The Irish standard., 1901-01-12
The Brother of King Robert Bruce of Scotland
the English King Bannockburn.
Interesting Chapter in Irish History by Arthur Griffith
Of the Celtic Literary Society.
How the scochrsh Army Failed to Rescue the Green Isle
from Mail-Clad Norman Invaders.

At the inaugural meeting Of the
eighth session of the Celtic Literary
Society of Ireland, held III Dublin re-
Gently, the president, Arthur Griffith
read paper OH the Last King of Ire
land" 1t was in substance as follows
On the morrow Of the Feast of st.
Augustine, GS5 years ago. Il horseman
spurred hard from Ulster towards the
Castle Of Dublin. The Lord Deputy s
pale face grew whittier and his cunning
black eyes rolled III his head when the
bearer of ill-tidings rudely strobe into
his chamber and grutlly badc him rise
and arm for the event the king their
master feared had come to pass-the
brother of the Bruce was landed on
the north coast, and though the stout
Mandevilles and Savages were hastily
mastering to oppose him rs best they
could, held him in check for only Il
brief space. The Lord Deputy was a
man irresolute and timid. He knew
this brother Of the Bruce, knew how
he had stricken terror into the boast
full English of Galloway and plucked
the English flag from the towers Of
Dundee. 1t was this turbulent Scot,
indeed, who had been the Immediate
cause of Bannockburn, for it was to
raise the siege of Stirling Castle, sore
pressed by Edward Bruce. that the
second Edward of England gaily
crossed the Scottish border with his
minions riding by him, making merry
Jest of the uncouth Scots, with his
learned clerks and master rhymer to
write the tale and sing the ballad Of
his victory, with his priests to give
praise to God fer the slaughter Of his
enemies - and this Bruce's sword
waved bloody in the van Of the charg-
ing host of Scots and Irishmen when
the English king turned his horses
head and galloped from the fatal burn
with the death slrieks Of 10000 Of his
countrymen ringing in his ears.
The troubled deputy, whose fighting
heart was small. bnde his servitors
summon the Lord of Offally, his faith
er-in-law and young Roger Mortimer
to consult with him. But ere the two
strong men OH whom he relied in all
emergencies arrived, fresh tidings Of
i'll were spoken in the unwilling ear OF
Sir Edmond Butler. The invader had
with him, lie was whispered, an army
of G,0O0 grim Scots, battle-scarred and
hardy, who had sent back to Scotland
the ships that carried them across the
sea, as a hint that they had come to
stay, and the Irish Of Ulster, headed
by the English-hating Donald O'Neill,
had Joined the Scots, loudly boasting
that they would not leave so much as
one English churl alive in all Ireland.
The news the Lord Deputy eagerly
impaired to the gaunt Offally and the
handsome Mortimer induced them to
urge him to take the field forthwith
Were Bruce not crushed Mt once, they
declared, he would work sad mischief,
though neither Offally nor Mortimer
dreamed Of the possibility of Ireland
uniting under him. The Deputy mus
tered his men and marched through
the gates of Dublin at the head Of as
numerous an army as ever Deputy led
through it's streets. The burghers
thronged it's walls to cheer them on
their way, and cavalier and footman
swore great oaths that they would
carry back the heads Of Bruce and
O'Neill to ornament the gate Of Dub
lin Castle.
But ere the last file Of the Dcputy's
army had disappeared from the ken Of
the Waterman on the walls great
things had occurred in Ulster. On the
night Of Bruce's landing at Glenarm
Donald O'Neill, Prince Of Ulster, at
the head of all his chiefs, save the
chief Of Tyrconnell, arrived in the
camp of the Scots. BY the river bank,
while the campfircs of the soldiers
threw their ruddy beams across the
waters, council Of war was held, at
which the red-headed, ficrce-cyed
leader of the Scots presided, with Don
aid O'Neill, the first great Irish Ma
tionalist, man of gentle countenance,
a dreamer of noble dreams, a gentle
man, a scholar, and hereby his
side and round him the valiant Ran
dolph, the chivalrous Sir John Stuart,
the gay Sir Philip Mowbray, the fierce
English-hating Ramsay of Ochter-
house and Fergus Of Androssau, the
fearless giant, Gilbert Harper, /. who
loved Bruce with love passing that
of man for woman, and many other