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 ... Read More

The settlers had suffered most from the effects of the invasion, and of the evils which had accompanied it.   They had all the weakness of a foreign element which needed externalhelp to enable it to develop. And this external help, as already noted  had for some time been missing. The Bruces had been fought by the Normans in Ireland, and not by the Crown of England. Even less help were the settlers to get during the period that followed, for Edward III was ... Read More