Tigernan Ua Ruairc (1107-1172), also known as Tiernan O'Rourke, was King of Breifne from 1 July 1125 to 1172, succeeding Aed an Gilla Sronmaol Ua Ruairc and preceding Aed Ua Ruairc.
Biography[]
Tigernan Ua Ruairc was the son of King Aed an Gilla Sronmaol Ua Ruairc of Breifne, and he succeeded his father as King of Breifne in 1125. He allied with Mide and Laigin and raided his neighbors during the 1130s and 1140s, capturing the rebellious Connacht prince Ruaidri Ua Conchobair in 1143. In 1152, his wife was abducted in a raid by Dermot MacMurrough, causing Tigernan Ua Ruairc to ally with Ruaidri Ua Conchobair against MacMurrough and take part in his overthrow as King of Leinster in 1166. In 1167, Tigernan and Ruaidri defeated Dermot's first attempt to reclaim his old lands, but the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169 overwhelmed the native Irish kingdoms. In 1171, Tigernan took part in an unsuccessful siege of Dublin, and he was forced to submit to King Henry II of England that same year. He attempted to kill Hugh de Lacy and Maurice FitzGerald after failed negotiations, only to be killed by a Norman knight defending them.