County Louth Archaeological and History Society

The Coronation of Edward Bruce Author(s): P. L. Macardle Source: Journal of the Archaeological Society, Vol. 4, No. 4 (Dec., 1919/1920), pp. 367-369 Published by: County Louth Archaeological and History Society Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27729238 . Accessed: 14/06/2014 05:11

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This content downloaded from 62.122.76.45 on Sat, 14 Jun 2014 05:11:19 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions (?DJj?t&ovonation of (Bbwavb $vvtce.

of the Coronation of Edward Bruce at or near ?h^HE question A is one of deep interest to antiquarians. We have it on authority that Edward Bruce assaulted Dundalk on the 29th 1315. In an if " June, QTO interesting article, The Bruces in ," in the Ulster Archce Volume an account is the ological Journal (old series, V) " given of forcing of the Pass and the assault of the Moyra " Dundalk, valiant Randolf who put him fyrst ay till assayes alighting with his knights from horseback forced the on . . . perilous passage foot and drove out the enemy The Englishry of the country which Bruce had now reached were in force within the walls of gathered " Dundalk, and the Scots on drew in the town " marching up array against with banners all dis a sent out the inhabitants returned playit ; reconnoitering party by " and de clared to their comfort that the Scots would be but half a dinner great " " to them." But the assault was so vigorous that the rewys (rues or streets) flowed with the blood of defenders and were soon cleared of all living by the assailants, who then made great cheer, having found a profusion of victuals and great abundance of wine. Elated with the first success in the English Pale the triumphant warriors crowned their leader King of Ireland on a hill near the town in the simple national form in which his brother had been inaugurated at Scone." was on Dundalk stormed the 29th June, 1315, and the Scots, perhaps hearing that the was about to march walls for woods and Viceroy " against them, quitted westward reached a moving gret forest." Bruce then proceeded south, and afterwards retraced his steps and held at Dundalk a great assembly in which he was solemnly elected King of Ireland. The ceremony of inauguration seems to have been performed on Knocknamelan, a within mile of Dundalk, while a solemn consecration took place in one of the churches of the town. Surrounded by all the external marks of royalty Bruce established his Court in the Castle of Northburgh, one of de Verdon's fortresses adjoining Dundalk, where he were took cognizance of all pleas that brought before him?(Darcy Magee's History of Ireland, p. 231). There are consequently four questions for investigation : (1)Where is Knockna melan ? (2)Where was the great assembly held at Dundalk at which Robert Bruce was elected king ? (3) Where was he solemnly consecrated ? (4) Where was the Castle of Northburg ? All the authorities, agree that Edward Bruce was crowned on Knocknamelan, which means hill of the bald or bare dun or fort. No such name is at present known in the district. Three hills appear to me to be reasonably worthy of examination

