Connell m'Melaghlin O'More (abt. 1490 - 1537)

Born about 1490 in County Laois, Ireland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1537 at about age 47 in County Laois, Ireland

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Biography

Connell m'Melaghlin O'More had 6 sons with his wife Gormflaith O'Carroll.^[1] He was succeeded by his brother Pierce, a supporter of Piers Ruadh Butler, 8th Earl of Ormond.^[2][3]

Connell succeeded Kedagh m'Lisagh as Chieftain of the O'Mores of Leix in 1523 and, dying in 1537, was suceeded by his brother Pierce. This was contested by his 3 sons Kedagh, Rory and Patrick, with the support of Lord Deputy Grey.^[4] Pierce died shortly after, and was succeeded in turn by Connell's 4 sons Kedagh Reagh O'More (1538-42), Rory Caech O'More (1542-46), Patrick (Gilpatrick) O'More (1546-48)^[5] and Connell Oge O'More (1548-57).

From the Annals of the Four Masters:

• 1520: Maurice [of Lackagh], the son of Thomas, son of the Earl [7th Earl of Kildare], the choice of the English family of the Geraldines, was slain by Con, the son of Melaghlin O'More, as were also many others along with him.^[6][7]

• 1523: A very great army was led by Garrett, [9th] Earl of Kildare, the English of Meath, and O'Neill (Con, the son of Con, son of Henry, son of Owen), against O'Conor Faly, Connell O'More, and the Irish of Leinster in general. All these Irish abided by the decision and arbitration of O'Neill between them and the Earl, and O'Neill, after having made peace between them, delivered the pledges and hostages of the Irish into the keeping of the Earl, in security for the performance of every demand he made of them; and so they separated from each other in peace.^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ Gormflaith was likely the daughter of Mulrony "The Great", King of Ely, who was Connell's trusted ally on the battlefield.
2. ↑ Dictionary of Irish Biography profile for Conall O'More, Lord of Leix, d.1537:
   • https://www.dib.ie/biography/omore-o-mordha-conall-a6906
3. ↑ "O'More (Ó Mórdha), Rory (Ruaidhrí Caoch) (c.1515–1547), lord of Laois, was 3rd son of Conall O'More, Lord of Laois, and his wife Gormflaith O'Carroll."
   • Dictionary of Irish Biography entry for Rory Caoch O'More
4. ↑ Leonard Grey, Lord Deputy of Ireland, was executed for treason in 1541 at Tower Hill, London.
5. ↑ Gilpatrick O'More was the husband of Elizabeth O'Connor, daughter of Brian O'Connor Faly, Lord of Offaly. After Gilpatrick's death (1548), his widow Elizabeth was married to Barnaby FitzPatrick, 1st Baron Upper Ossory, until his death in 1575.
6. ↑ M1520.12 CELY
7. ↑ "Thomas, son of the Earl" refers to Sir Thomas Fitzgerald of Lackagh, son of Thomas FitzMaurice Fitzgerald, 7th Earl of Kildare. Maurice refers to Sir Maurice Fitzgerald of Lackagh, slain at Cross-Morris by the O'Mores in 1520 (Annals of the Four Masters). Maurice's wife was Anne Eustace, daughter of Sir Robert FitzEustace.
   • Fitzgerald, Walter. "The Fitzgeralds of Lackagh", Journal of the County Kildare Archaeological Society, Vol. 1, 1895, with detailed family pedigree on p.313.
     • https://archive.org/stream/journalofcountyk01coun#page/n313/mode/2up
8. ↑ M1523.18 CELT

See Also:

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

• A detailed profile of Connell appears in the Dictionary of Irish Biography, author Emmett O'Byrne:
  • https://www.dib.ie/biography/omore-o-mordha-conall-a6906

• The known Chiefs of Leix, in order from 1016-1600, showing the 4 sons of Connell 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

• Lord Walter Fitzgerald "Historical Notes on the O'Mores and their Territory of Leix" Kildare Archaeological Society Journal 1909 v 6 p 1-89

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