Sir Tadhg O'Rourke, last King of West Breifne

Lord of Breifne from 1600 to 1605

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O'Rourke was born in 1576. Shortly after this he was separated from his father and was raised in Galway by his mother and her family, the Burkes of Clanricarde. Under English law, O'Rourke was the legitimate heir to the kingship of West Breifne and, as a son of a wealthy pro-English family, was favoured by the crown government in Dublin from the outset to inherit his father's title.[1] However, his father's chosen successor was his "illegitimate" half-brother Brian Oge O'Rourke, who was nine years his elder and lived with Sir Brian in Leitrim. Teigue's inheritance was thrown into further doubt when Lord President Richard Bingham, who effectively wanted to end the O'Rourke dynasty, occupied West Breifne in 1590 and ousted Sir Brian, who was executed for treason at Tyburn the following year.

On 25 April 1603 Brian Oge fled and Teigue became king, although this was not formally recognised until September 1603 when King James I officially granted Teigue "the country or lordship of Breny Ui Ruairc and Muinter Eoluis".[4]

The defeat of the Irish in the Nine Years' War heralded the end of the Gaelic Political order and the powers of the native kings were severely reduced. Due to extraordinary circumstances, Teigue was to be the last king of West Breifne. He died after falling terminally ill in late 1605