Battle of Kells

Part of the Bruce campaign in Ireland

Date	November 1315
Location	Kells, County Meath
Result	Scottish/Irish victory

Belligerents

Kingdom of Scotland and Irish allies

Lordship of Ireland and Irish allies

Commanders and leaders

Edward Bruce

Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March

Strength

at least 6,000

unknown

Casualties and losses

unknown

First War of Scottish Independence

First Berwick Dunbar Lanark Stirling Bridge Falkirk Roslin Happrew Stirling Castle Methven Dalrigh Turnberry Loch Ryan Glen Trool Loudoun Hill Slioch Inverurie Buchan Pass of Brander Bannockburn Moiry Pass Connor Kells Skerries Skaithmuir Second Berwick Faughart Myton Arbroath Declaration Old Byland Corbeil Treaty Stanhope Park Edinburgh-Northampton Treaty

Norman wars in Ireland
(1169–1541)

Norman invasion of Ireland

Duncormac and Wexford (1169)

Post-invasion

John's expedition (1185)
Sieges of Dún Gaillmhe (1230–47)
Ballyshannon (1247)
1st Áth an Rí (1249)
Creadran Cille (1257)
Druim Dearg (1260)
Callann (1261)
Áth an Chip (1270)
Moiry Pass (1315)
Connor (1315)
Kells (1315)
Skerries (1316)
2nd Áth an Rí (1316)
Loch Rasca (1317)
Dysert O'Dea (1318)
Faughart (1318)
Áth an Urchair (1329)
Fiodh an Átha (1330)
Cruachán Brí Eile (1385)
Ros Mhic Thriúin (1394)
Tragh-Bhaile (1399)
Cluain Immorrais (1406)
Knockdoe (1504)
Silken Thomas's Rebellion (1534–35)
Belahoe (1539)

The Battle of Kells was a battle between Edward Bruce and Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March.

Background

After his victory at the Battle of Connor Bruce pursued the retreating English army back to Carrickfergus and laid siege to the castle, where they had taken refuge. Around 13 November Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray returned from Scotland with 500 experienced soldiers.^[1] Leaving a besieging party at Carrickfergus, Bruce travelled to Dundalk to meet Moray, and together led the Scots into County Meath.

Through his marriage to Joan de Geneville, 2nd Baroness Geneville, Roger Mortimer succeeded to the eastern part of the Lordship of Meath, centred on Trim and its stronghold of Trim Castle. In 1315 Roger resided in Ireland, establishing his lordship against his wife's relatives, the de Lacys of Rathwire.

Battle

Mortimer organized his men on the north border of Meath, to try to keep the Scots away from his own lands. He stocked the castle at Kells, brought in cattle from outlying districts, and improved the town's defenses, so that it might serve as his base of operation..^[2]

Leaving a contingent to garrison Nobber, about ten miles north-east of Kells, Bruce went to Kells, possible lured by a supposed offer of fealty from Lord O'Dempsey from Offaly. The two armies met outside Kells, where the Scots began to burn the town. Afte three hours of fighting, the de Lacy brothers withdrew, leaving Mortimer to fight a much larger force. With his army destroyed and Kells burning, Mortimer managed to escape with a few knights and ride to Dublin.^[2]

The Scots then burned Granard and march for two months unopposed through the midlands, devastating the country.

References

↑ Paul, Sir James (1909). The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: David Douglas
1 2 Mortimer, Ian. The Greatest Traitor: The Life of Sir Roger Mortimer, Ruler of England: 1327-1330, Macmillan, 2003, ISBN 9780312349417

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