Battle of Moiry Pass facts for kids

The Battle of Moiry Pass was an important fight in 1315. It happened between a Scottish-Irish army and a group of Irish soldiers. The Scottish-Irish army was led by Edward Bruce. He was the brother of Robert the Bruce, who was the King of Scotland.

This battle was part of a bigger conflict. It was part of the First War of Scottish Independence. More specifically, it was part of the Irish Bruce Wars. Edward Bruce attacked a group of soldiers from the Lordship of Ireland. He wanted to become the High King of Ireland. Edward Bruce thought this battle was a big success. However, his plan to rule Ireland did not work out in the end.

Why the Battle Happened

After the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169, a new government was set up. It was called the Lordship of Ireland. The King of England was in charge of it. He had a local leader in Ireland. Ireland was then split into two parts. One part was controlled by the old Gaelic families. The other part was controlled by the new Norman-Irish lords.

Edward Bruce, who was also the Earl of Carrick, came to Ireland on May 26, 1315. His brother, King Robert the Bruce, fully supported him. Some Scottish families, like the MacDougalls, had moved to Ireland. The Bruce brothers saw Ireland as another place to fight against England. Edward brought 6,000 soldiers with him. They landed easily near Larne.

He first defeated a group of soldiers. These soldiers were led by Thomas de Mandeville. He was working for Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster. Richard was Edward's brother's father-in-law. After this win, Edward's army moved on. They took control of the town of Carrickfergus.

The Battle at Moiry Pass

In late June, Edward's army left Carrickfergus. They traveled along Magh Line, which is now called Six Mile Water. They burned Rathmore, a town near Antrim. This town belonged to the Savages. Then, they headed south through the Moiry Pass.

At Moiry Pass, Edward's army met two local leaders. They were Mac Duilechain of Clanbrassil and Mac Artain of Iveagh. These leaders had promised to support Edward earlier in Carrickfergus. But they tried to surprise Edward's army with an attack. Their ambush failed, and they were defeated. Edward's army gained some supplies from the fleeing Irish soldiers.

A writer from the 1300s, John Barbour, wrote about the battle. He said that Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray, led the Scottish troops. He made them fight on foot, which was a common way to fight back then.

After the Battle: Dundalk

After their victory, Edward's army kept moving south. They burned Rathmore again. They also destroyed a strong fort called Castleroache. This fort was near Dundalk. Outside Dundalk, Bruce's army met another group of soldiers. These soldiers were led by John FitzThomas FitzGerald. His son-in-law, Edmund Butler, Earl of Carrick, and Maurice FitzGerald were also with them.

The Scottish army pushed these forces back towards Dundalk. They then caused great damage to the town and its people. At a place called Ardee, they set fire to a church. Many people had gone inside the church to find safety. Sadly, they were all harmed by the fire.

Even though Edward Bruce started with a large army, he lost many soldiers in each battle. By 1318, he only had about 2,000 men left. In his final battle, the Battle of Faughart, Bruce fought with all his remaining soldiers. Edward Bruce was killed in this battle by John de Bermingham. He was buried in a cemetery above Faughart.