Since the time of Henry II, the kings of England had also claimed to be the lords of Ireland. English settlers had taken root in Ireland, chiefly along the eastern seaboard, north and south of Dublin. But the native Gaelic chieftains still enjoyed a large measure of autonomy, especially in the north and west, and English control was often of a fluctuating nature. With the opening of the war with Scotland Edward II had made heavy demands on the Irish, both for men and materials, pushing the country close to the point of financial ruin. King Robert, who long maintained political and personal contacts with the men of Ulster, decided that Irish discontent could be usefully employed against his enemy. He sent envoys to the native Irish kings and clergy with letters invoking the common ancestry
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| - Since the time of Henry II, the kings of England had also claimed to be the lords of Ireland. English settlers had taken root in Ireland, chiefly along the eastern seaboard, north and south of Dublin. But the native Gaelic chieftains still enjoyed a large measure of autonomy, especially in the north and west, and English control was often of a fluctuating nature. With the opening of the war with Scotland Edward II had made heavy demands on the Irish, both for men and materials, pushing the country close to the point of financial ruin. King Robert, who long maintained political and personal contacts with the men of Ulster, decided that Irish discontent could be usefully employed against his enemy. He sent envoys to the native Irish kings and clergy with letters invoking the common ancestry
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- c. 20,000
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| - the Bruce campaign in Ireland
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abstract
| - Since the time of Henry II, the kings of England had also claimed to be the lords of Ireland. English settlers had taken root in Ireland, chiefly along the eastern seaboard, north and south of Dublin. But the native Gaelic chieftains still enjoyed a large measure of autonomy, especially in the north and west, and English control was often of a fluctuating nature. With the opening of the war with Scotland Edward II had made heavy demands on the Irish, both for men and materials, pushing the country close to the point of financial ruin. King Robert, who long maintained political and personal contacts with the men of Ulster, decided that Irish discontent could be usefully employed against his enemy. He sent envoys to the native Irish kings and clergy with letters invoking the common ancestry of the two nations, and offering to help them recover their liberty. A response was received from Domnal O'Neil, king of Tyrone, asking for aid against the English and offering in return the crown of the ancient High Kings of Ireland, to his brother, Edward Bruce. The Bruce brothers are believed to have been related by blood to the O'Neill clan through their maternal line. It might be thought that this was a perilously narrow base for a new military adventure: for as always in Gaelic politics, the enemies of the O'Neils would be bound to be friends of the English; but it was good enough for the aims Robert had in mind. Edward landed with an expeditionary force at Larne near Carrickfergus Castle, ready to conjure up the spirit of 'Gaelic Internationalism'.
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