O'Rourke (Ó Ruairc), Ualgharg

by Emmett O'Byrne

O'Rourke (Ó Ruairc), Ualgharg (d. 1346), king of West Breifne, was probably the eldest son of Domnall Carrach O'Rourke (qv) (d. 1311), king of West Breifne. He is first mentioned in the records in 1300–01, when he killed William MacClancy (Mac Flannchadha), lord of Dartry in north Leitrim. His status rose when his father succeeded to the kingship of West Breifne in 1307; even though Domhnall Carrach was the king, it was clear that Ualgharg and his brother Cathal O'Rourke (c.1278–1329) wielded more power than he did among the O'Rourkes. When Domhnall Carrach died the two brothers vied with each other for dominance, a struggle that continued from 1311 to 1316 and was so evenly matched that neither of them could claim the kingship. In March 1316 Feidhlim O'Connor (qv), king of Connacht, defeated and killed his rival Ruaidhrí O'Connor (qv) of the Clann Mhuircheartigh Mhuimhnigh. Ualgharg was firmly allied with Feidhlim, whose foster sister Derbhail (d. 1367), daughter of the powerful Maolruanaidh MacDermott (qv) of Moylurg, he had married. Feidhlim rewarded Ualgharg for his support by appointing him king of West Breifne, and Ualgharg joined Feidhlim's campaign against the English, fighting at the disastrous battle of Athenry on 10 August 1316, at which Feidhlim was killed. In pursuit of his aim to restore the power of the O'Rourke dynasty in north-east Connacht, Ualgharg remained loyal to the family of Feidhlim and the MacDermotts, fighting with MacDermott and Toirdhealbhach O'Connor (qv) (d. 1345), brother of Feidhlim and his successor as king, on a campaign against Cathal O'Connor (qv) (d. 1324) of the Sligo branch of the dynasty in 1318. Before Cathal's residence at Fossakilly in Co. Sligo, they challenged him to battle; Cathal, eager to avoid conflict, offered terms to the allies, but they refused him. In the ensuing battle Ualgharg and his overlords were soundly defeated, and Cathal had himself inaugurated as king of Connacht in opposition to Toirdhealbhach.

Thereafter Ualgharg seems to have concentrated on restoring the power of his dynasty, becoming more preoccupied with the political landscape of southern Ulster than with Connacht. His attention focused on the struggle against his bitter rivals the O'Reilly (Ó Raighilligh) kings of East Breifne. In 1323 Máel Sechlainn O'Reilly (qv) (d. 1328), king of East Breifne, launched a border war against the O'Rourkes in an attempt to curb the powers of Ualgharg and Cathal. Besides facing Máel Sechlainn, Ualgharg had to contend with the threat posed by the MacMahons (Meic Mhathghamhna) of Oriel. In 1323 Cathal killed Ruaidhrí MacMahon at Ballyconnell just to the south of the O'Reilly kingdom; in revenge the following year the O'Reillys handed over two captive O'Rourkes to the MacMahons for execution. The O'Rourkes retaliated by killing Brian and Giolla Críost O'Reilly before the year was out. Ualgharg's intention to be the dominant regional force was underscored by a devastating raid on the Maguire (Máig Uidhir) lands in south Fermanagh and the escalation of the border conflict with the O'Reillys in 1327. In that year the O'Rourkes made a daring sweep into East Breifne, seizing the O'Reilly castle on Lough Oughter and holding it for a brief period till Máel Sechlainn expelled them and forced them to retire to their own territory.

Other groups who feared the power of the O'Rourkes were the O'Farrells (Uí Fhearghail) of Annaly (Co. Longford) and the English of Meath; in 1329 these allies had Cathal O'Rourke killed at the house of Richard Tuite within the monastery of Fore, Co. Westmeath. The following year Ualgharg tried to repay the English of Meath for their connivance in his brother's murder by attacking their town of Finae in Westmeath, but he found the English forewarned and well prepared: they routed his men and forced them back across the Shannon. This defeat may have caused Ualgharg to concentrate for some time on internal affairs within Breifne, as nothing further is heard of him till 1340, when he turned on his sometime allies, the powerful but homeless Clann Mhuircheartaigh Mhuimhnigh O'Connors – perhaps in fear that they threatened his kingdom. He authorised his sons, Domhnall, Giolla Críost, Aodh Bán, and Ruaidhrí, to attack the O'Connors, and at first they were successful, plundering the settlements of the Clann Mhuircheartaigh. But as they returned home the Clann Mhuircheartaigh led by Cathal O'Connor overtook the O'Rourke forces, killing Domhnall and taking Giolla Críost hostage; Ualgharg gave Tadhg, son of Ruaidhrí O'Connor, to them in exchange for the captive Giolla Criost. Three years later Ualgharg had his revenge, when he forced the Clann Mhuircheartaigh from his kingdom and into Donegal.

In the same year the now ageing Ualgharg again took measures to enforce his power outside Breifne, his sons killing Cormac MacLoughlin of the once great family of Tyrone. But the damaging feud with the Clann Mhuircheartaigh Mhuimhnigh continued and in 1346 he was routed at the battle of Calry, near Lough Gill in Co. Sligo, by Ruaidhrí O'Connor and an alliance of the O'Donnells (Uí Dhomhnaill) and MacDonaghs (Mac Donnchadha); Ualgarg managed to survive the slaughter on the field of battle, but before the end of the day he was hunted down and killed by Maolruanaidh MacDonagh. He was succeeded as king of West Breifne by his brother Flaithbheartach O'Rourke (c.1280–1352), but the new king was deposed by Aodh Bán, Ualgharg's son, after a battle in 1349; his life was spared and he was allowed to live out his retirement until his death in 1352.