The King of Tory (
Irish: ''
RÃ
RÃ, or commonly rÃg (genitive), is an ancient Gaelic word meaning 'king'. It is used in historical texts referring to the Irish and Scottish kings, and those of similar rank. While the Modern Irish word is exactly the same, in modern Scottish ...
ThoraÃ'') was a customary title used by inhabitants of the island of
Tory off the coast of
County Donegal, Ireland. The title was last claimed by Dublin-born
Patsy Dan Rodgers
Patsy Dan Rodgers (''Patsaà Dan Mag RuaidhrÃ'') was a painter, musician, and the King of Tory from the 1990s until his death in 2018.
Biography
Rodgers was born in 1944 on Westland Row, Dublin. His family adopted him and took him to Tory wh ...
(Irish: ''Patsaà Dan Mac RuaidhrÃ''), who died of cancer in Dublin in October 2018.
History
The history of the kings dates to at least the 6th century,
and possibly significantly earlier.
It has been suggested that some of the pre-historical kings included
Conand and
Balor
In Irish mythology, Balor or Balar was a leader of the Fomorians, a group of malevolent supernatural beings. He is often described as a giant with a large eye that wreaks destruction when opened. Balor takes part in the Battle of Mag Tuired, a ...
. During the 19th century, the Heggerty/Heraghty/Herrity family supplied the kings;
however, the role of king is no longer hereditary.
The role usually entails being a representative for the island to outsiders. In 1995, it was reported that the then king personally greeted every incoming ferry from the mainland.
According to
Tourism Ireland
Tourism Ireland (Irish: ''Turasóireacht Éireann''; Ulster-Scots: ''Tourism Airlan'' or ''Reengin Airlann'') is the marketing body responsible for marketing the island of Ireland overseas. Tourism Ireland was established as one of "six areas o ...
in 2012, Tory Island was the "only place in Ireland to have a
ustomaryKing".
Patsy Dan Rodgers became King of Tory in 1993,
and held the title and role until his death in October 2018.
Rodgers was an artist and musician and in his role as king welcomed visitors to the island,
entertained them with music and tales of island life.
He was born in Dublin in 1944 and only adopted into Tory when he was four, but the Rodgers family claims a historic connection to the island, and the holder of the title prior to Patsy Dan Rodgers was Padraig Óg Rodgers.
There is little documentation of earlier kings; a 1917 issue of ''
The Literary Digest
''The Literary Digest'' was an influential American general interest weekly magazine published by Funk & Wagnalls. Founded by Isaac Kaufmann Funk in 1890, it eventually merged with two similar weekly magazines, ''Public Opinion'' and '' Current O ...
'' mentioned that "The shores are inhabited by
septs
€¦which preserve a clannish allegiance to one another, but the islands are ruled by kings. There is a King of Tory and a King of
Innismurray". A
dwarf
Dwarf or dwarves may refer to:
Common uses
*Dwarf (folklore), a being from Germanic mythology and folklore
* Dwarf, a person or animal with dwarfism
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
* Dwarf (''Dungeons & Dragons''), a humanoid ...
named Paddy Heggarty was another king prior to the Rodgers. Kings were required to be of the
brehon class and to be literate.
As of 2022, no new king has been elected, but there is a
Wixsite.com webpage that "supports the continuation of the ancient monarchy of Tory".
References
{{Reflist
Irish kings
Tory Island