Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March, Sudden Death in Cork Leaves the Power Vacuum

Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March and Earl of Ulster (1 February 1352 – 27 December 1381) was an English magnate who was appointed Lieutenant of Ireland but died after only two years in the post.

Sent to govern Ireland

On the accession of Richard II, a minor, in 1377, the Earl became a member of the standing council of government; though as the husband of the heir-presumptive to the crown he wisely refrained from claiming any actual administrative office. The richest and most powerful person in the realm was, however, the king’s uncle John of Gaunt, whose jealousy led March to accept the office of Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1379.

March succeeded in asserting his authority in eastern Ulster, but failed to subdue the O’Neills farther west. Proceeding to Munster to put down the turbulent southern chieftains,

March was killed at Cork on 27 December 1381. He was buried in Wigmore Abbey, of which he had been a benefactor, and where his wife Philippa was also interred

The sudden death of Edmund Mortimer in Cork, Ireland, during the late medieval period was been a significant event, potentially leading to a military and political crisis in the English colony.

Edmund Mortimer, known for his prominent role in the politics and military affairs of Ireland and England, was a key figure during the late 14th and early 15th centuries. His death would have left a power vacuum, leading to uncertainty and potentially chaotic situations, both politically and militarily.