Joseph Cornelius O'Rourke
Russian nobleman of Irish ancestry
Years: 1772 - 1849
Count Joseph Cornelius O'Rourke (or Ioseph Kornilovich O'Rourke) (1772-1849) is a Russian nobleman of Irish ancestry.
He is a military leader who fighst in the Napoleonic Wars and achieves the rank of Lieutenant General; he is noted in present-day Serbia, where he leads a combined Russian and Serb army to defeat the Turks at Varvarin in 1810.
O'Rourke is awarded the orders of Saint George, Alexander Nevsky, and Saint Anne for his military victories.
His portrait is included in the Military Gallery of the Winter Palace, now part of the Hermitage Museum.
A monument commemorating O'Rourke and his men will be erected in Varvarin in 1910 on the centennial celebration of their victory against the Turks.
