Mór UÍ TUATHAIL (1114?-1164)

Individual Events and Attributes

Marriage

	Dairmait MacMurchada

Individual Note 1

Mor O'Toole (in Irish Mor Ui Thuathail) (c. 1114–1191) was a Queen-consort of Leinster as the first wife of King Dermot MacMurrough. Under Brehon Law, Irish kings were allowed two wives. King Dermot's second wife was Sadhbh Ni Fhaolain. Queen Mor was the mother of Aoife of Leinster, the wife of Richard de Clare, Earl of Pembroke, known to history as Strongbow.

Mor was born in Castledermot, Kildare, Ireland in about 1114, the daughter of Muirchertach O'Toole (O'Tuathail), King of the Ui Muirdeaigh, and Cacht Inion Loigsig O'Morda. Her paternal grandparents were Gilla Comgaill O'Toole and Sadb Mael Morda O'Domnail, and her maternal grandparents were Loigsig O'Morda, King of Loigsig and Gormlaith Inion Finn O'Caellaide (O'Kelly).

One of Mor's four half-brothers was St. Laurence O'Toole, Archbishop of Dublin who was canonised in 1225 by Pope Honorius III.

Sometime about 1140 in Loch Garman, County Wexford, Mor married as his first wife, King Diarmait Mac Murchada (anglicised as Dermot MacMurrough) of Leinster, making her Queen-consort of Leinster. His second wife was Sadhbh Ni Fhaolain. In 1152, he abducted Derbforgaill Ni Mhaol Seachlainn, the wife of the King of Breifne, Tiernan O'Rourke (Irish: Tighearnán Ua Ruairc).[1]

Together Dermot and Mor had about three children:

Conchobhar MacMurrough (died 1167)

Aoife MacMurrough (1145–1188), married 29 August 1170, Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, known to history as Strongbow, by whom she had two children, including Isabel de Clare, 4th Countess of Pembroke, who became the heiress to her father's titles and estates.

Orlachan of Leinster,[1] married Domnall Mór Ua Briain, King of Thomond, by whom she had issue.

In 1167, Mor's son Conchobhar was killed by Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair, High King of Ireland, after having been taken hostage while Diarmait waged war against Ruaidrí with the aim of overthrowing him in order to take his place as the High King.

Queen Mor died in 1191, three years after her eldest daughter, Aoife. Her husband predeceased her on 1 May 1171 in Ferns, shortly after the Cambro-Norman invasion of Ireland led by their son-in-law, Strongbow.

NOTES:

1 a b Charles Cawley, Medieval Lands, Kings of Leinster

SOURECE:

Charles Cawley, Medieval Lands, Kings of Leinster²

Individual Note 2

She was the sister of St Laurence O'Toole (Lorcán Ua Tuathail). (LORCAN UA TUATHAIL; also spelled Laurence O'Toole)

Confessor, born about 1128, in the present County Kildare; died 14 November, 1180, at Eu in Normandy; canonized in 1225 by Honorius III.

His father was chief of Hy Murray, and his mother one of the Clan O'Byrne. At the age of ten he was taken as a hostage by Dermot McMurrogh, King of Leinster. In 1140 the boy obtained permission to enter the monastic school of Glendalough; in that valley-sanctuary he studied for thirteen years, conspicuous for his piety and learning. So great was his reputation in the eyes of the community that on the death of Abbot Dunlaing, early in 1154, he was unanimously called to preside over the Abbey of St. Kevin. Dermot, King of Leinster, married Mor, sister of St. Lawrence, and, though his character has been painted in dark colours by the native annalists, he was a great friend to the Church. He founded an Austin nunnery, of the reform of Aroaise, in Dublin, with two dependent cells at Kilculliheen (County Kilkenny) and at Aghade (County Carlow), in 1151. He also founded an abbey for Cistercian monks at Baltinglass, and an abbey for Austin canons at Ferns.

St. Lawrence, through humility, declined the See of Glendalough in 1160, but on the death of Gregory, Archbishop of Dublin (8 October, 1161), he was chosen to the vacant see, and was consecrated in Christ Church cathedral by Gilla Isu (Gelasius), Primate of Armagh, early in the following year. This appointment of a native-born Irishman and his consecration by the successor of St. Patrick marks the passing of Scandinavian supremacy in the Irish capital, and the emancipation from canonical obedience to Canterbury which had obtained under the Danish bishops of Dublin. St. Lawrence soon set himself to effect numerous reforms, commencing by converting the secular canons of Christ Church cathedral into Aroasian canons (1163). Three years later he subscribed to the foundation charter of All Hallows priory, Dublin (founded by King Dermot), for the same order of Austin canons. Not content with the strictest observance of rules, he wore a hair shirt underneath his episcopal dress, and practised the greatest austerity, retiring for an annual retreat of forty days to St. Kevin's cave, near Glendalough. At the second siege of Dublin (1170) St. Lawrence was active in ministration, and he showed his political foresight by paying due deference to Henry II of England, during that monarch's stay in Dublin. In April, 1178, he entertained the papal legate, Cardinal Vivian, who presided at the Synod of Dublin. He successfully negotiated the Treaty of Windsor, and secured good terms for Roderic, King of Connacht. He attended the Lateran Council in 1179, and returned as legate for Ireland. The holy prelate was not long in Dublin till he deemed it necessary again to visit King Henry II (impelled by a burning charity in the cause of King Roderic), and he crossed to England in September of that year. After three weeks of detention at Abingdon Abbey, St. Lawrence followed the English King to Normandy. Taken ill at the Augustinian Abbey of Eu, he was tended by Abbot Osbert and the canons of St. Victor; before he breathed his last he had the consolation of learning that King Henry had acceded to his request.³

Sources