kingdom · British Isles

Kingdom of Loigis

450 CE – 1556 CE (approx.) · capital Dunamase

Irish midland kingdom of the O'Mores, centred on the Rock of Dunamase, which fought the English until the plantation of Laois in 1556.

Origins

The Loígis were a people of the Irish midlands in what is now County Laois, which takes its name from them. Tradition claimed they had won their lands as warriors serving the kings of the Kingdom of Leinster, and they formed a subject kingdom of Leinster from the early medieval period. From the 11th century their ruling family was the Uí Mórda, O'More.

Rule and society

The kingdom was a land of bog, woodland and pasture, defended by its terrain. The Rock of Dunamase was a royal stronghold before the Anglo-Normans took it in the late 12th century and built a castle there. From the 14th century the O'Mores regained much of their territory, raiding the English Pale and living by cattle and the tribute of their followers.

Decline and legacy

Under Mary I the English government confiscated Laois and Offaly and in 1556 created Queen's County, planted with English settlers around Maryborough, today Portlaoise. The O'Mores resisted for decades, notably under Rory Óg O'More, but their kingdom was ended.

Connections (2)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kingdom of Loigis. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-loigis
MLA
“Kingdom of Loigis.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-loigis. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Kingdom of Loigis.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-loigis.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kingdom of Loigis’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-loigis (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