Second Battle of Athenry The Second Battle of Athenry took place at Athenry ( ) in Ireland on 10 August 1316 during the Bruce campaign in Ireland . Overview . The collective number of both armies are unknown , and can only be estimated . Martyn believes the royal army to have been as much as or more than a thousand , while that of Athenry was probably several hundred less . The list of deceased participants on the Irish side alone indicates that exceptionally high numbers were involved . Outcome . Unlike the First Battle of Athenry in 1249 , no account is given of the battle itself in any surviving account . Even the site of the battle itself is uncertain . Rickard de Bermingham and William Liath de Burgh led an Anglo - Irish force to victory . John Clyn states that " According to common report a sum of five . . . thousand in all " [ were killed ] " the number decapitated was one thousand five hundred . " The battle was a devastating defeat for the Connacht Gaels , who were allied with the Scotsman Edward Bruce . Among those killed were kings Fedlim Ó Conchobair and Tadhg Ó Cellaigh King of Uí Maine . The Annals of Ulster . " U1313 " ( sic 1316 ) " A great hosting was undertaken by Feidhlimidh , together with the nobles of the Fifth of Connacht and with Donnchadh O ' Briain , king of Munster and O ' Mael - Sheclainn , king of Meath and Ualgharc O ' Ruairc , king of Breifni ( Ualgharc O ' Ruairc took the kingship that year ) and O ' Ferghail , king of Muinter - hAnghaile and Tadhg O ' Cellaigh , king of Ui - Maine and Maghnus , son of Domnall Ua Concobuir , tanist of Connacht and Art O ' hEaghra , king of Luighni and Brian O ' Dubhda , king of Ui - Fiachrach . " " They went , all those , to Ath - na - righ . The Foreigners of the West of Connacht all assembled against them : to wit , William de Burgh and the Baron Mac Feorais Birmingham , lord of Ath - na - righ and all the Foreigners of the greater part of the Half of Conn . Battle was engaged in by them and defeat inflicted on the Gaidhil there . Feidhlimidh O ' Concobuir ( son of Aedh , son of Eogan ) , king of Connacht , was slain there : the one person on whom the attention of the Men of all Ireland was most directed and who was best in generosity and prowess . " " Tadhg Ua Cellaigh , king of Ui - Maine , was slain there and eight and twenty of the Clann - Cellaigh that had right to kingship of Ui - Maine were slain there . Art O ' hEghra , king of Luighni was slain there . But for one thing , there was not slain in this time in Ireland the amount that was slain there of sons of kings and of chiefs and of many other persons in addition . Ruaidhri , son of Donnchadh , son of Eogan Ua Concobuir , was then made king by the Connachtmen . " The Annals of Loch Cé . After winning the battle of Tóchar - móna - Coinnedha ( Templetogher , County Galway ) , on the 25th January , " Fedhlim afterwards plundered the favorites of Ruaidhri O ' Conchobhair , and then assumed himself the sovereignty of Connacht from Es - Ruaidh to Echtghe . And he seized the territory of the Uí - Briuin - Breifne , and took choicehostages from them , and made Ualgharg O ' Ruairc kingover them ; and he took the hostages of Clann - Cellaigh , and O ' Madadhain , and Uí - Diarmada , and O ' hEghra , and O ' Dubhda . " " And he afterwards went to expel the Foreigners of the West of Connacht ; and Baile - Atha - lethain was burned by him , and Stephen de Exeter , and Miles Cogan , and William Prendergast , and John Staunton , were slain there , ( viz . , these were noble knights ) ; and William Laighleis was slain there , and a countless multitude [ along with them ] . " " And the entire country was plundered and burned by him , from the castle of the Corran to Rodhba , both church and territory ; and he returned home afterwards with gladness , and with great spoils . And they went forthwith to Milic - na - Sinda , to meet the people of Leth - Modha ; and he burned and demolished the castle of Milic ; and Muirchertach O ' Briain , king of Tuadh - Mumha , went into his house there , the descendants of Brian Ruadh being opposed to each other . And he turned back to Ros - Comain , to demolish it . And when Fedhlim heard that William Burk had arrived in Connacht from Alba , he commanded a muster of his people to one place , to expel him . And this was the muster that came there , viz . , all from Es - Ruaidh to Echtghe . " " And Donnchadh O ' Briain , king of Tuadh - Mumha , came in his following and muster ; and O ' Maelechlainn , king of Midhe ; and O ' Ruairc , king of Breifne ; and O ' Ferghail , king of Conmaicne ; and Tadhg O ' Cellaigh , king of Uí - Maine , and many more of the sons of kings and chieftains of Erinn , came in his muster . " " And they all went to Ath - na - righ , against William Burk , Mac Feorais , and the other Foreigners of Connacht ; and a battle was fought between them at the door of the town , and the Gaeidhel were defeated there , and Feidlilimidh O ' Conchobhair , king of Connacht , and undisputed heir presumptive to the sovereignty of Erinn , was slain there , and Tadhg O ' Cellaigh , king of Uí - Maine , and twenty - eight persons entitled to the sovereignty of Uí - Maine , fell there along with him ; and Maghnus , son of Domhnall O ' Conchobhair , tanist of Connacht ; and Art O ' hEghra , king of Luighne ; and Maelechlainn Carrach O ' Dubhda and Muirchertach , son of Conchobhar O ' Dubhda ; and Conchobhar Og O ' Dubhda ; and Diarmaid Mac Diarmada , who was fit to be king of Magh - Luirg ; and Muirchertach , son of Taichlech Mac Diarmada ; and Muirchertach , son of Diarmaid , son of Ferghal ; and Maelechlainn Og Mac Maghnusa ; and John , son of Murchadh O ' Madadhain ; and Domhnall , son of Aedh O ' Concennainn , king of Uí - Diarmada , and his brother Muirchertach along with him ; and Murchadh O ' Madadhain ; and Domhnall O ' Baighill ; and Donnchadh O ' Maelmhuaidh , together with his people ; and the son of Murchadh Mac Mathghamhna , and one hundred of his people along with him ; and Niall Sinnach , king of Feara - Tethbha , with his people ; and Ferghal , son of John Gallda O ' Ferghail ; and William , son of Aedh Og O ' Ferghail ; and Thomas , son of Amhlaibh O ' Ferghail . " " And five of the Clann - Donnchaidh were also slain there , viz . Tomaltach , son of Gilla - Christ Mac Donnchaidh , and Murchadh Mac Donnchaidh , and Conchobhar son of Tadhg , and Muirchertach and Maelsechlainn Mac Donnchaidh . " " And John Mac Aedhagan , O ' Conchobhair ' s brehon , and Gilla - na - naemh , son of Dal - redochair O ' Dobhailen , the standard bearer , and Thomas O ' Conallan , were slain there around their lord . And not alone this ; but it is not easy to tell all that were then slain of Momonians and Meathians , and of the men of Erinn likewise , ut dixit the poet : " " On the day of St . Laurence the martyr these deeds were committed ; and Fedhlimidh was twenty - three years old when slain ; and he had been five years in the sovereignty of Connacht when Ruaidhri , son of Cathal Ruadh , assumed it in opposition to him during the space of half a year ; and he was another half year after Ruaidhri in the sovereignty until he was slain in this battle of Ath - na - righ . "