Second Battle of Athenry

The Second Battle of Athenry took place in Ireland on the 10th August 1316 and was one of the most decisive battles of the Bruce Wars. It was in many ways part of a war within a war, as Felim mac Aedh Ua Conchobair wished to make himself Supreme King of Connacht, without opposition, and to expel the Normans to regain the lands and power that his family had enjoyed prior to their arrival in 1232. He gathered an impressive array of allies - the Kings of Thomond, Breifne, Moylurg, Hy-Many - in addition to over a dozen lesser kings and lords from Connacht and its borders (Annaly, Leney, Ui Fiachrach Muaidhe, Munster), as well as the probable assistance of Scots gallowglasses.

They were opposed by the Normans of Connaught and their two most prominent leaders; Richard Og de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster, and Piers de Bermingham, Lord of Athenry. They were aided by lesser Norman lords from all over Connacht and Thomond, as well as some Irish allies.

The collective number of both armys are unknown, and can only be estimated; while it is doubtful that the numbers were any higher than seven thousand (and even this figure should be treated with caution) the list of participants on the Irish side alone indicates that an overall figure of at least three to four thousand were involved.

Background:The Bruce Wars

"The Bruce War(s)" is a blanket term for the wars that took place in the Four Kingdoms (Ireland, Wales, England, and Scotland.) during the lifetime of Robert the Bruce(1274-1329) and his heirs.

The Struggle for Connacht

The battle

The battle apparently took place on the boggy plain and eskers to the east of the town, outside the towergate called the Laragh Gate. Twenty-three year old King Felim was one of the many casualties; a place called the White Stone, lying to the east of an esker overlooking Athenry upon the Laragh road, is traditionally pointed out as the place where his body was found.

The battle is reputed to have one of the highest death rates of any battle ever fought in Ireland, rating it on a par with Clontarf, Knockdoe and Aughrim. As stated above, this is hard to quantify. However, one of the immediate after-effects of it was the building of the town walls in an incredible five years. This was said to be because so much abandoned booty was retrieved from the remains of the Irish army. Over two-thirds of the walls of Athenry still stand, making it the only town in Europe with so much of its medieval walls still intact.

Aftermath

The Second Battle of Athenry marked the definitive end of the power of the Ua Conchobair (O'Connor's) as Kings of Connacht. The decades following marked the high point of Norman rule in Connacht, and the rise of the towns of Athenry and Galway as centres of economic and political power and wealth.

Long Term Effects

In the long run however, after the death of the Red Earl in 1326 and especially as a result of the Burke Civil War 1333-38, Norman power in Connacht fragmented. The Normans as a distinct power were dissipated, becoming "more Irish than the Irish themselves." For example, the Norman families of de la Val, Lawless, Dolphin, who would have fought at Athenry as liegemen of the de Burgh and de Bermingham, were within generations Irish clans led by chieftains; all of these families are still found in the Athenry-Loughrea area.

All allegiance to the Crown was abandoned by the de Burghs and de Berminghams; it would be fully two hundred years before English Kings could even begin to bring the Irish of Connacht under their control, a process that was only fully achieved by William III in 1692.

Account of the Second Battle of Athenry from the Annals of Connacht

"On hearing that William Burke had come into Connacht from Scotland, Feidlim called upon his subjects to assemble an army to expel him; and the army was assembled from all the region between Assaroe and Aughty. Moreover Donnchad O Briain, king of Thomond, came with his assembled host, and

O Maelsechlainn, king of Meath,
O Ruairc, king of Brefne,
O Fergail, king of the Conmaicne,
Tadc O Cellaig, king of Ui Maine,

and many more of the kings' and chieftains' sons of Ireland assembled to him."

"And they all marched to Athenry to oppose William Burke, Mac Feorais, and the other Connacht Galls, and joined battle with them in front of the town."

"The Gaels were defeated and Feidlim O Conchobair, who was king of Connacht and entitled to become King of Ireland without opposition, was killed there and Tadc O Cellaig, king of Ui Maine fell with him, together with twenty-eight men who were entitled to succeed to the kingship of Ui Maine. Magnus son of Domnall O Conchobair, tanist of Connacht, was killed, as were:"

Art O hEgra, king of Leyney,
Maelsechlainn Carrach O Dubda,
Muirchertach son of Conchobar O Dubda,
Conchobar Oc O Dubda,
Diarmait Mac Diarmata, an eligible prince of Moylurg,
Muirchertach son of Taichlech Mac Diarmata,
Muirchertach son of Diarmait son of Fergal Mac Diarmata,
Maelsechlainn Oc Mac Magnusa,
Sean son of Murchad O Matadain,
Domnall son of Aed O Con Chenainn, king of the Ui Diarmata, and
Muirchertach his brother,
Murchad O Matadain,
Domnall O Baigill,
Donnchad O Mailmuaid and his followers,
the son of Murchad Mag Mathgamna and a hundred of his men,
Niall Sinnach, king of Tethba, and his followers,
Fergal son of Seoan Gallda O Fergail,
Uilliam son of Aed Oc O Fergail,
Tomas son of Amlaib O Fergail.
Five of the Clann Donnchaid fell there, viz.
- Tomaltach son of Gilla Crist Mac Donnchaid,
- Murchad Mac Donnchaid,
- Conchobar son of Tadc,
- Muirchertach and Maelsechlainn Mac Donnchaid.
Eoin Mac Aedacain, brehon to O Conchobair,
Gilla na Naem son of Dail re Docair O Dobailein, the standardbearer, and
Tomas O Conallain

"Moreover it is hard to say how many of the men of Munster and of Meath and of Ireland generally were killed there; in the words of the poet: ‘Many of the men of all Ireland (lay dead) about that great field; many a king's son, whom I name not, of the Meath and Munster hosts was filled in that great rout; my heart rues the fight.’ These deeds were done on the day of St. Laurence Martyr. Fedlimid was a man of twenty-three when he was killed, and he reigned for five years till Ruaidri son of Cathal usurped the kingship from him for half a year, and he reigned again for half a year after Ruaidri's death till he was slain in this battle of Athenry."