Aftermath of the Bruce Invasion of Ireland (1320s)

Timeline

1. 1318–1322Faughart · LeinsterThe Battle of Faughart in 1318 ended Bruce's ambitions as 'High King' in Ireland, but his three years of campaigning had already devastated the colonial economy and drained the Dublin treasury. The Great Famine of 1315–1317, compounded by war damage, caused property valuations in northern and central parishes to plummet. Although Roger Mortimer and others attempted to stabilise the frontier in the early 1320s, the colonial government's prestige had greatly declined.
2. 1323–1328Dublin · IrelandSuccessive Lords Deputy and chief justices struggled in the 1320s to keep parliament and the courts functioning in Dublin, and even planned to establish a university there to revive the colony's cultural prestige. However, parish taxation and property valuations showed that many areas had still not fully recovered to pre-war levels by the end of the 1320s. Political turmoil in England (the deposition of Edward II in 1327) further diverted resources away from Ireland.
3. 1326–1330Central and western Ireland · IrelandIn the aftermath of the invasion, great colonial lords turned to local autonomy and Gaelicisation strategies when the Dublin government was unable to protect them fully. The de Burgh family in Connacht grew increasingly detached from the parliament, internal disputes in the Earldom of Ulster intensified, and Anglo-Norman control in places like Thomond continued to disintegrate. Local conflicts such as the Fiodhachath at the end of the 1320s were manifestations of this power vacuum.