| Battle of Kells | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theBruce campaign in Ireland | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Kingdom of Scotland andGaelic allies |  Lordship of Ireland andGaelic allies | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Edward Bruce |  Roger Mortimer | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 6,000+ | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
  Location within Ireland | |||||||
TheBattle of Kells took place betweenEdward Bruce andRoger Mortimer, 3rd Baron Mortimer.
After his victory at theBattle of Connor Bruce pursued the retreating English army back toCarrickfergus and laid siege to thecastle, where they had taken refuge. Around 13 November 1315Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray returned from Scotland with 500 experienced soldiers.[1] Leaving a besieging party at Carrickfergus, Bruce travelled to Dundalk to meet Moray, and together led the Scots into County Meath.
Through his marriage toJoan de Geneville, 2nd Baroness Geneville,Roger Mortimer, 3rd Baron Mortimer succeeded to the eastern part of theLordship of Meath, centred onTrim and its stronghold of Trim Castle. In 1315 Roger resided in Ireland, establishing his lordship against his wife's relatives, the de Lacys of Rathwire.
Mortimer organized his men on the north border of Meath, to try to keep the Scots away from his own lands. He stocked the castle at Kells, brought in cattle from outlying districts, and improved the town's defenses, so that it might serve as his base of operation.[2]
Leaving a contingent to garrison Nobber, about ten miles north-east ofKells, Bruce went to Kells, possible lured by a supposed offer of fealty from Lord O'Dempsey from Offaly. The two armies met outside Kells, where the Scots began to burn the town. After three hours of fighting, the de Lacy brothers withdrew, leaving Mortimer to fight a much larger force. With his army destroyed and Kells burning, Mortimer managed to escape with a few knights and ride to Dublin.[2]
The Scots then burned Granard and marched for two months unopposed through the midlands, devastating the country.