O'Rourke

O'Rourke Ó Ruairc
Parent house	Uí Briúin Bréifne
Country	Kingdom of Connacht
Founded	ca. 960 AD
Founder	Fergal ua Ruairc
Current head	Geoffrey Philip Columb O'Rorke
Final ruler	Tadhg Ó Ruairc
Motto	Serviendo guberno
Dissolution	1605
Cadet branches	MacLoughlin MacRannell MacNeill MacKiernan
Branches	O’Rourke of Dromahair O’Rourke of Kilnagarn O’Rourke of Leitrim Castle O’Rourke of Inishmagrath O’Rourke of Castlerourke O’Rourke of Carrha O’Rourke of Aughavas O’Rourke of Carrigallen O’Rourke of Cloncorick

O'Rourke (Irish: Ó Ruairc)^[1] is an Irish Gaelic clan based most prominently in what is today County Leitrim. The family were the historic rulers of Breifne and later West Breifne until the 17th century. The O'Rourke Clan Chief was at odds with the O'Reilly Chief because both clans contested each other for the title Prince of Breifne.^[2]

Naming conventions

Notable people

O'Rourke may refer to several people:

• O'Rourke (baseball), baseball player
• Andrew O'Rourke, judge and politician from New York State
• Beto O'Rourke (born 1972), American politician in Texas.
• Brian O'Rourke (1540–1591), hereditary lord of West Breifne in Ireland
• Brian Oge O'Rourke (1568–1604), lord of West Breifne
• Bud O'Rourke (1919–2001), American basketball player
• Colm O'Rourke (born 1957), Irish footballer
• Danny O'Rourke (born 1983), American soccer player
• Declan O'Rourke, Irish singer
• Denis O'Rourke (born 1946), New Zealand politician
• Dennis O'Rourke (1945–2013), Australian documentary film director
• Derval O'Rourke (born 1981), Irish sprint hurdles athlete
• Edward O'Rourke (1876–1943), Polish Roman Catholic priest, bishop of Riga, first bishop of Danzig (Gdańsk)
• Frank O'Rourke (disambiguation), multiple people
• Heather O'Rourke (1975–1988), American child actress
• Jet O'Rourke (born 1983), Australian Pop/ Rock singer songwriter
• Jim O'Rourke (baseball player) (1850–1919), American professional baseball player
• Jim O'Rourke (musician) (born 1969), American musician and producer
• John O'Rourke (footballer, born 1945) (1945–2016), English footballer
• John O'Rourke (baseball) (1849–1911), American baseball player
• Joseph O'Rourke (disambiguation), multiple people
• Kathy Kirby, stage name of Kathleen O'Rourke, pop singer
• Kevin O'Rourke, Irish economist
• Lou Ann O'Rourke, (died 2019), American Bridge player
• Malachy O'Rourke, Irish footballer and manager
• Mary O'Rourke (born 1937), Irish politician
• Míceál O'Rourke, an Irish classical pianist
• Michael O'Rourke (gambler) (1862–1882 alias "Johnny-Behind-the-Deuce"), a professional gambler of the Old West
• Michael James O'Rourke (1878–1957), Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Mike O'Rourke (baseball) (1868–1934), Major League Baseball pitcher
• Mike O'Rourke (athlete) (born 1955), New Zealand javelin thrower
• Paddy O'Rourke (disambiguation)
• P. J. O'Rourke (1947–2022), American political satirist, journalist, and writer
• Patrick Henry O'Rourke (1837–1863), Irish-born Civil War colonel
• Peter O'Rourke (footballer) (1874–1956), Scottish footballer and manager
• Ryan O'Rourke (born 1988), American baseball player
• Sean O'Rourke, Irish journalist and broadcaster
• Steve O'Rourke (1940–2003), manager of rock band Pink Floyd
• Tammy O'Rourke (born 1971), child dancer and actress
• Timothy O'Rourke, American college football head coach
• TS O'Rourke (born 1968), Irish author
• Ualgarg O'Rourke, (died 1346), king of West Breifne
• William O'Rourke, New Zealand cricketer

See also

• O'Rourke (Livonian family)
• Laing O'Rourke, a construction firm in the UK
• Walton and O'Rourke, a famous team of cabaret puppeteers
• O'Rorke
• Rourke

References

External links

• O'Rourke family pedigree at Library Ireland
• The Irish O'Reilly family and their connections to Austria and Russia by Stefan M. Newerkla, with chapter 3.2 on the family O'Rourke in the Russian and Austrian context