The Battle of Faughart was fought on 14 October 1318 between a Hiberno-Norman force led by John de Bermingham and Edmund Butler, and a Scots-Irish army commanded by Edward Bruce, brother of Robert Bruce, king of Scotland. It was a battle of the First War of Scottish Independence and more precisely the Irish Bruce Wars. The defeat and death of Bruce at the battle ended the attempt to revive the High Kingship of Ireland. It also ended, for the time being, King Robert's attempt to open up a second front against the English in the War of Scottish Independence. Although King Robert's victory over... Edward II at the Battle of Bannockburn had effectively secured the independence of Scotland, it did not bring the war with England any closer to an end. Even repeated Scots raids into the northern counties of England had little effect on a king seemingly blind to political and military realities. Something more decisive was needed to end the stalemate. It came in 1315 with an invitation from Ireland, too tempting to resist. Since the time of Henry II, the kings of England had also claimed to be the lords of Ireland.
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