The Return Of The Clans
Above : O’Neills Family Logo
Effects of the Invasion.—The failure of the Bruce invasion did not check the recovery of the Irish, which had already begun. On the contrary, the recovery became more pronounced and the clans stronger. The devastation of war, famine, and pestilence had brought the whole island to ruin, and in this were involved the two races and all classes. But the settlers, being less deeply rooted in the soil, were more affected, and they gave way. The Crown of England had proved itself powerless, and unable to give that external aid which alone could have supported them in the country. Their leaders were at deadly feud. So, indeed, were the Irish families, also, but the native clans retained their natural strength, and the foreign element yielded before them. Many of the settlers returned to England ; many others became absorbed in, or were subdued by, the Irish clans. The century after the invasion witnessed the steady advance of the Irish in all parts of the country.
*// was probably in reply to this that Domhnall O’Neill’s ‘•Remonstrance” was drawn up.
He was afterwards instrumental in the deposition and murder of Edward II
and was subsequently hung at Tyburn.
O’Neills in “Ulster.”—The north had been the headquarters of the invaders, and, consequently, the settlers of ” Ulster ” had suffered heavily. Some of them, indeed, not taking kindly to the De Burgh supremacy, had sided with the Bruces. Their neighbours on the west of the Bann—the O’Neills—were steadily advancing in power under Domhnall, and his son, Aodh ” Reamhar ” (Hugh, ” the fat “) (1325-64). The weakness of the settlers now enabled these to cross the Bann, and to aid the old clans of Ulaidh to resume most of their ancient territories, until English influence in the north-east was confined to the peninsulas of the Lecale and Ards, and a few fortresses along the coast, such as Carrickfergus.
” Clann Aodha Buidhe ” (” Clandeboye “).—Domhnall and Aodh had not been free from domestic troubles, for their leadership was bitterly contested by their kinsmen, the sons of Aodh Buidhe O’Neill . The latter, being defeated in the struggle, moved eastwards to the derelict territories of the ” earldom ” soon after the murder of the ” Brown Earl ” . Here they occupied a large district along the southern shores of Belfast Lough, and here, in future history, the ” Clann Aodha Buidhe ” figure as the ” O’Neills of Clannaboy ” or Clandeboye. The rulers of Tir Eoghain insisted upon their supremacy over their kinsmen in this conquered district, but the claim was frequently opposed by the rival Clann Aodha Buidhe.
” Kings of Ulster ” : Territorial Dominion.—To the overlordship which we have seen the O’Neills had obtained over clans outside of Tir Eoghain was now added a supremacy over nearly all the country east of the Bann. They now adopt the title of ” King of Ulster ” to indicate their leadership over all the north. The name of the Norman earldom is utilised to support a claim to a territorial dominion outside the old Kingdom of ” Aileach.” It is significant also that the names of the territories ” Tir Eoghain ” and ” Tir Chonaill” are now used instead of the ancient names ” Cineal Eoghain ” and ” Cineal Chonaill,” which embodied the idea of kinship rather than of territory. O’Dohertys Conquer Inis Eoghain.—The success of the O’Neills was, however, confined to the eastern frontiers of Tfr Eoghain. On the west the rival O’Donnells not only disputed their authority, but even took from them an important part of their traditional territory. This was the peninsula of Inis Eoghain (Inishowen), which was seized upon and permanently occupied early in the fourteenth century by the O’Dohertys, a branch of the Cineal Chonaill. The O’Donnells had again become united under Aodh, the son of Domhnall Og , and during his vigorous reign of fifty years (1283-1333) they imitated the O’Neills by pressing territorial claims over Cairbre and ” Fermanagh,” and even over Breifne. They were now secure from English attack, for the menace from Connacht to their western frontier had disappeared.
The Meath” Causeway ” Broken Down.—The important strategic ” causeway ” which led from Trim to Athlone has been noticed in dealing with the early settlement. In the general decay of English power, this important line of communication with Connacht now disappears. The march of Bruce through the midlands must have contributed materially to the effects of the attacks upon it of the clans of Meath. After the invasion these attacks were resumed by the chiefs of Meath* and O’Connor of Ui Failghe on the south, while from the north the O’Farrells cleared the settlers out of ” Anghaile.” Those who remained became independent of the English Crown, the influence of which was now driven east of the Boyne.
The Leinster Lines in Danger.—In Leinster also the two important ” belts ” which connected Dublin with the south were in peril. From the slopes of the mountains the clans attacked both the road by the coast and that through the plains. The latter also was assailed on the other side by the clans of the midland ” island ” , Lysaght O’Moore recapturing Dunamase and many other castles in 1329, and Conall O’Moore capturing others in 1346. The O’Connors recovered much of Ui Failghe from the Earl of Kildare, while O’Carroll saved all but the southern part of Eile from the Earl of Ormonde.
