Lord of Laois

Lord of Laois
Arms of the Lord of Laois Arms of O'More: Vert a lion rampant and in chief three mullets Or
Creation date	1016
Created by	Irish King
Peerage	Ireland
Seat(s)	Dunamase Castle, later Balyna
Motto	'Cu Reu Bhaid ("The hounds to victory")
Frequency Comparisons:[1]

Lord of Laois is a title that belonged to the historical rulers of the Kingdom of Laois in Ireland. It was held by the O'More family[2] and later the More O'Ferralls who ruled the kingdom.^[citation needed] The title is first recorded as existing in 1016, in the Annals of the Four Masters.[3] After the O'Mores were dispossessed of their lands in the 16th century, they left Laois, after 600 years. Despite this, they continued to hold the title.^[citation needed]

History

Lords of Laois (non-inclusive list)

Anglicised name	Irish-language name	Reign	Lifespan	Notes	Citations
Lysaght O'More	Laoiseach Ó Mórdha		died 1342		[4]
Conall O'More	Conall Ó Mórdha	1342-1348	died 1348	Lysaght's son	[4]
Rory O'More	Ruaidhrí Ó Mórdha		died 1354	Slain by his own kinsmen and household	[3]
Maolsheachlainn O'More		c. 1370-1398	died 1398		[5]
Gillapatrick O'More	Giolla Pádraig Ó Mórdha	c.1398-1420	died 1420		[5]
Kedagh O'More	Céadach Ó Mórdha		died 1464	Died of the plague	[3]
Donnell O'More	Domhnall Ó Mórdha		died 1467		[5]
Uaithne O'More	Uaithne Ó Mórdha	1467-c. 1487	died c. 1487		[5]
Conall mac David O'More		began c. 1487	died 1493	Succeeded his uncle Uaithne	[5]
Kedagh O'More	Céadach Ó Mórdha		died 1523	Son of Lisagh O’More	[6]
Connell O'More	Connell Ó Mórdha	1523-1537	died 1537		[4][7]
Peter O'More	Piaras Ó Mórdha	1537-1538		Succeeded his brother; was exiled from Laois by his nephews	[7][8]
Kedagh Roe O'More	Céadach Ruadh Ó Mórdha	1538-1542	died 1542	Killed by Gaelic warlord Domhnall MacMurrough Kavanagh	[9][7][8]
Rory Caoch O'More	Ruaidhrí Caoch Ó Mórdha	1542-1547	c. 1515 - 1547	Killed by brother Giolla Pádraig's forces	[8]
Gilla Patrick O'More	Giolla Pádraig Ó Mórdha	1547-1548	died c. December 1548	Died during imprisonment in London	[8][10]
Conall Oge O'More	Conall Óg Ó Mórdha	1548-1557	died 1557	Crucified in Leighlinbridge	[2]
Rory Oge O'More	Ruairí Óg Ó Mórdha	1557-1578	c. 1544 - 30 June 1578	Succeeded his uncle	[2]
James O'More	Seamus Ó Mórdha	began 1578		Son of Rory Caoch O'More's brother Lysaght	[2]
Owny MacRory O'More	Uaithne mac Ruairí Ó Mórdha	1594-1600	c. 1575 - August 1600		[11]
Owny MacShane O’More	Uaithne mac Séan Ó Mórdha	began 1600			[12]

Coat of arms of Lord of Laois

Coronet A Coronet of a Duke Crest On a ducal coronet Or a dexter hand couped Gules, epaumée Escutcheon Vert a lion rampant and in chief three mullets Or< Motto 'CU REU BHAID ("The hounds to victory")

See also

• Rory O'More (died 1547)
• Rory O'More
• Giolla Pádraig O'More (died 1548)

References

1. "O'Moore".
2. O'Byrne, Emmett (October 2009). "O'More (Ó Mórdha), Rory (Ruaidhrí Óg)". Dictionary of Irish Biography. doi:10.3318/dib.006909.v1.
3. Annals of the Four Masters.
4. O'Byrne, Emmett (October 2009). "O'More (Ó Mórdha), Laoiseach". Dictionary of Irish Biography.
5. O'Byrne, Emmett (October 2009). "O'More (Ó Mórdha), Giolla Pádraig". Dictionary of Irish Biography.
6. Gray, Will (9 June 2016). "The Chiefs of Leix from 1016 to 1600 A.D". Forgotten Victorians. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
7. Ó Raghallaigh, Eoghan (2010). "A poem to Rudhraighe Caoch Ó Mórdha, lord of Laois 1542-7" (PDF). Ossory, Laois and Leinster. 4.
8. O'Byrne, Emmett (October 2009). "O'More (Ó Mórdha), Rory (Ruaidhrí Caoch)". Dictionary of Irish Biography. doi:10.3318/dib.006908.v1.
9. Archbold 1895.
10. O'Byrne, Emmett (October 2009). "O'Connor Faly (Ó Conchobhair Failghe), Brian". The Dictionary of Irish Biography. doi:10.3318/dib.006622.v1.
11. O'Byrne, Emmett (October 2009). "O'More (Ó Mórdha), Uaithne". Dictionary of Irish Biography.
12. Lineage and the terms of his "surrender and regrant" settlement online

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Archbold, William Arthur Jobson (1895). "O'More, Rory (d.1578)". In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 42. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 175–176. Endnotes