The Battle of Skerries, also named the Battle of Ardscull, was a battle in the Bruce campaign in Ireland – part of the

First War of Scottish Independence The First War of Scottish Independence was the first of a series of wars between English and Scottish forces. It lasted from the English invasion of Scotland in 1296 until the ''de jure'' restoration of Scottish independence with the Treaty ...

– fought on 26 January 1316, resulting in a Scottish victory. It was part of the

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

campaign of

Edward Bruce Edward Bruce, Earl of Carrick ( Norman French: ; mga, Edubard a Briuis; Modern Scottish Gaelic: gd, Eideard or ; – 14 October 1318), was a younger brother of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots. He supported his brother in the 1306–1314 st ...

, brother of

Robert Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventuall ...

, king of Scotland. The site of the battle was Skerries near Ardscull in County Kildare.

The battle

Edward Bruce,

earl of Carrick Earl of Carrick (or Mormaer of Carrick) is the title applied to the ruler of Carrick (now South Ayrshire), subsequently part of the Peerage of Scotland. The position came to be strongly associated with the Scottish crown when Robert the Bruce, ...

, had landed in Ireland in May the year before, and been proclaimed king of the island in June. Bruce continued on his march south, when on 26 January 1316 the Scottish army was advancing from Castledermot it encountered the English. The Hiberno-Norman forces, summoned by the

justiciar of Ireland The chief governor was the senior official in the Dublin Castle administration, which maintained English and British rule in Ireland from the 1170s to 1922. The chief governor was the viceroy of the English monarch (and later the British monarch ...

, consisted of men such as John FitzThomas FitzGerald, Maurice FitzThomas FitzGerald, Thomas FitzJohn, John and Arnold Poer, Maurice de Rocheford, and Miles and David de la Roche. Though these forces heavily outnumbered those of Bruce, internal strife broke out in the Anglo-Irish ranks, a fact that Bruce could take advantage of. Though suffering heavy losses, the Scots held the battlefield, effectively winning the battle.

Aftermath

The official English account of the battle blamed unfortunate terrain and bad luck for the government forces' loss, not an entirely convincing explanation. The same account also claims that the Scots lost many of their greatest men, while their opponents only lost one man. After the battle the Scots plundered the nearby town of Athy"Historical Notes on the Town of Athy", ''Journal of the Co. Kildare Archaeological Society and Surrounding Districts'', Vol. 1, County Kildare Archaeological Society, 1895
/ref> before withdrawing to

Leix County Laois ( ; gle, Contae Laoise) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from Loígis, a med ...

, while the Anglo-Irish forces kept them under surveillance from nearby

Castledermot Castledermot () is an inland village in the south-east of Ireland in County Kildare, about from Dublin, and from the town of Carlow. The N9 road from Dublin to Waterford previously passed through the village but upon completion of a motorway ...

, while their leader withdrew to Dublin. Here John Hotham, the king's envoy to Ireland, made a great effort to ensure the loyalty of the Irish nobles. By May, however, Bruce had returned to his safe base in

Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...

, while Hotham had returned to his new position in England as Bishop of Ely.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Skerries, Battle of 1316 in Ireland Battles involving Scotland Battles involving England History of County Kildare Conflicts in 1316 Battles of the Wars of Scottish Independence