Patrick Weston Joyce

“ In 1318 he was appointed commander-in-chief of the English forces in Ireland, and marched north with about 1,600 men against Edward Bruce, whose career in Ireland had been up to this a continued success, and who had been acknowledged king by the Irish a little time before. Bruce was encamped near Faughard, two miles from Bundalk, and Bermingham encamped within half a mile of him. There is a tradition that on the day before the battle Bermingham entered Bruce's camp disguised as a friar, and solicited and got alms from Bruce himself. ”

“ The archbishop, by his archdeacon Philip le Brand, held a visitation at Athenry, at which the friars were, in the usual course, summoned to appear. The friars, it seems, claimed exemption from the visitatorial powers of the archbishop; only three of them attended the the chapter, and thy delivered a protest so loudly and violently, and abused the archdeacon so grossly, that he excommunicated them. Immediately after the archbishop issued a proclamation forbidding the people to give them food of alms, or sell them anything, or enter the church. ”

“ He was killed at Braganstown near Ardee in 1328, in a fierce quarrel that took place between some of the Anglo-Irish families of Oriel; and many eminent persons, both native Irish and Anglo-Irish, were killed with him. ”