Monday, August 4

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We spent an amazing day in the former kingdom of the O'Rourke clan (Ryan's ancestors). Everywhere we went there were sites named after the O'Rourkes! We started in Dromahair (The Ridge of the Two Demons) where we could only see the ruins of the first O'Rourke castle through a gate (which Ryan tried unsuccessfully to break down). We did manage to climb around in the ruins of O'Rourke's Hall, an attached building, which was built by later inhabitants.

From Dromahair we headed out to the other O'Rourke castle site which is now called Parke's Castle. Tiernan O'Rourke, King of Breifne, built this castle in the 1100's. In the 1600s, when Tiernan's descendant, Brian O'Rourke was hanged for treason against Britain, Queen Elizabeth gave the castle to an Englishman named Robert Parke. Brian was the last hold out among the Irish kings to be subdued by the occupying British. Parke changed much of the castle, but the original outer walls and towers remain. Ryan was thrilled to explore this amazing site!

From the castle grounds, we took a cruise around Lough Gill to see the Isle of Innisfree and other sites made famous by the poet W.B. Yeats. Our poetry-quoting captain was charming, and even let Kelly join in the recitations! Next we climbed a flat-topped mountain called O'Rourke's Table and got an awesome view of "our" kingdom. We grabbed a quick "pub grub" dinner in the quaint town of ManorHamilton. This town was called "O'Rourke's Little Field" until it was given to Sir Frederick Hamilton. The O'Rourkes get ripped off again! Ryan is developing a chronic "chip on the shoulder."

We finished our day by taking in lovely Glencar waterfall (also found in Yeats' poetry) as well as the Fenagh Abbey ruins and cemetery on the way back to our cottage. Whew! We are exhausted again, but loving every bit of our time here in Ireland.

Love you all!!!!

-- Ryan & Kelly

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Photos

Back At Home
Ryan touching the stones his ancestors laid nearly 1,000 years ago at their castle in Dromahair

O'Rourke's Seat
This is a very cool monument in Dromahair erected only a few years ago in honor of the O'Rourke clan

Inside O'Rourke's Castle
The castle in Dromahair from which King Tiernan O'Rourke's wife, Devorgilla, fled with the King of Leinster, thus setting into motion the epic feud that would sweep across all of Ireland and ultimately lead to the Anglo-Norman invasion

O'Rourke's Castle
A view from the main road leading through the town of Dromahair

LET ME IN!!!
Ryan demands entry into the family castle. It didn't work.

Parke's Castle
The 17th century manor home built by Robert Parke within the castle walls of the O'Rourke stronghold on the shores of Lough Gill

Stepping Back In Time
Ryan walks upon the foundations of the original tower house in the Lough Gill castle. The tower house would have likely been about five stories tall.

A Chip On The Shoulder
Ryan sits fuming as he contemplates his next course of action in demanding the castle and the entire Kingdom of Breifne be returned to their rightful owners.

The Sweat House
This is a very cramped "cubby hole" in a wall that the O'Rourke's servants would place hot rocks in, pour water over them to create steam, then climb in three and four at a time to ease their aching muscles. It is even smaller than it looks!!

Innisfree
A view of Innisfree from inside the castle. It is very tiny, unimpressive, and uninhabitable. Sorry to burst your bubble if you are a fan of Yeats or the movie The Quiet Man.

This Way To O'Rourke's Table
This sign points out the direction of O'Rourke's Table.

Behold...The Kingdom
This is the very same view the O'Rourke Chieftans would have seen as they looked over their kingdom of Breifne from atop the mountain known today as O'Rourke's Table.

Roarks On O'Rourke's Table
Notice Lough Gill gleaming below. The castle is right behind my (Ryan's) big head.

O'Rourke's Chair
This small mountain that Ryan is trying to sit on is known as O'Rourke's Chair. One author exclaimed many years ago that given the distance between O'Rourke's Chair and O'Rourke's Table, this O'Rourke must have needed on very large fork!

Kelly At Glencar Waterfall
One of many spots in County Leitrim made famous by the poems of W.B. Yeats

Fernagh Abbey
Just outside the beautiful, bustling little town of Fernagh sits this abbey. It has roots from the 6th century!

Comments

[Jill]

Love the pictures
Hey Ry and Kel - The pics and comments are great; I was just cracking up reading all about your adventures in "our kingdom" and I, like you, feel it should be returned to us. Every day we can't wait to see what you two were up to the previous day. Love and miss you Mom

[alayna O'Rourke]

irland
i know alot about irland from my granpa tom.he said that the O'Rourke family castle got reacked many years ago.well just wondering hw long have u stayed their.isnt the view of the innisfree just BEAUTYFUL

[The Baron]

Hello, Alayna!
Thanks for stopping by our travel blog. There are actually several sites on which different castles of our ancestors sit. They are in various states of ruin or preservation. The one most people think of is the one to which you refer. It sits on Lough Gill and has that view of Innisfree you were talking about. It's been restored to the state that Mr. Parkes had it in when he lived there (after the English had evicted our family from the land). The real tragedy is that only a few miles away right in the middle of the little town of Dromahaire, another O'Rourke castle sits unpreserved and unprotected. It's in our photos. It's on private property, so we couldn't see very much of it.

