Battle of Moiry Pass

Battle of Moiry Pass
Part of Bruce campaign in Ireland
Date September 1315 Location Armagh, Ireland Result Scottish victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Scotland and Irish allies	Lordship of Ireland
Commanders and leaders
Edward Bruce	John de Bermingham Edmund Butler
Strength
unknown	unknown
Casualties and losses
unknown	unknown

The Battle of Moiry Pass was a military engagement between a Scots-Irish army commanded by Edward Bruce, brother of Robert Bruce, king of Scotland and a Hiberno-Norman force. It was a battle of the First War of Scottish Independence and more precisely the Irish Bruce Wars.^[1] Edward Bruce attacked a garrison of soldiers from the Lordship of Ireland, as part of his attempt to revive the High Kingship of Ireland. Bruce considered the battle a great success but was one of the very few victories that he gained.

Background

Robert Bruce hoped that dividing English soldiers to Ireland would help his war in Scotland

By the 12th Century A.D., Ireland had been invaded several times by the Vikings, the Normans, and the English. In the 13th Century, the High King of Ireland had been overthrown and the Lordship of Ireland was created. Ireland had not had a true High King since the year 1014 A.D. when the Irish had beaten the Vikings at the Battle of Clontarf where the great Irish king, Brian Boru,^[2] was killed by Brodir of Man. Edward Bruce, descendant of Brian Boru, wanted freedom from the Lordship of Ireland so he decided to form a rag tag army to fight the lordship. Edward's brother, Robert Bruce sent some of his army to fight with Edward against the lordship and Edward's forces started to grow large.^[3]

Battle

Bruce heard of Lordship soldiers, led by John de Bermingham and Edmund Butler, of being in an area of Armagh County called Moiry Pass. Bruce attacked the Lordship. The Lordship was caught off-guard by Bruce's army. The Lordship was not prepared for a battle at that time so they immediately started losing forces. The Lordship tried to run but Bruce relentlessly followed. By dusk the Lordship had lost most of its forces and the survivors scattered into the surrounding woods. The battle was a success for Bruce and was the start of a war.

Aftermath

Bruce after the battle gained support from his brother, Robert Bruce, in Scotland. and started sending more troops overseas to help his brother. Although Bruce had a large army, he was losing large amounts of forces at every battle he was involved in. By 1318, Bruce had only 2,000 men left. At the Battle of Faughart, Bruce fought the lordship with all of his surviving men. Bruce was killed by John de Bermingham at the battle and Bruce was buried at a cemetery above Faughart.^[4]

References