Heir of his uncle. Edmond, 6th Butler. This feudal Lord received the honour of Knighthood in London 1309. In 1312 he was apptd. Lord Deputy of Ireland; in 1314, Chief Gov., under the title of Lord Justice; and created Earl of Carrik, 1 Sept. l315 m. 1302, L ady Joan FitzGerald, dau. of 1st Earl of Kildare, and d. 13 Sept. 1321.

Edmund Butler changed the surname from FitzWalter. He was for a while acting Lord Justice. In Ware's Annals, for the year 1311 it is recorded: "And the Lord Edmond Butler made 30 Knights." Two years later Edward Bruce, brother of the KIng of Scots, invaded Ulster with a great army in May. He burnt Dundalk, defeated the Earl of Ulster, and took the Castle of Norburgh. After this Bruce proceeded to Finnagh and the Skerries in Leinster, where he encountered Edmund Butler, Lord Justice of Ireland, Richard the Red Earl of Ulster --"and every one of them had a great army to war against Bruce. And upon a sudden there arose a great dissension among them; and so they left the field, and this dissension happened on the 26th day of January."
Bruce returned to Ireland before Easter with the Earl of Murray and an army; they proceeded to Castleknock, where they took the Baron Hugh Tyrell prisoner. After a short rest Bruce went to Limerick and stayed there until after Easter. Roger Mortimer, the King's Lieutenant, landed in Waterford with a great army in 1316 and Bruce retired into Ulster. Also there was a great slaughter made by Edmund Butler near Castledermot upon the Irish, and another slaughter by the same Edmund upon Omorthe and Balitcham.
In 1317 King Robert Bruce came to assist his brother Edward with an army of 20,000 men. They marched to Castleknock. Bruce marched to Limerick and from thence to Castleconnell, Cashel, and Nenagh, laying waste with fire and sword the English settlements through which he passed. Bruce laid waste the lands of Edmund Butler in the counties of Kilkenny and Tipperary, but not the Castle of Nenagh. Thomas FitzGerald of Kildare, Richard de Clare, Arnold Power, the Lord of Dunoyle in Waterford and others took the field against Bruce, but they were afraid to attack him. Robert Bruce returned to Scotland, leaving his brother Edward to carry on the war. During this year so great a famine prevailed that cannibalism was reported. In 1318 a good harvest enabled the armies to take the field again--Edward Bruce had about 3,000 men. The English were led by John Birmingham. The last battle took place at Faughard on 14 OCt 1318. John Maupas, an English knight, slew Bruce. Birmingham sent the head of Bruce to King Edward II who rewarded him by making him Earl of Louth. In this war Edmund, Earl of Carrick, and his knights played a prominent part; it was for that reason Bruce devastated the lands of Butler. The hardships of warfare told on the constitution of the Earl; but in 1320 he took a pilgrimage to Compostella.42

This Edmund had been summoned to attend Edward I into Scotland in 1303; he advanced with his men to Dublin, but was advised not to embark owing to the troubled state of Ireland. The king was, at first, displeased, but when matters were explained Edmund was restored to favour. The manor of Roscrea was bestowed by the king on Edmund Butler, who afterwards received the title of Earl of Carrick from Edward II. In 1307 the Irish of Offaly demolished the Castle of Geashell and invested the Castle of Ley, but they were routed and the siege was raised by Edmund le Boteiller and his father-in-law, John FitzGerald. In the year 1308 Edmund went to England and returned in 1309 having been knighted by Edward II at London. In 1312 being Lord Justice, he repressed the excursions of the Bynres and O'Tooles, and warmly attacked them in their fortresses in Glenmalure, so that they were forced to submit; he also routed the O'Moores who ravaged the county of Leix.42

He purchased the Barony of Iverk, in Ossory from Roger, son of Milo Poer. After his return from Compostella he died in London and was buried at Gowran on St Martin's Eve.42