This content downloaded from 62.122.76.45 on Sat, 14 Jun 2014 05:11:19 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 368 COUNTY LOUTH ARCHAEOLOGICAL JOURNAL. as being the site of the coronation. It appears that it was upon the success of the assault on Dundalk that Bruce was crowned King of Ireland on Knocknamelan near Dundalk. On the summit of the hill of is an artificial mound composed of earth work in the form of the frustrum of a cone. Wright, in his Louthiana, supposes that it was originally a funeral monument and afterwards used as a beacon or fort, either as an outpost to defend the frontier or to signal the approach of an enemy. It is well adapted for either purpose, and situated on the confines of the county near the formidable Bealach-an-Moirie or Moyry Pass, was very probably used as a watch-station. D'Alton, in his History of Dundalk, says there was formerly an octagonal building on the top of this mound. In a description of the Battle of Faughart from an Irish manuscript by Brian Geraghty, published in the Journal of the Louth Archaeological Society, Vol. I, it is stated that after they (the Scots) had taken the fortress of Dundalk they proclaimed Edward Bruce supreme King of Erin on the hill of where the and Scots were then Maeldun, " encamped. Further on, in describing the battle of Faughart, he says, The Gaels and Scots put themselves into battle array on the brow of the hill of Faughart near the spot or place where Bruce was proclaimed King of Ireland two years before." This would clearly point to the mound of Faughart being the scene of inauguration, as it is on the top of a hill where the Scottish army put themselves in battle array. It is a bald or bare dun or fort, and though apparently built on, may have been quite bare at that time. It is considerably over a mile from Dundalk and some say half a mile, but distances in early records are generally much underestimated, and it seems to me, on the authority of this manuscript, that the mound on Faughart hill holds the premier place as the Knocknamelan referred to by all historians. In the article already referred to, the writer says there are discrepancies as to when and where he was first invested with majesty. He goes on to say that Archdall in his Peerage (Volume III, p. 33) quotes from Lodge's Collections that Bruce was crowned by the Irish and that the ceremony took place at Knock ne melon within half a mile of Dundalk. The annalist, Grace, says the Scottish invader was crowned by his men without naming the place. He adds that the probability was that after the first burst into the Pale and the victory over the Saxonry at Dundalk the Albanach and Erinach in their ardour of triumph inaugurated Bruce in their national manner on a hill near the town. There is a mound at Lurgankeel known as Mount Albani or the Scotsman's Mound, but beyond the significant name I have discovered no authority to identify it with Knocknamelan. recalls a that Dundealgan has also claims. Rev. Fr. Fagan, P.P., tradition Clonmellan was the old name for Castletown. Clon (recte Cluain) means meadow. Hence Clonmellan might mean the meadow of the bald fort, and may have been the flat ground between Dundealgan and the sea. Dundealgan would present attractive features as the site of a Coronation, and is within the distance referred to. In reference to the question of the great assembly, I have always heard the tradition that Bruce was crowned in Francis Street, Dundalk, and the house now occupied by Mr. Murphy is pointed out as the scene of the Coronation. It was not, however, within the town that the ceremony of Coronation took place, but on Knocknemelon. Barbour, in his Metrical History of Robert Bruce, says :? At Kilsaggart Sir Edward lay And well soon he was heard say That at Dundalk was assembly Made of the lords of that country This would clearly point to the assembly referred to by D'Arcy Magee.

This content downloaded from 62.122.76.45 on Sat, 14 Jun 2014 05:11:19 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions CORONATION OF EDWARD BRUCE. 369

When Dundalk became the frontier town of the northern marches of the Pale, strong walls and other defence works protected the garrison. According to a map showing the Town of Dundalk in 1675, High Street appeared to be the principal street of the town and the junction of the roads to Drogheda and Donaghmore. A second map shows the town of Dundalk as laid down by Robert Richardson in 1680. At the junction of Park, Earl and Frances Streets there appears a castle, formerly called Mortimer's Castle, sometimes King's Castle and later Castle which would be on the site of the tavern Cumberland, " present occupied by Mr. Murphy, and is still known as Bruce's Tavern." According to these maps it was one of the most pretentious castles in the town, and the most probable place where a great assembly would be held. I venture to give the opinion, therefore, that local tradition is right in respect to this site ; but that in the course of ages the tradition became corrupted and con fused, and the real fact is that the great assembly at which Edward Bruce was elected King was held in a castle situated in the street at present known as Francis Street, but that the ceremony of Coronation was not held there. The present Episcopalian Church of St. Nicholas', Dundalk, was in pre" Reformation days the Parish Church of the town. I have been told that parochia records went back as far as but were Richard known " 1207, destroyed. FitzRalph, as St. Richard of Dundalk," was born in Dundalk about the end of the thirteenth century, and is said to have been buried in the churchyard. We further have the thirteenth century seal of the new town of Dundalk, recently found in the churchyard. I understand that the building was burned about 150 years ago and that the tower is practically the only surviving part of the old building. It is probable, therefore, that in this church Edward Bruce was solemnly consecrated. The Castle of Northburg is difficult to locate, but I think it is likely to have been Castletown Castle or Castletown-Bellew. According to D'Alton a castle is said to have been erected here as early as 1297 A.D., which was occupied by Edward Bruce in 1316, but the present edifice was more probably built by Richard Bellew in the 19th year of Edward IV. In considering this question apart from D'Alton's statement, the strategic position of the castle is important. It commanded the pass to Dundalk, called in Irish Cloghan or the Ford of Dealgan. This was the great battle-ground between the Anglo-Normans and Irish for several centuries. The sea then allowed but a narrow approach to the town on the north side. It was long before the Droichead-more or the great bridge was built. A strong current flowed by the Ramparts to Littlemills or Donnelong enclosing the land as an island and leaving an unflooded space on the north called to this day Islanmore or the great Island. This marsh was crossed on the west by a tochar, which still gives its name to the field adjoining Lord Roden's Demesne on the west. Consequently this would be the natural place for Edward Bruce to hold his court, being a strong castle guarding the territory. P. L. Macardle.

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