Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Flush with confidence from his victory, Robert the Bruce decided to open a
second front against the English...in Ireland. In 1315, he sent his brother Edward
over to enlist their Celtic Irish cousins in an effort to thwart the English. After se-
curing Ireland, Edward hoped to move on and enlist the Welsh, thus cornering Eng-
land with their pan-Celtic nation. But Edward's timing was bad—Ireland was in the
midst of famine. His Scottish troops had to live off the land and began to take food
and supplies from the starving Irish. He might also have been trying to destroy Ire-
land's crops to keep them from being used as a colonial “breadbasket” to feed Eng-
lish troops. The Scots quickly wore out their welcome, and Edward the Bruce was
eventually killed in battle near Dundalk in 1318.
This was the first time in history that Ireland was used as a pawn by England's
enemies. SpainandFrance sawIreland astheEnglish Achilles' heel, andbothcoun-
tries later attempted invasions of the island. The English Tudor and Stuart royalty
countered these threats in the 16th and 17th centuries by starting the “plantation” of
loyal subjects in Ireland. The only successful long-term settlement by the English
was here in Northern Ireland, which remains part of the United Kingdom today.
It's interesting to imagine how things might be different today if Ireland and
Scotland had been permanently welded together as a nation 700 years ago. You'll
notice the strong Scottish influence in this part of Ireland when you ask a local a
question and he answers, “Aye, a wee bit.” The Irish joke that the Scots are just Irish
people who couldn't swim home.
▲▲▲
Giant's Causeway
This five-mile-long stretch of coastline, a World Heritage Site, is famous for its bizarre
basalt columns. The shore is covered with largely hexagonal pillars that stick up at various
heights. It's as if the earth were offering God his choice of 37,000 six-sided cigarettes.