“Black Rent” to Mac Murrough.—So perilous was the state of things in these important districts that the English Crown was forced to adopt a policy which was afterwards more fully developed. Mac Murrough was still ” King of Laighin ” and traditional leader of its clans. To Maurice Mac Murrough, therefore, the Crown came in 1335, and requested him to protect the roads from Dublin for which they offered (and paid) a sum of eighty marks a year. Thus was commenced the system of ” Black Rents,” or payments to Irish chiefs for protection which alone secured toleration for English influence in the narrow territory into which it was being rapidly driven.
* O’Maolachlan, Mac Geogh.’gan, O’Molloy, etc.
Below : Picture Of Edward II
Thomortd Cleared ; ” O’Brien of Ara.”—Although, as has been seen, the chiefs of Munster had not supported Bruce, yet they had availed themselves of the opportunity his invasion gave them. A few months before the battle of Faughart the O’Briens, aided by Mac Carthy, had defeated another attempt of De Clare to secure a footing in Thomond. Led by Muirkertach—who in the previous year had opposed Bruce— they won a decisive victory at Dysert O’Dea (1318), and the English were completely cleared out of all Thomond west of the Shannon. Next they won back most of their former possessions to the east of that river. Muirkertach had a rival in Brian Ban O’Brien, who had even fought against him at Dysert O’Dea. The contest went on for some years, but eventually peace was made. Then the O’Briens crossed the Shannon, and drove the English out of Thomond, south of Lough Derg, and here Brian Ban settled, and established a new family known as the ” O’Briens of Ara.” He succeeded Muirkertach as King of Thomond, made a treaty with the De Burghs (who also had possessions here), and until his death, in 1350, kept Thomond free.
In the south-west, Desmond clans maintained their independence, but their ancient territories on the Suir and the Shannon were dominated by the Geraldines.
Recovery in Connaeht : “O’Connor Sllgo.”—The disastrous battle of Athenry had left William De Burgh and Mulroney Mac Dermott the most important chiefs in Connacht. Bitter experience had not taught the O’Connors, and their feuds were again renewed, both De Burgh and Mac Dermott acting as rival King-makers. Eventually the latter succeeded in making Turlough O’Connor, the brother of Felim, King of Connacht (1324). Turlough was able and vigorous, and the quarrels of the De Burghs equalled any that had ever distracted the O’Connors. We find, therefore, that Turlough drives the last of the Norman settlers out of Luighne, and in Sligo establishes his former rival, who becomes ” O’Connor Sligo.”* The fall of the ” causeway ” to the Shannon was followed up by the capture of Athlone and the neighbouring castles, and Connacht was completely cut off from what was left of the English possessions (1342). The Normans who remained threw off, as will be seen, all connection with England, whose power beyond the Shannon was thus wiped out.
The Gall-oglaigh : (” Gallowglasses”).—A great deal of this change in the fortunes of the Irish was due to the impotence of the Crown of England, and to the feuds and weakness of the Irish Normans, as will be pointed out in the next section. But it was chiefly due to a change in the military methods and organisation of the clans themselves. They still despised the use of armour, and at Downpatrick and Athenry they fought without it. But they were improving in the building of castles and in military tactics. Most important, however, was the introduction of permanent military forces into the clans. Hitherto, as has been remarked, the Irish clans were not organised on a military basis as were the Normans. The fighting men were called from their occupations when their services were needed, and to these they returned when the immediate fighting was over. Now, however, the continued warfare made it necessary to have permanent troops devoted especially to warfare and always ready for it. Most of these were recruited from the Gaelicised Norse of Argyll and the Scottish islands. These, known as ” gall-6glaigh,” or ” gallowglasses,” had been employed by many of the northern and western chiefs in the preceding period, but from this time forward they were an established feature in every clan. Under their own officers, who were called ” constables,” they were ready to serve any chief who employed them, but frequently bodies of them settled down as the permanent followers of one special family. In addition to this ” standing army ” of gall-oglaigh, Irish troops were also permanently employed, and were supported by a subsidy called ” buanacht” or ” bonnaght.”
Growth of Feudal Ideas.—This adoption of a ” standing army ” naturally increased the personal power of the chiefs at the expense of the clan, as the continued warfare against the Norse had done in an earlier period. Nor was this the only way in which feudal ideas were having an influence upon the Irish organisations. The great practical advantage of an established system of succession was being forcibly illustrated, and the feudal right of the son to succeed to the father was being partly recognised. Many of the disputes which occurred in the families from which the chiefs were selected were due to the conflict of the two ideas. The chiefs were becoming territorial lords with the right of handing down their authority to their own families. The dues, or tributes, payable from the earliest times by the minor clans to the superior chiefs were also materially altered. The Normans were becoming ” Irishised,” as we shall see, but the clans, on their part, were becoming, to some extent, feudalised.