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Liam O'Rourke was born 1883 in Dublin, Ireland. As a young man, he joined the Home Rule movement and became a rabid nationalist. In April 1916, he was killed in the Easter Rising and revived as an Immortal. He met his teacher, Hugh O'Neill, and learned about Immortality.
By the Second World War, he met Tara Fitzgerald, whom he recruited and brought into his cadre of Irish nationalists. In 1946, he became acquainted with Duncan MacLeod, and tried to convince him to join their cause, an offer which was refused. Over a drink at the Light Horse Pub, O'Rourke pointed a man out to MacLeod and identified him as Allan Roderick, a British commander in Ireland. Fitzgerald dropped a bag on a stool near Roderick, and left the pub with O'Rourke and MacLeod. Moments later, a bomb exploded, killing everyone inside. MacLeod realized what they had done, and turned them in to the police. O'Rourke and Fitzgerald were arrested and sentenced to life in prison. Tara Fitzgerald spent the rest of her life behind bars, O'Rourke could have escaped, but remained in prison while she lived. He always blamed her death on MacLeod.
In 1998, in Paris, France, he kidnapped Amanda from MacLeod's barge, leaving a coaster from The Light Horse as a calling card. He then kidnapped, Joe Dawson, as well. MacLeod, believing he had no choice, went to meet O'Rourke, who threatened to kill Amanda and Joe. Methos warned him it was a trap and strongly advised him not to go. MacLeod insisted he had to play by O'Rourke's rules in order to keep them safe. Disbelieving, Methos responded, "Rules?! What rules?! You think O'Rourke is taking Amanda and Dawson to play by some set of rules?!"
MacLeod made the meeting, and O'Rourke demanded his head in exchange for his friends lives. Apparently resigned, and determined that no others would die for him, MacLeod agreed, and said goodbye to his friends before submitting to O'Rourke. Viciously gleeful, O'Rourke pulled back his sword arm to strike, when an equally determined Methos fired on the Irishmen, killing at least one of O'Rourke's goons, and allowing MacLeod the time to get his neck out of danger. Enraged, O'Rourke pulled out a sub-machine gun and fatally shot MacLeod, who then saw a vision of the world as it might have been without him.
O'Rourke vs. MacLeod the series final duel
When MacLeod awakened, he and Methos returned to O'Rourke, Methos in a borrowed hat and coat in order to disguise himself to preserve the element of surprise. He then shot O'Rourke's henchmen, and then held the pistol on O'Rourke until MacLeod issued a formal challenge, eliminating outside interference, only lowering the weapon when O'Rourke returned MacLeod's blade to him. O'Rourke and MacLeod's fight ranged all over the Berly Train Depot. It was the final duel of the series, and the finale and Quickening were unusual.
Miscellaneous Information[]
- Martin McDougall, who portrayed O'Rourke, also played an unnamed Irish Terrorist in Season 2, Episode 5, Eye for an Eye, which guest starred Sheena Easton as Annie Devlin.
- Liam was the final immortal Duncan beheads in the series.