West India, of which he was adjutant in 1833–4. When it was decided, in 1843, that the garrisons on the African West Coast should be supplied by the West India regiments in turn, instead of by the 3rd West India (late royal African colonial corps) alone as previously, O'Connor was detached from Barbados to Sierra Leone with two companies of his regiment. In 1848, as major, he was detached from his regiment in Jamaica to British Honduras, where there were disturbances with the Yucatan Indians. In September 1852 he was appointed governor of the Gambia, and was invested with the command of the troops in West Africa, the headquarters of which were removed from Sierra Leone to Cape Coast Castle (Horse Guards Letter, 20 Sept. 1852). He commanded detachments of the three West India regiments, black pensioners, Gambia militia, and seamen and marines against the Mohammedan rebels of Combos, stormed their stronghold of Sabajee on 1 June 1853, and acquired by treaty a considerable tract of territory. The sense of the government respecting the manner in which this service was performed was communicated to O'Connor in a despatch from the Duke of Newcastle. On 16 July 1853 he attacked and repulsed a numerous force of Mohammedans under Omar Hadjee, the ‘Black Prophet,’ on which occasion, out of 240 British, twenty-nine were killed and fifty-three wounded. O'Connor received two shots through the right arm and one in the left shoulder, but remained on the field. He commanded the combined British and French forces against the Mohammedan rebels of Upper and Lower Combos. After four hours' fighting in the pass of Boccow Kooka on 4 Aug. 1855, he stormed the stockade and routed the enemy, with the loss of five hundred men (C.B. and reward for distinguished service). He was brigadier-general commanding the troops in Jamaica during the rebellion of 1865, when several Europeans were murdered at Morant Bay, and was thanked for his prompt and efficient measures for the safety of the public by Governor Eyre, the legislative council and House of Assembly, and by the magistrate and inhabitants of Kingston. He was president of the legislative council and senior member of the privy council of Jamaica in January 1867, and administered the government during the brief absence of Sir John Peter Grant [q. v.]
O'Connor, who married in 1856, died of dropsy and atrophy at 7 Racknitzstrasse, Dresden, Saxony, on 24 March 1873.
[War Office Records; Colonial Office List; Ellis's Hist. 1st West India Regiment.]
O'CONNOR, RODERIC, or in Irish RUAIDHRI (d. 1118), king of Connaught, always mentioned by Irish historians as ‘na Soighe Buidhe,’ of the yellow brach, was son of Aedh O'Connor [q. v.], king of Connaught, but does not appear in the annals as king till 1076, nine years after his father's death, when he made formal submission to Turlough O'Brien (1009–1086) [q. v.], who had invaded Connaught. In 1079 he was driven out of Connaught by O'Brien, but had returned in 1082. In 1087 he established his power by a great victory over the invading Conmaicne at Cunghill in Corran, co. Sligo, a battle long after employed in dates as the starting-point of an era, just as the battle of Antrim was in later times. In 1088 he took the island in the Shannon called Incherky, and afterwards plundered Corcomroe, co. Clare. He had to give hostages in token of submission to Domhnall O'Lochlainn, king of Ireland, and then joined him in burning Limerick and plundering the plain of Munster as far as Emly. They demolished Cenncoradh, the chief fort of the Dal Cais, and carried off Madadhan O'Ceinnedigh, and one hundred and sixty hostages, for whom a large ransom in cows, horses, gold, silver, and meat was afterwards obtained. He again invaded Munster in 1089. In 1090 he had once more to give hostages and declare allegiance to Domhnall O'Lochlainn. In 1092 he was treacherously seized by Flaibheartach O'Flaibheartaigh, his gossip, and his eyes put out, an outrage avenged in 1098 by Madadhan O'Cuanna, who slew Flaibheartach. O'Connor ceased to be king, and retired to the monastery of Clonmacnoise, where he died in 1118. He married Mór, daughter of Turlough O'Brien. His son Turlough O'Connor [q. v.] became king of Connaught. Another son, Niall, surnamed Aithclerech, was killed in 1093. His daughter had some skill in metal-work.
[Annala Rioghachta Eireann, vol. ii. ed. O'Donovan; Annals of Ulster, vol. ii. ed. McCarthy.]
O'CONNOR, RODERIC (1116–1198), king of Ireland, called in Irish Ruaidhri UA Conchobhair, was son of Turlough O'Connor [q. v.] At the age of twenty-seven his father seems to have suspected him in some way, and made him a prisoner, in spite of pledges to the contrary. The bishops and clergy of Connaught, in accordance with the brehon law, fasted against the king at Rathbrennain, but failed to obtain his son's release. On the death of Turlough in 1156 Roderic assumed the kingship of Connaught, and the Sil Muireadhaigh, his tribe, gave him the
