Mór Ní Thuathail (anglicised as Mor O'Toole; – 1191) was a Queen-consort of

Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...

as the principal first wife of King

Diarmait Mac Murchada Diarmait Mac Murchada (Modern Irish: ''Diarmaid Mac Murchadha''; anglicised as Dermot MacMurrough or Dermot MacMurphy; – c. 1 May 1171), was King of Leinster in Ireland from 1127 to 1171. In 1167, he was deposed by the High King of Ireland ...

. Under

Brehon Law Early Irish law, also called Brehon law (from the old Irish word breithim meaning judge), comprised the statutes which governed everyday life in Early Medieval Ireland. They were partially eclipsed by the Norman invasion of 1169, but underwe ...

, Irish men were allowed more than one wife. King Dermot's second wife was Sadhbh Ní Fhaolain. Mór was the mother of

Aoife of Leinster Aoife MacMurrough (; – ), also known as Eva of Leinster or Red Eva, was an Irish noblewoman. The daughter of King of Leinster Dermot MacMurrough, her marriage to Anglo-Norman nobleman Richard "Strongbow" de Clare on 25 August 1170 is conside ...

, the wife of Richard de Clare, Earl of Pembroke, known to history as Strongbow.

Family

Mór was born in

Castledermot Castledermot () is an inland town in the south-east of Republic of Ireland, Ireland in County Kildare, about from Dublin, and from the town of Carlow. The N9 road (Ireland), N9 road from Dublin to Waterford previously passed through the villa ...

Kildare Kildare () is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. , its population was 10,302, making it the 7th largest town in County Kildare. It is home to Kildare Cathedral, historically the site of an important abbey said to have been founded by Saint ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

in about 1114, the daughter of Muirchertach Ua Tuathail, King of the Uí Muiredaigh, and Cacht Ní Morda. Her paternal grandparents were Gilla Comgaill Ua Toole and Sadbh Ní Domnail and her maternal grandparents were Loigsig Ua Morda, King of

Laois County Laois ( ; ) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from Loígis, a medieval kingdom. Hist ...

and Gormlaith Ní Caellaide. One of Mór’s four half-brothers was St.

Lorcán Ua Tuathail Lorcán Ua Tuathail, known in English as Laurence O'Toole and in French as Laurent d'Eu (1128 – 14 November 1180), was Archbishop of Dublin (Catholic Church), Archbishop of Dublin at the time of the Norman invasion of Ireland. Lorcán playe ...

Archbishop of Dublin The Archbishop of Dublin () is an Episcopal polity, archiepiscopal title which takes its name from Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Since the Reformation in Ireland, Reformation, there have been parallel apostolic successions to the title: ...

, who was canonised in 1225 by

Pope Honorius III Pope Honorius III (c. 1150 – 18 March 1227), born Cencio Savelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 18 July 1216 to his death. A canon at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, he came to hold a number of importa ...

Marriage and issue

Sometime about 1140 in Loch Garman,

County Wexford County Wexford () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was ba ...

, Mór was married to King

as his principal first wife, making her Queen-consort of Leinster. His second wife was Sadhbh Ní Fhaolain. Under

, Irish men were permitted more than one wife. In 1152, he abducted

Derbforgaill Dearbhfhorghaill (older spelling: Derbforgaill) (1108–1193), anglicised as Derval, was a daughter of Murchad Ua Maeleachlainn, king of Meath, and of his wife Mor (died 1137), daughter of Muirchertach Ua Briain. She is famously known as the " He ...

Ní Mhaol Seachlainn, the wife of the King of Breifne, Tighearnán Ua Ruairc (). Together Dermot and Mór had about three children: * Conchobhar Mac Murchada (died 1167) *

Aoife MacMurrough Aoife MacMurrough (; – ), also known as Eva of Leinster or Red Eva, was an Irish noblewoman. The daughter of King of Leinster Dermot MacMurrough, her marriage to Anglo-Norman nobleman Richard "Strongbow" de Clare on 25 August 1170 is consid ...

(1145–1188), married 29 August 1170,

Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke Richard de Clare (c. 1130 – 20 April 1176), the second Earl of Pembroke, also Lord of Leinster and Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, Justiciar of Ireland (sometimes known as Richard FitzGilbert), was an Anglo-Norman nobleman notable for his leadi ...

, known to history as Strongbow, by whom she had two children, including

Isabel de Clare, 4th Countess of Pembroke Isabel is a female name of Iberian origin. Isabelle is a name that is similar, but it is of French origin. It originates as the medieval Spanish form of '' Elisabeth'' (ultimately Hebrew '' Elisheba''). Arising in the 12th century, it became popu ...

, who became the heiress to her father's titles and estates. *

Órlaith Órlaith ( ; also spelled Órfhlaith or Órla) is a feminine Irish given name. The meaning of the name derives from the Irish words "golden" and "prince", though since names formed with "flaith" are almost exclusively feminine, it is usually in ...

of Leinster, married

Domnall Mór Ua Briain Domnall Mór Ua Briain, or Domnall Mór mac Toirrdelbaig Uí Briain, was King of Thomond in History of Ireland, Ireland from 1168 in Ireland, 1168 to 1194 in Ireland, 1194 and a claimant to the title King of Munster. He was also styled History ...

King of Thomond The kings of Thomond () ruled from the establishment of Thomond during the High Middle Ages, until the Early modern period. Thomond represented the legacy of Brian Bóruma and the High Kings of Ireland of his line who could not hold onto all of ...

, by whom she had issue. In 1167, Mór's son Conchobhar was killed by

Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair Ruaidrí mac Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair (Modern Irish: Ruairí Ó Conchúir; anglicised as Rory O'Conor) ( – 2 December 1198) was King of Connacht from 1156 to 1186, and High King of Ireland from 1166 to 1198. He was the last High King of Ire ...

High King of Ireland High King of Ireland ( ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and was later sometimes assigned anachronously or to leg ...

, 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 Mór died in 1191, three years after her eldest daughter, Aoife. Her husband predeceased her on 1 May 1171 in

Ferns The ferns (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta) are a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. They differ from mosses by being vascular, i.e., having specialized tissue ...

, shortly after the

Cambro-Norman Cambro-Normans (; "Wales", ; ) were Normans who settled in southern Wales and the Welsh Marches after the Norman invasion of Wales. Cambro-Norman knights were also the leading force in the Cambro-Norman invasion of Ireland, led by Richard de ...

invasion of Ireland led by their son-in-law, Strongbow.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ni Thuathail, Mor 1110s births 1191 deaths Year of birth uncertain 12th-century Irish people People from County Wicklow Irish royal consorts MacMorrough Kavanagh dynasty 12th-century Irish women People from Castledermot

Family

Marriage and issue

See also

References