Biographies A-Z

Duffy, Louise Gavan (1884–1969), educator, nationalist and Irish language enthusiast, was born 17 July 1884 in Cimiez, near Nice, the only daughter among four children of the marriage of Sir Charles Gavan Duffy (qv), journalist and…

Duffy, Luke J. (1890–1961), trade unionist, was born 26 March 1890 in Gurteen, Co. Sligo, into a farming family. Educated at Cloonanure national school, he began an apprenticeship in the drapery trade in Moon's in Galway. He immediately became involved in the trade union movement…

Duffy (O'Duffy), Hugh (Ó DUFAIGH, Cúchonnacht) (c.1640–1721?), Franciscan friar and witness against Archbishop Oliver Plunkett (qv), was probably a member of the ‘Mac A'Parson’ branch of the O'Duffy family of…

Duffy, Patrick (d. 1675), Franciscan friar and catholic bishop of Clogher, was born in the early decades of the seventeenth century in the parish of Aghnamullan, Co. Monaghan. He was a member of a leading family of the old O'Duffy sept of Ballyduffy, Co. Monaghan, and nephew of…

Duffy, Patrick Aloyisius (1933–95), politician and solicitor, was born 19 July 1933 in the parish of Ardboe, Co. Tyrone, one of four sons and a daughter of Patrick Duffy, farmer and local councillor on Cookstown rural council, and Margaret Duffy (née Devlin). He was educated at…

Duffy, Patrick Joseph (‘Paddy’) (1921–87), Olympian and fencing master (maitre d'armes), was born 15 April 1921 at the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, one of a large family born to James Duffy, labourer, and Kathleen (‘Kate’) Duffy (née McCarney), of 5 Commons St., Dublin. Duffy…

Duffy, Patrick Vincent (1832–1909), landscape painter, was baptised 4 March 1832 in Dublin, son of James Duffy, silversmith and jeweller, of Nassau St., Dublin, and his wife Mary Anne, daughter of Bartholomew Lamb, auctioneer. Duffy began his artistic training at the…

Duffy, Sir Charles Gavan (1816–1903), politician and journalist, was born in Monaghan town on 12 April 1816, the sixth and youngest child of John Duffy (d. 1827), a shopkeeper and former United Irishman, and his wife, Anne (née Gavan). Formative years After the premature deaths of his…

Dugdale, Norman (1921–95), civil servant and poet, was born 6 February 1921 in Burnley, Lancashire, England, third child of William and Eva Dugdale. Educated at Burnley Grammar School and Manchester University (graduating BA in 1941), he joined…

Duggan, Éamonn John (Edmund) (1878–1936), solicitor and politician, was born Edmund John Duggan in Richhill, Co. Armagh, on 2 March 1878 the son of William Duggan and his wife Margaret (née Dunne). His father was a Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) constable, then stationed at Richhill.…

Duggan, George Chester (1885–1969), civil servant, was born 5 February 1885 in Parsonstown, King's Co. (Offaly), second son of George Duggan, born in Co. Fermanagh, manager of the Provincial Bank, College Green, Dublin, and Emily Duggan (née Grant). The family later lived at…

Duggan, Patrick (1813–96), catholic bishop of Clonfert, was born 10 November 1813 at the house of his maternal grandparents at Tavanaghmore in the rural parish of Cummer, near Tuam, Co. Galway. He was the eldest of the four children of John Duggan, who farmed about 125 acres at…

Duggan, Richard Joseph (1878–1934), turf accountant, businessman, and founder of the Irish Hospitals' Sweepstake, was born 21 March 1878 in Dublin, fourth child among three sons and two daughters of Patrick Duggan, clerk, originally from Waterford, and Mary Duggan (née Burrows).…

Duggan, Thomas Francis ('Tom') (1890–1961), priest and military chaplain, was born 7 May 1890 in the Half Way, a small village in the parish of Ballinhassig, Co. Cork, the eldest of four surviving children (three boys and a girl) of Thomas Duggan (d. 1909) and his wife Hannah (née…

Duhigg, Bartholomew (c.1751–1813), political activist, antiquarian, and barrister, was the fourth son of Bartholomew Duhigg, ‘gent.’, of Ballyhigh, Co. Limerick, who seems to have been a Roman catholic who conformed in 1725. Bartholomew the younger entered the Middle…

Duigenan, Patrick (1735–1816), lawyer, polemicist, and politician, was born 17 March 1735. There is some controversy about his antecedents; on most records he is listed as the son of Hugh Duigenan, a protestant parish-clerk at St Werburgh's church, Dublin, but some enemies claimed…

Duignan, Mary Ann (‘Chicago May’) (1871–1929), criminal and prostitute, was born c.26 December 1871 in Edenmore, Ballinamuck, Co. Longford, eldest among two daughters and three sons of Francis Duignan (1837–1930), farmer, and Anne Duignan (née Gray) (1852–1924); the pet name ‘…

Duke, Henry Edward (1855–1939), 1st Baron Merrivale , lawyer, and chief secretary for Ireland, was born 5 November 1855 in Walkhampton, Devon, the second son of William Edward Duke, clerk at a granite works, and his wife, Elizabeth Ann (née Lord). Though he showed promise, he was…

Duke, Philip James (‘P. J.’) (1925–50), Gaelic footballer, was born 22 April 1925 in Stradone, Co. Cavan, one of four sons and two daughters of Andrew Duke, farmer and shopkeeper, and Rose Anne Duke (née Donoghue). He was educated at Laragh national school, St Patrick's College,…

Dukes, Frederick Ernest (‘Fred’) (1912–98), engineer and campanologist, was born 23 May 1912 in Inchicore, Dublin, eldest of two sons and one daughter of George Dukes, railway foreman, originally of Staffordshire, then Dublin, and Mary Elizabeth (‘Lillie’) Dukes (née Erskine), of…

Dulanty, John Whelan (1883–1955), diplomat, was born at 9 Great Newton Street, Newton, Manchester, on 11 May 1881, the youngest of four children of John Dulanty (born 1844) (at the time spelt ‘Delanty’ and ‘Dulinty’), a builder's labourer from Templemore, Co. Tipperary, and his…

Dúnán (Donatus) (d. 1074), first bishop of Dublin. Although the background to the establishment of a bishopric in the Hiberno-Norse city of Dublin has been elucidated, almost nothing is known of the see's first incumbent. Like all his successors, with the possible exception of…

Duncaht (Dúnchad) (fl. 9th cent.) of Reims, scribe and scholar, may perhaps be identified with Donnacán son of Máel Tuile who died in Italy in 843, according to a note in the Karlsruhe manuscript of Bede's ‘Computus’. The incipit to a fragmentary computus in the…

Duncan, Ellen (1850–1937), arts administrator and journalist, was born in Dublin, eldest daughter of Thomas Douglas of Sydney Parade, Ballsbridge. She was educated at Alexandra College, Dublin and at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. Married to James Duncan, a civil servant in Dublin…

Duncan, George Alexander (1902–2006), economist, was born 15 May 1902 in the family home in Bridge Street, Ballymena, Co. Antrim, the second son of Alexander Duncan, a physician and surgeon, and his wife Elizabeth (née Linn). He was educated at Ballymena Academy and Campbell College…