ressed by their own baronage as much as by the Irish
marauders, while the feuds of the English lords wasted their strength and
prevented any effective combination either for common conquest or common
defence. So utter seemed their weakness that Robert Bruce saw in it an
opportunity for a counter-blow at his English assailants, and his victory
at Bannockburn was followed up by the despatch of a Scotch force to Ireland
with his brother Edward at its head. A general rising of the Irish welcomed
this deliverer; but the danger drove the barons of the Pale to a momentary
union, and in 1316 their valour was proved on the bloody field of Athenree
by the slaughter of eleven thousand of their foes and the almost complete
annihilation of the sept of the O'Connors. But with victory returned the
old anarchy and degradation. The barons of the Pale sank more and more into
Irish chieftains. The Fitz-Maurices, who became Earls of Desmond and whose
vast territory in Minister was erected into a County Palatine, adopted the
dress and manners of the natives around them. The rapid growth of this evil
was seen in the ruthless provisions by which Edward the Third strove to
check it in his Statute of Kilkenny. The Statute forbade the adoption of
the Irish language or name or dress by any man of English blood: it
enforced within the Pale the exclusive use of English law, and made the use
of the native or Brehon law, which was gaining ground, an act of treason;
it made treasonable any marriage of the Englishry with persons of Irish
race, or any adoption of English children by Irish foster-fathers.

[Sidenote: Richard in Ireland]

But stern as they were these provisions proved fruitless to check the
fusion of the two races, while the growing independence of the Lords of the
Pale threw off all but the semblance of obedience to the English
government. It was this which stirred Richard to a serious effort for the
conquest and organization of the island. In 1386 he granted the "entire
dominion" of Ireland with the title of its Duke to Robert de Vere on
condition of his carrying out its utter reduction. But the troubles of the
reign soon recalled De Vere, and it was not till the truce with France had
freed his hands that the king again took up his projects of conquest. In
1394 he landed with an army at Waterford, and received the general
submission of the native chieftains. But the Lords of the Pale held
sullenly aloof; and Richard had no sooner quitt