The Statute of Kilkenny (1318 - 1377)
Above: Edward III Castle
Edward III succeeded to the throne of England in 1527, in succession to his father Edward II. The Irish government emerged from the Bruce struggle weak; it now grew weaker year by year- engaged in defence rather than invasion; and the causes were not far to seek. The Irish, taking advantage of the dissensions and helplessness of the English, recovered a great part of their lands. The English all over the country were fast becoming absorbed into the native population.
There were two reasons for this. First: the colonists, seeing the Irish prevailing everywhere, joined them for their own protection, intermarrying with them and adopting their language, dress, and customs. Second : the government had all along made a most mischievous distinction between New English and Old English–English by birth and English by blood. They favoured Englishmen and gave them most of the situations of trust, putting them over the heads of the Old English. Tills so incensed the old colonists that a large proportion of them turned against the government and joined the Irish all over the country. These ” degenerate English,” as they were called, vere regarded by the loyal English with as much aversion as the Irish, and returned hate for hate quite as cordially. So completely did they become fused with the native population, that an English writer complained that they had become more Irish than the Irish themselves.
The whole country was now feeling the con- sequences of the Bruce invasion. There were murderous broils everywhere among the English themselves. At Bragganstown, near Ardee, Sir John Bermingham, the victor of Faughart, was led into a trap, in 1329, and treacherously slain, together with his brothers, nephews, and retainers, to the number of 160, by the Gernons and Savages. About the. same time a similar outrage was perpetrated in Minister; when Eord Philip Hodnet and 140 of the Anglo-Irish were massacred by their brethren.
The uprising of the Irish became so general and alarming that, in 1330, the viceroy called in the aid of the most powerful nobleman in the country, Maurice Fitzgerald, who was at the same time created first car] of Desmond. This only made matters worse; for Fitzgerald, after some successful expeditions, quartered his army, to the number of 10,000, on the colonists, to pay themselves by exacting coyne and livery (56). This w’a’s the first time the English adopted the odious impost, which afterwards became so frequent among them.
The Anglo-Irish lords had now become so dangerously powerful that king Edward III determined to pull them down and reduce them to obedience. lie made three attempts by three different governors and failed in all. The first was Sir Anthony Lucy, a stern Northum- brian baron, who was sent over in 1331, as lord lieutenant. He arrested, among others, the earl of Desmond and Sir William Berinmgham. Bermmgham, who was suspected of being implicated in a rebellious outbreak that had lately taken place in Lenistcr, was executed in the following year; and Desmond was re- leased after 18 months’ imprisonment. But. Lucy was not successful in his main object.