Second Battle of Athenry, 1316

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One King to Rule them All – Edward Bruce and the Battle of Athenry 1316

Annals of the Four Masters

M1316.3^[1] A very great army was mustered by Felim O'Conor and the chiefs of the province of Connaught. Among these chiefs were the following, viz.

• Donough O'Brien, with the chiefs of Munster;
• O'Melaghlin, King of Meath;
• Malgary O'Rourke, Lord of Breifny;
• O'Farrell, Lord of Annaly;
• Teige O'Kelly, Lord of Hy-Many;
• Manus, son of Donnell O'Conor, Tanist of Connaught;
• Art 0'Hara, Lord of Leyny;
• and Brian O'Dowda, Lord of Hy-Fiachrach.

They all marched to Athenry. The English of West Connaught mustered their forces, to oppose

p.513

them, namely, William Burke; the Baron Mac Feorais Bermingham, Lord of Athenry; and the greater part of the English of Leath Chuinn. A fierce and spirited engagement took place between them, in which the Irish were at last defeated. Felim O'Conor, from whom the Irish had expected more than from any other Gael then living, was slain. There were also slain

• Teige O'Kelly, Lord of Hy-Many, and twenty-eight gentlemen of the O'Kellys;
• Manus, son of Donnell O'Conor, Tanist of Connaught;
• Art O'Hara, Lord of Leyny;
• Melaghlin Carragh O'Dowda;
• Conor Oge O'Dowda;
• Murtough, son of Conor O'Dowda;
• Dermot Mac Dermot, heir apparent to Moylurg; Diarmait Gall Mac Diarmata (abt.1255-1316)
• Murtough, son of Taichleach Mac Dermot; (Muirchertach MacDiarmata (abt.1245-1316))
• Murtough, son of Dermot O'Farrell;
• Melaghlin Oge Mac Manus;
• John, son of Murrough O'Madden;
• Donnell, son of Hugh O'Concannon, Lord of Hy-Diarmada, and his brother Murtough;
• Murrough O'Madden;
• Donnell O'Boyle;
• Donough O'Molloy, and his people along with him;
• Murrough, the son of Murrough Mac Mahon, and one hundred of his people;
• Niall Sinnagh the Fox, Lord of the men of Teffia, and his people;
• Farrell, son of John Gallda O'Farrell;
• William, son of Hugh Oge O'Farrell;
• Thomas, son of Auliffe O'Farrell; and five of the Clann-Donough,
• namely,
• Tomaltagh, son of Gilchreest;
• Murrough, son of Donough;
• Conor, son of Teige;
• Murtough, son of Donough; and
• Melaghlin, son of Donough.
• In this battle were also slain
• John Mac Egan, O'Conor's Brehon;
• Gilla-na-naev, son of Dailredocair O'Devlin, O'Conor's standard-bearer; and
• Thomas O'Conallan.

In short, it is impossible to enumerate or tell all the chiefs of Connaught, Munster, and Meath, who fell in this battle. This terrible battle was fought on the festival day of St. Lawrence lOth of August. Felim O'Conor was twenty-three years of age at the time. Rory na-bhFeadh, the son of Donough, son of Owen, son of Rory O'Conor was then inaugurated king of Connaught.

Sources

1. ↑ Annals of the Four Masters - CELT