Pass was a notable victory for Edward Brus in Ireland, but there would be more battles to come.