Rory O'More

O'More is considered the greatest obstacle to Elizabeth I's conquest of the Irish midlands.

His mother was either his father's first wife, the daughter of Tadhg O'Dunne,

Upon their father's death at the hands of his brother Giolla Pádraig O'More, it seems that Margaret removed Rory and his siblings from Laois. and was succeeded by Rory's uncle Conall Óg O'More. In 1557, Conall was crucified in Leighlinbridge. This shired the new counties of Queen's County (now County Laois) and King's County (now County Offaly), thereby dispossessing the rest of Clan O'More and starting the Plantations of Ireland.

It is possible Rory was raised in England alongside his brother Calvagh. It seems he eventually returned to Laois around 1564.

In July 1573, the Earl of Kildare was granted commission to make war on the O'Mores and his allies, the O'Connor Falys. In November, O'More strengthened his alliance with the O'Byrne clan by marrying Margaret O'Byrne, daughter of Hugh. Among the dead include Rory's cousin Murtagh O'More, Lord of Slemargy. Sidney wrote to the council later the same month: Rory Oge O'More and Cormock M'Cormock O'Conor have burnt the Naas. They ranne thorough the towne lyke hagges and furies of hell, with flakes of fier fastned on poles ends. On 18 March, Francis Cosby was ordered to attack Rory and the Clan O'Connor "with fire and sword". He imprisoned them in chains in his house in the dense Gallen forests. O'More than rushed between a soldier's legs and escaped badly wounded and practically naked into the night. Unionist Peter Kerr-Smiley claimed that despite O'More's ostensible duty to protect Catholicism in Ireland, him and his followers were "nothing more or less than a band of lawless brigands whose chief aim was to attack small towns or villages, burn the Protestant houses, and murder and mutilate the inhabitants".