Ruaidhrí (O'More) Ua Mórdha (abt. 1510 - 1546)

Born about 1510 in County Laois, Ireland

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret (Butler) O'More — married about 1537 in Ireland

Descendants

Died 1546 at about age 36 in County Laois, Ireland

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Biography

Ruaidhrí Caoch (O'More) Ua Mórdha is Notable.

"O'More (Ó Mórdha), Rory (Ruaidhrí Caoch) (c.1515–1547), lord of Laois, was third son of Conall O'More, lord of Laois, and his wife Gormflaith O'Carroll."^[1]

Rory Caech O'More succeeded his brother Kedagh roo O'More as Chieftain of the O'Mores of Laois (Leix) in 1542. On the death of his father Connell in 1535, a dispute broke out between his three sons — Lysaght, Kedagh, and Ruairí — and their uncle Peter, who was the Tanist, in line to head the family. Peter was for the time a friend of the Butlers. Consequently the Lord Deputy of Ireland, Lord Leonard Grey, supported the sons; and, although Peter was acknowledged chief, Grey got hold of him by a ruse, and led him about in chains for some time. Lysaght was killed; Kedagh secured the chieftainship, but died early in 1542, and Ruairí, the third brother, succeeded. He was in turn killed by his brother Gillapatrick in 1546. Gillaptrick, after rising in rebellion and being defeated by the English died in London in 1548 and was succeeded by his brother Connell Oge O'More, who in turn was killed by the English in 1557.^[2]

Submission to the Crown in 1542

In 1538, Rory Caech had been imprisoned by Lord Deputy Grey for being an ally of the Butlers of Ormond.^[3]

In May 1542, Rory Caech O'More, Chief of Leix, agreed to a 10-point "submission" to King Henry VIII, including such conditions as "reject the Roman Pontiff's usurped primacy" and "rise up with the Lord Deputy in every great journey".^[4]

In 1542, Sir Thomas Eustace, 1st Viscount Baltinglass (1480-1549), "was chosen to take custody of the hostage Rory O'More to ensure his good behaviour when appointed Chief of Leix". ^[5]

Rory Caech O'More was "loyal to the English government, and so was slain ... by his brother Gillapatrick and a force of the O'Connors of Offaly."^[6]

Family Notes

Rory's father was Connell Ó Mórdha Pierce/Peter an Tainiste (died 1537). His grandfather was Melaghlin mac Owny mac Gilla Padraigh Ó Mórdha (died 1502).^[7]

Rory married Margaret Butler, granddaughter of Piers, 8th Earl of Ormonde and had 3 known sons: Kedagh,^[8] Rory Oge, and Calvagh/Callough.

His second son Rory Oge O'More became chieftain in 1558, providing stiff resistance to the English up to his death in 1578.

His other son Callough sided with the English and received a land grant of Ballyna in Co Kildare in 1574.^[9] He was the 11th great-grandfather of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge.

Verbatim from "Account of the O'Dempseys":^[10]

• [Rory's great-grandfather] Oweny had another son Malachy, who died in 1486. Near the old Abbey of Leix (Abbeyleix), founded by Cucogher O'More in 1183, a large box tombstone has the following inscription in Gothic lettering around the margin, translated from the Latin: Malachy O'More, Prince of Leix. May he rest in peace. Amen, 1486. Malachy, by his wife, daughter of Con O'Neill of Tyrone,^[11] was father of ... Conal, who had a son, Lysagh, whose son Murtagh was slain at Mullaghmast. Rory Caoch, another son, married Margaret Butler, grand-daughter of the eighth Earl of Ormond (who remarried with Sir Maurice FitzGerald of Lackagh), and had a son and heir, Callough, or Charles, ancestor of the O'Mores of Balyna, who had grants of land in that neighbourhood "in consideration of the good services rendered to Edward VI." Rory Oge, brother of Charles, was father (by his wife, sister of Fiach McHugh O'Byrne) of Oweny McRory, the last Chief of Leix. A portrait of this chief's father (Rory Oge) is given in O'Grady's edition of the Pacata Hibernia. In 1607 the clan was transported to Tarbert, in Kerry.

