For the week that’s in it, I thought I would share my own Scottish related story,  that I only learned about this year.

Most people are familiar with the story of Robert the Bruce and the Battle of Bannockburn (William Wallace, Braveheart and all that), where the Scots defeated the English, in what was the First War of Scottish Independence – 2014 was the 700th anniversary of Bannockburn.

What a lot of people don’t know is that Robert Bruce had a younger brother, by the name of Edward Bruce.  Following the success at Bannockburn, Robert Bruce continued his war against the English, but this time in Ireland as part of an invasion led by his younger brother, Edward.

Edward and his army (supported by the O’Neills of Tyrone) landed close to Larne in 1315.  On arrival at Carrickfergus in June that year, Edward Bruce was pronounced as King of Ireland by the O’Neills.  Many parts of Ulster and Leinster were conquered over the next number of years.

After several years of war, failure to hold on to conquered land, and a diminishing army, Edward Bruce was defeated at the Battle of Faughart at the end of 1318.

Faughart is located just off the M1 outside Dundalk, close to the Ballymacscanlon roundabout.  In an ancient graveyard on a hill above the townland – overlooking the South Armagh / North Louth countryside, the grave of Edward Bruce can still be seen.