Biographies A-Z

Cane, (Lucy) Mary (c.1866–1926), public servant, was born probably at Cahirmoyle, Co. Limerick, third child of Edward William O'Brien of Cahirmoyle and Mary Spring O'Brien, sister of the 2nd Baron Monteagle. William Smith O'…

Cane, Robert (1807–58), nationalist, physician, and historian, was born in Kilkenny city; his mother's name was Scott, from a well known Kilkenny family. In the 1820s he worked as a pharmaceutical assistant in Kilkenny, and graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons, London (…

Canning, Albert Stratford George (1832–1916), author and landowner, was born 24 August 1832, second son of George Canning (qv), 1st Baron Garvagh, and Rosabelle Canning (née Bonham); his father had estates at Garvagh, Co. Londonderry.…

Canning, George (1730?–71), writer, was eldest of three sons of Stratford Canning, who had an estate at Garvagh, Co. Londonderry, and his wife Letitia Newburgh. It is said that his father was ferociously strict; he disapproved of a youthful love affair in which George was involved…

Canning, George (1778–1840), politician, 1st Baron Garvagh , was born 15 November 1778, only surviving son of Paul Canning of Garvagh, Co. Londonderry, and Jane Canning, daughter of Conway Spencer of Trumery, Co. Antrim; among his uncles were Sir…

Canning, Hubert George de Burgh (1832–1916), 2nd marquess of Clanricarde , landowner and miser, was born on 30 November 1832, the younger son of Harriet, daughter of George Canning the prime minister, and presumably of her husband, Ulick John de Burgh, 1st marquess of Clanricarde.…

Canny, Patrick ('Paddy') (1919–2008), traditional musician, was born 9 September 1919 in Glendree, Tulla, Co. Clare, youngest of three sons of Patrick ('Pat') Canny, a small farmer, and Catherine ('Kate') Canny (née McNamara), from nearby Feakle. He was reared in a household steeped…

Cano (d. 688), son of Gartnait and a contender for the kingship of Dál Riata in Scotland, was among the leading figures of the royal line of Cenél nGartnait. He is probably to be identified as a son of Gartnait son of Accidán, whose followers opposed the Dál Riata ruling lineage of…

Cantillon, Richard (1687?–1734?), financier and economist, was born between 1680 and 1690 (most likely in 1687) at Ballyronan, in the parish of Ballyheigue, Co. Kerry, second son of Richard Cantillon, a farmer whose ancestors had been dispossessed under Cromwell, and his wife Brigid,…

Cantwell, James (1818–75), nationalist, was born in Co. Tipperary and had at least three brothers and two sisters; nothing else is known of his family background. By the early 1840s he was employed as a mercantile assistant in the firm of Kinahan, Sons, & Smyth at Carlisle…

Cantwell, James (1844–1905), catholic priest, was born at Loughcappel, Killusty, Co. Tipperary, probably in February 1844, son of John Cantwell, who farmed 155 acres there, and his wife, Alley (née Walsh). An indication of his family's wealth is the statement that his mother gave…

Cantwell, John (1792–1866), catholic bishop of Meath, was born 25 December 1792 at Rahan, King's Co. One of the family of at least six children of Edward Cantwell and his wife Catherine, he was briefly a student at the diocesan seminary, St Finian's, at Navan, Co. Meath (from February…

Cantwell, John (1424–82), archbishop of Cashel, was, like his kinsman and predecessor, John Cantwell (qv) (c.1405–52), an illegitimate member of the important Cantwell family of Tipperary. He was a scholar at Eagle Hall, Oxford,…

Cantwell, John (a.1405–52), archbishop of Cashel, was (although illegitimate) a member of the important Cantwell family of Tipperary. He was sent to Oxford and studied at Eagle and Ape Halls, earning degrees in both canon and civil law by 1429. In March 1427…

Cantwell, Noel (Eucharia) (1932–2005), footballer and cricketer, was born 28 December 1932 at 2 Illen Villas, Mardyke Walk, Cork, one of five sons and a daughter of Michael Cantwell, a master tailor, and his wife Hannah (née Daly) (d. 1941). He was educated at St Joseph's national…

Canty, Joseph (‘Kidder’) (1894–1971), jockey, was born 20 June 1894 in Kilfrush, Knocklong, Co. Limerick, youngest of eleven children of John Canty, farmer, and Mary Canty (née MacNamara). In 1911 he became an apprentice jockey to …

Canty, Michael (1857–1914), socialist and trade unionist, was born in Cork. With Adolphus Shields, he was appointed (1890) Dublin organiser of the National Union of Gasworkers and General Labourers (NUGGL), a British-based trade union formed by Will Thorne and Eleanor Marx of the…

Capel, Arthur (1632–83), earl of Essex and lord lieutenant of Ireland, was baptised 28 January 1632, the eldest son and heir among three sons and four daughters of Arthur Capel, 1st Baron Capel of Little Hadham, Hertfordshire, and his wife, Elizabeth (née Morrison) of Cassiobury Park,…

Capel (Capell), Sir Henry (1638–96), Baron Capel of Tewkesbury , chief governor, was baptised 6 March 1638, second son of Arthur, Baron Capel of Hadham, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Charles Morrison of Cassiobridge, Hertfordshire, England. He was elected to the English…

Capel, Thomas John (1836–1911), catholic priest, was born 28 October 1836 in Ardmore, Co. Waterford, the second child and eldest son of John Capel and his wife Mary (née Fitzgerald). He settled with his family in Hastings, Sussex, following his father's appointment to the…

Capper, Wilfrid Meredyth (1905–89), conservationist and creator of the Ulster Way, was born in Belfast on 12 July 1905, the second son of four children (two boys and two girls) of John Malcolmson Capper, a cotton yarn merchant, and Elizabeth Jane Capper (née Stewart); the family was…

Capstock (Capstocke), Francis (d. 1596), deputy surveyor of Ireland and corrupt ally of Richard Boyle (qv), 1st earl of Cork, was appointed clerk of the pipe roll in the exchequer on 6 February 1589, and chief engrosser on 11 February. On…

Caradoc (Cradock), John Francis (1759–1839), soldier and politician, was born 11 August 1759 in Dublin, the only son of John Cradock (1708–78), a native of Wolverhampton, bishop of Kilmore (1757–72) and archbishop of Dublin (1772–8), and his wife Mary, daughter of William Blaydwin of…

Caradoc (Cradock), John Hobart (1799–1873), 2nd Baron Howden , diplomat, soldier, and MP, was born 11 October 1799 at St Stephen's Green, Dublin, the only son among three children of John Francis Caradoc (qv),…

Carbery, Ethna (1866–1902), poet, writer, and journalist, was born Anna Johnston 3 December 1866 into a catholic family in Ballymena, Co. Antrim, the second of three children. She lived nearly all her life in Belfast, where her father, …