Sources

1. ↑ Dictionary of Irish Biography entry for Rory Caoch O'More
2. ↑ Lord Walter Fitzgerald "Historical Notes on the O'Mores and their Territory of Leix" Kildare Archaeological Society Journal 1909 v 6 p 1-89
3. ↑ From pp.152-3 of The Ormond Lordship in County Kilkenny, 1515-1642, a Ph.D thesis (1998) by David Edwards for the University of Dublin's History Department:
   • http://www.tara.tcd.ie/handle/2262/77139
4. ↑ Lord Walter Fitzgerald, "Historical Notes on the O'Mores and their Territory of Leix":
   • Journal of the County Kildare Archaeological Society, Vol. 6 (1909), p.79:
     • https://archive.org/details/journalofcountyk06coun/page/78/mode/2up
5. ↑ From a biography of Sir Thomas Eustace on the Eustace Families Assocation website:
   • Sir Thomas was High Sheriff of County Wicklow in 1523 and was knighted sometime between 1528 and 1533. For further actions against Irish rebels, he was advanced to Viscount Baltinglass in 1541. As one of the Lords of Parliament, his name appears that year in the historic Bill proclaiming Henry VIII King of Ireland.
   • In 1542, one of his sons, Robert Eustace of Tullaghgorey (see Athy), or perhaps his brother Richard Eustace, was married to Dorothy O'More, a possible sister or cousin to Rory.
     • http://www.roneustice.com/Family%20History/IrishFamiliessub/KildaresubCastlemartinHarristown.html
6. ↑ Lord Walter Fitzgerald, "Historical Notes on the O'Mores and their Territory of Leix":
   • Journal of the County Kildare Archaeological Society, Vol. 6 (1909), p.26:
     • https://archive.org/details/journalofcountyk06coun/page/26/mode/2up
7. ↑ Wikipedia entry on Rory Oge O'More
8. ↑ Upon his death in 1575, stepfather Sir Maurice Fitzgerald recognised 2 of Margaret's living sons ("Kedaghe and Calughe/Calvagh O'More") from her previous marriage, and in his will he bequeathed to them "all my appareile".
9. ↑ Kildare Archaelogical Society Journal, Vol. 6, p.36:
   • https://archive.org/details/journalofcountyk06coun/page/36/mode/2up/search/lackagh
10. ↑ Thomas Mathews, "Account of the O'Dempseys, Chiefs of Clan Maliere" (1903), pp.59-60:
    • https://archive.org/details/accountodempsey00mathgoog/page/n68/mode/2up
    • https://books.google.com.ua/books?id=F4gTAwAAQBAJ&dq
11. ↑ Possibly referring to this Conn O'Neill -- who was married to Eleanor FitzGerald, daughter of Thomas, 7th Earl of Kildare -- although a birth year pre-1450 would be more realistic.

• Wikitree page summarising the Kings of Leix from 1000s to 1600s.

• The known Chiefs of Leix, in order from 1016-1600, showing Rory and his 3 brothers, in order. From the Journal of the County Kildare Archaeological Society, Vol.6 (1909-1911), p.76:
  • https://archive.org/details/journalofcountyk06coun/page/76/mode/2up

• Rory Caoch O'More in the Dictionary of Irish Biography:
  • https://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a6908

• Wikipedia entry on Rory Oge O'More

• Pedigree of the O'Moores Lords of Leix in John O'Harts's Irish Pedigrees 1915 vol 1 p 323-5

• Source: Rowe, John G., Rory Oge O'More: The First of the Rapparees. The Irish Monthly Vol. 44, No. 520 (Oct., 1916), pp. 613-626 Published by: Irish Jesuit Province Stable URL: Link, Page Count: 14

• Source: A History of the Clanna-Rory, Or Rudricians: Descendants of Roderick the Great, By Richard Francis Cronnelly

Thank you to Michelle Brooks for creating O'More-3 on 25 Oct 13.