O'Rourke (Ó Ruairc), Ualgarc

O'Rourke (Ó Ruairc), Ualgarc (d. c. 1231), king of West Breifne, was son of Cathal Liath. Many of the problems that beset Ualgarc throughout his long reign (1196–c.1228, apart from one brief interval) originated in the declining fortunes of the kings of West Breifne. Since the arrival of the English in 1169–70, the O'Rourke kingdom had substantially contracted due to westward expansion of the colony. The first mention of Ualgarc as king depicts him struggling to maintain his kingdom. In particular, he faced tremendous opposition from his MacReynolds vassals. During 1196 he crushed their resistance, killing several of them before procuring the assassination of their leader Muiredach. Also that year, he beat off an invasion by the English of Meath. Moreover, he also tried to stem the tide of O'Donnell incursions into north Breifne. In 1200 or 1201 Ualgarc and his ally Conchobar na Glaisfene marched into Donegal to confront their persecutors. Near Belleek the O'Rourkes were completely overthrown by the O'Donnells at the battle of Leckmuldory on the banks of Erne. Ualgarc survived the slaughter but many of the fleeing O'Rourkes, including Conchobhar na Glaisfene, were drowned in the Erne. The defeat appears to have diluted Ualgarc's power even further, leading to the emergence of dynastic rivals. This state of play was confirmed by the obit in 1207 of Domnall O'Rourke, titled ‘lord of the greater part of Breiffny’ (AFM, 1207). Indeed, Domnall's son Art was determined to remove Ualgarc as king of West Breifne, enlisting English help to depose him in 1208/9. Ualgarc fled to Cormac O'Melaghlin (qv), the greatest Irish warlord of the region, and asked him for aid. O'Melaghlin duly obliged and killed Art in 1209/10, restoring Ualgarc to his kingdom. It is clear also that Ualgarc also recognised the overlordship of the de Lacys, rendering to the seneschal of Meath fifty-five and forty cows in rents for 1210 and 1211 respectively. In 1214 Ualgarc's anger at settler incursions resulted in a devastating raid on the English of Carbury in south Sligo, plundering the lands of Philip de Angulo (qv). But it was increasingly clear that the O'Rourkes were being steadily relegated to the level of a second-rate power among the Irish of Connacht. Ualgarc, along with the O'Reillys, submitted in 1219 to Domnall Mór O'Donnell (qv), rendering him hostages. In 1221 Walter de Lacy (qv) further antagonised the O'Rourkes and Cathal Mór Crobderg Ua Conchobair (qv) (O'Connor), granting Ualgarc's kingdom to Philip de Angulo. During the war of the Connacht succession (1224–6), Ualgarc maintained an outward studied neutrality, but it seems his sympathies may have lain with the sons of Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair (qv) (d. 1198) and their supporters, as he sheltered some of them in 1225. Another major threat that confronted Ualgarc was the dramatic rise of Cathal O'Reilly (qv) and his brother Cú Chonnacht O'Reilly (qv). The ageing Ualgarc's inability to combat the O'Reillys further reduced him to political irrelevance among the O'Rourkes. Indeed, in 1228 the various O'Rourke factions battled each other in a series of bloody struggles for supremacy over Breifne, ignoring their king. It may have been about this time that Cathal Riabach O'Rourke (qv) finally deposed the old king, taking the kingship for himself. As his end approached, Ualgarc decided to take the pilgrim's staff and travelled to the Holy Land, dying on his way to the River Jordan. Unsurprisingly, Ualgarc's sons, led by Sitric O'Rourke (c.1210–1257), were passed over. Indeed, Sitric's claims to the kingship were sidelined till 1256–7. He was largely excluded due to the favour of the O'Connor kings of Connacht for Conchobar O'Rourke (qv) (d. 1257). Sitric's luck changed in late 1256, when Conchobar made peace with the English without the permission of the O'Connors, resulting in the outbreak of war with the latter. In 1257 Áed O'Connor (qv) (Ó Conchobair) (d. 1274) turned to Sitric and made him king of Breifne in opposition to Conchobar. Sitric proved to be a lightweight, relying heavily on O'Connor support. His end was quick, as Conchobar's son Domnall O'Rourke (qv) (d. 1260) sought him out and killed him that year. Again the line of Ualgarc was passed over in the race for the kingship, due to their stronger rivals. They did, however, make a brief return. In 1273 Ualgarc's grandson Tigernán O'Rourke (c.1245–74) succeeded the assassinated Conchobar Buide O'Rourke (qv). He reigned less than a year, dying in his bed in 1274.