Norman Decline in Ireland

The high point of the Norman lordship in Ireland was marked by the establishment of the Parliament of Ireland in 1297, which followed the successful Lay Subsidy tax collection of 1292. This period also saw the compilation of the first Papal Taxation register between 1302 and 1307, serving as an early census and property list akin to the Domesday Book.

However, the prosperity of the Hiberno-Normans began to decline in the 14th century due to a series of destabilizing events. Gaelic lords, having lost direct confrontations with the Norman knights, adopted guerrilla tactics such as raids and surprise attacks, stretching Norman resources thin and enabling the Gaelic chieftains to reclaim significant territories. Simultaneously, the Norman colonists suffered from a lack of support from the English monarchy, as both Henry III and Edward I were preoccupied with affairs in Great Britain and their continental domains.

Internal divisions further weakened the Norman position. Rivalries between powerful Hiberno-Norman lords such as the de Burghs, FitzGeralds, Butlers, and de Berminghams led to internecine warfare. The division of estates among heirs fragmented large lordships into smaller, less defensible units, with the division of the Marshalls of Leinster being particularly detrimental.

The invasion of Ireland by Edward Bruce of Scotland in 1315 exacerbated the situation. Bruce's campaign rallied many Irish lords against the English, and although he was eventually defeated at the Battle of Faughart in 1318, the invasion caused significant destruction and allowed local Irish lords to reclaim lands. Additionally, some English partisans, disillusioned with the monarchy, sided with Bruce.

The European famine of 1315-1317 compounded the chaos, as Irish ports could not import necessary food supplies due to widespread crop failures. The situation was further aggravated by the widespread burning of crops during Bruce’s invasion, leading to severe food shortages.

The murder of William Donn de Burgh, 3rd Earl of Ulster, in 1333 led to the partition of his lands among his relatives, igniting the Burke Civil War. This conflict resulted in the loss of English authority west of the River Shannon and the rise of new Irish clans such as the McWilliam Burkes. In Ulster, the O'Neill dynasty seized control, renaming the earldom's lands Clandeboye and assuming the title of King of Ulster in 1364.

The arrival of the Black Death in 1348 devastated the Hiberno-Norman settlements, which were primarily urban, whereas the dispersed rural living arrangements of the native Irish spared them to a greater extent. The plague decimated the English and Norman populations, leading to the resurgence of Irish language and customs. Following the Black Death, the English-controlled area contracted to the Pale, a fortified region around Dublin.

The overarching backdrop of the Hundred Years' War between England and France (1337-1453) further diverted English military resources, weakening the Lordship's ability to fend off attacks from both autonomous Gaelic and Norman lords. By the end of the 14th century, these cumulative events had significantly diminished the reach and power of the Norman lordship in Ireland, leading to a period of decline and fragmentation.