On May 25, 1315, Edward Bruce, younger brother of Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland, landed in Larne, County Antrim, with an army of 6,000 battle-hardened Scottish troops. This marked the beginning of the Bruce invasion of Ireland, an attempt to create a pan-Gaelic alliance against English rule and to open a second front in the Scottish Wars of Independence. The invasion had a devastating impact on Ireland, leading to widespread famine and destruction, and significantly altering the political landscape of the island for decades.