[bethany]

omg
hi there im Bethany. my great granda was of the O'Rourke clan but he moved to england many year's ago i was very intrigued when i saw this page. my granda moved to england leaving behind family. we now have a coat of arms with which is on display at my grandparents home

[morgan]

o'rourke
hey my name is morgan and i am also from the o'rouke line. i am going to ireland in a few weeks and was wondering if you guys had any luck with any research while you were over there. if you have any tips or copies of documents i could take with me that would be great! thanks so much and let's keep in touch! [e-mail]

[Faye O!Rourke]

Visit.
We visited some of the same areas that you visited, and loved our time in Ireland. Gerald!s family came out to New Zealand in three different lots. One daughter came first, and them 2 more and the rest of the family followed.

[Steven O'Rourke]

Great O'Rourke Trip
Thanks for posting these. I'm using your wonderful entries to illustrate the use of this website - I'm sending the idea to my other "O'Rourkes": Larry, Dorothy, Thomas, Paul, Susan, Dan, David Brian, Jesse, Moira, Ryan, Sarah, Andrew, Katherine, Shea, Colleen, Brendan and Colby! BUAGH! We are scattered all over the U.S., from Vermont to California. Many of us have been to Brefnie and it's fun to see your experiences.

[peter o rourke]

brill
hi there i was going to visit to check out the o rourke clan did you travel by car and what way did you travel i am coming from glasgow thanks peter

[Linda Roark]

Roark History
Enjoyed your website so much!!! I cut my teeth on Irish history of the O'Roarkes and I appreciate so much seeing those places....I could almost recite "The Valley lay smiling before me, where lately I left her behind...." and have you ever heard, "O'Roarke's noble fare will ne'er be forgot, by those who were there, and those who were not....It is the ballad of a great 3 day feast, I remember someone's pocket was picked and the priest came to try to put a stop to the party and they threw him over the fire.....lots of drinking and all that sort of Irish stuff...very funny poem...I have a book written by M.L. Roark on the history going back the the 1300s and the very first Ru arc. He also tells the story of what happened to Brian O'Roark....seems he drug a picture of Elizabeth I through the streets by his horse's tail....and that was the beginning of his troubles that led to his trial and execution...sad story...Anyway, I am descended from William Roark, one of the 4 brothers who came from Ireland together in the 1700s and fought in the American Revolution. Are you related to them? I hope to hear back from you, and thank you again for your wonderful website.

[john o rourke]

brian o rourke
Brian O' Rourke was a rebel who disliked the english with good reason at the time he loved poetry and music but above all he loved his native land Ireland . The English failed to tame him and they came up with the idea they would make him a knight which thay did in Atlone Castle but this failed to keep Sir Brian O'Rourke quiet he continued to attack the English any chance he got .The ultimate insult was to give shelter to 1000 sailors and soldiers of damaged ships during the Spanish armada war with England this incensed Queen Elizabeth 1 the baron queen with the smelly breath Sir Brian further angered the Queen by making an efigy of her and tying it to his horses tail draged it through the bogs of leitrim then known as Breffini The Queen was so insensed by this gesture she ordered the Earl of Essex Sir Charles Bingham to capture O'Rourke dead or alive He fled to Scotland with the help of his cousins the Clancys and Mc Sweeney's .King James 4th pretended to help him but sold him to the English behind his back Remember he spoke no other landguage except his native tongue gaelic I have documentation stating he was tried in Westminster hall london in May 1592 and found guilty of 8 counts of treason against the Queen .He was imprisoned in the Tower of London from May till November 3rd 1592 a very wet rainy Wednesday where he was taken to Tyburn Gallows at Marble Arch to be hung drawn and quartered He was offered the last rites by the Bishop of Cashel who was once a Catholic but turned Protestant Sir Brian refused saying he would rather take last rites from the devil himself He then asked his executioner to turn him to the west so he could gaze on his homeland once more Every single person bearing the name O'Rourke are all decended from one of the three lines of O'Rourke nobility bearing in mind the O'Rourke's produced 9 regional kings and 4 provincial kings so you are all princes and princesses of the O'rourke clan Should anyone require proof place you comment on the notice board and I answer you as best I can

[Charles O'Rourke]

Thanks for the wonderful tour of the O'Rourkes. Great job, Well done. Like to see more.

[Kelly O'Rourke Gentile]

Our Castle: And why wont they let us in!!!
I was looking at your pictures online, reading that these were your husband's ancesters, as these are my ancesters as well. Wondering where you are from, family name, etc. We will be traveling (back home) lol, this april for a visit to our castles in Ireland. Hope to hear from you.

[frances]

just found this site
been looking for information for a long time. my dad was also an o'rourke

[Pam Roark Beard]

Amazing!!!
I am so glad I found this! I have been researching my ancestors and found out they came from Dromahair. I think we may be from the same line. This is the same castle etc... from my ancestors. I was so excited to find your pictures and information. Up till now we have only had the one photo of the Parkes Castle. aka O'Rourke Castle. :) Thanks so much for posting these.

[Laurie O'Rourke]

orourkes
I am also a direct descendant of king tiernan Orourke .. my great uncles are from county cork they came into canada and then to lower part of michigan and ..very fasinating thanks Ryan for the tour