Though the Gael of the Scottish Highlands played little part at Bannockburn, the Irish rejoiced at the Scots’ success as that of their kinsmen.  “The Kings of the Scots,” said the Irish Celts, “derive their origin from our land.  They speak our tongue and have our laws and customs.”  However little true this was in fact, it was a good excuse for some of the Irish clans to offer the throne of Ireland to the King of Scots.  Robert rejected the proposal for himself, but was willing to give his able and adventurous brother Edward the chance of winning another crown for his house.  Edward, “who thought that Scotland was too little for his brother and himself,” cheerfully fell in with the scheme.  On May 25, 1315, he landed near Carrickfergus and received a rapturous welcome from the O’Neils, the greatest of the septs of the north-east.  Before long all Celtic Ulster flocked to his banners, and Edmund Butler, then justice of Ireland, strove with little success to make head against the Scottish invasion.  The completeness of Bruce’s union with the native Irish gave him his best chance of attaining his object.  Up to this point the attitude of the Earl of Ulster had been most undecided.  He at last threw in his lot with the justiciar.  When parties began to shape themselves it was clear that “all the Irish of Ireland” were in league with Bruce.  The danger was that “a great part of the great lords and lesser English folk” also joined the invader.  Conspicuous among these were the Lacys of Meath.

Edward Bruce showed energy and vigour.  He made his way southwards, and in September won a victory over the forces of the Earl of Ulster and the justiciar at Dundalk, then in the south of Ulster.  After this he pushed into Meath and Leinster and was joined by the O’Tooles and the other clans of the Wicklow mountains, while the adhesion of Phelim O’Connor, King of Connaught, brought the whole of the Celtic west into his alliance.  The barons, however, took the alarm.  During the winter Butler contracted friendship with many of the Norman colonists.  From that time the struggle assumed the character of a war between Celtic Ireland and feudal Ireland, the native clansmen and the Anglo-Norman settlers.  Thus, though Bruce and his wild allies found it easy to make themselves masters of the open country, all the castles and towns were closed to them and could only be won by long-continued efforts.  Before long, Butler drove them to the hills.  Ere the winter was over, Edward found it prudent to retire to Ulster.

During 1316 the struggle raged unceasingly.  Bruce was crowned King of Ireland, the O’Neil, it was said, having abdicated his rights in his favour.  But the summer saw the utter defeat of the O’Connors by the justiciar at the bloody battle of Athenry, where King Phelim and the noblest of his sept perished.  A little later the King of Scots came to the help of his brother.  With his aid, Edward was able to reduce Carrickfergus, which had hitherto defied