.The line of Scottish Kings which descended from the Gaels of Dal Riada had ended with the death of Alexander III in 1286. Gaelic in race, the Kings of Scotland had, for two centuries, ceased to be Gaelic in character. The marriage of Malcolm " Ceann Mdr " to a Saxon princess in the twelfth century, and the subsequent settlement in Scotland of Norman families —like the Bruces, Stewarts and Balliols—had changed the nature of the Scottish Court. It was by the practically independent rulers ... Read More

During this period, then, English influence was at its lowest ebb.The country was independent, and the nation was unified in culture ; but the one had no centre, and the other no head— there was no national focus. The conditions were remarkably like those after Clontarf or like those of the Italian States down to recent times. Certain definite groupings there were. O'Neill and O'Donnell, O'Brien and Mac Carthy were still the accepted leaders of many subordinate clans.  Indeed, the continued recognition of the ... Read More