Brian O'Rourke
| Sir Brian O'Rourke (Sir Brian na Múrtha Ó Ruairc) | |
|---|---|
| King (Lord) of West Breifne | |
| Reign | 1566-1591 |
| Predecessor | Aodh Buidhe Ó Ruairc |
| Successor | Brian Oge O'Rourke |
| Born | c. 1540 West Bréifne, Ireland (now part of County Leitrim in the Republic of Ireland) |
| Died | 3 November 1591 (aged 50–51) Tyburn, London, Kingdom of England |
| Consort | Annalby O'Crean Mary Burke (sep. before 1585) Elenora Fitzgerald (d. 1589) |
| Issue | Eóghan (d. 1589) Brian Óg (d.1604) Tadhg (d. 1605) Art Eogan Mary |
| House | O'Rourkes of Dromahair |
| Father | Brian Ballagh Ó Ruairc |
| Mother | Grainne Ní Catháin |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Sir Brian O'Rourke (Irish: Sir Brian na Múrtha Ó Ruairc; c. 1540 – 1591) was first king and then lord of West Bréifne in the west of Ireland from 1566 until his execution in 1591. He reigned during the later stages of the Tudor conquest of Ireland and his rule was marked by English encroachments on his lands. Despite being knighted by the English in 1585, he would later be proclaimed a rebel and forced to flee his kingdom in 1590. He travelled to Scotland in early 1591 seeking assistance from King James VI, however, he was to become the first man extradited within Britain on allegations of crimes committed in Ireland and was sentenced to death in London in November 1591.