Biographies A-Z

Grey, John de (c.1170–1214), bishop of Norwich, justiciar, was son of Antishel de Grey, one of the minor nobility of Norfolk; he served as clerk and secretary to John (qv), lord of Ireland, for several years, and is first mentioned as…

Grey, Mona Elizabeth Clara (1910–2009), nurse, was born 24 September 1910 in Westridge, Rawalpindi, in the Punjab, then in India, the daughter of Albert Edward Grey and Grace Grey (née Dassing or Dashing). At the time of her birth her father was working as a guard on the North Western…

Grierson (Crawley), Constantia (c.1705–1732), editor, scholar, and one of Swift's female literary circle, was born Constantia Crawley in Graiguenamanagh, Co. Kilkenny, into a poor family. Little is known of her early life or education, save from the memoirs of her friend…

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Grierson, George (1680?–1753), king's printer, a native of Scotland, possibly the younger son of George Grierson, an Edinburgh merchant, and his wife Margaret (née Allane), arrived in Ireland c.1703. Purchasing premises in Essex St., Dublin, he was admitted to the…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Grierson, George. View the original entry.

This is a co-subject for the entry on Grierson, George. View the original entry.

Grierson, Philip (1910–2006), historian and numismatist, was born in Dublin on 15 November 1910, only son and second of three surviving children (another child had died in infancy) of Philip Henry Grierson (1859–1952) and his wife Roberta Ellen Jane (née Pope), a doctor's…

Grierson, Sir George Abraham (1851–1941), member of the Indian Civil Service (ICS) and language scholar, was born 7 January 1851 in the parish of Monkstown near Dublin, eldest son of George Abraham Grierson, a TCD graduate and barrister…

Grier, William John (1902–83), protestant fundamentalist, is of unknown origins and parentage. He experienced a religious conversion at a mission preached by W. P. Nicholson (qv), which led to an intention to enter the church. In…

Griffin, Gerald (1803–40), novelist, was born 12 December 1803 in Limerick city, ninth among about fourteen children of Patrick Griffin, brewery manager, and his wife Ellen, sister of John Geary, a leading Limerick physician. For his first seven years Gerald lived in Brunswick St…

Griffin, Michael Joseph (1892–1920), catholic priest, was born 18 September 1892 near Gurteen, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway, one of five children of Thomas Griffin (d. 1914), farmer and chairman of Galway county council (1912–14), and Mary Griffin (neé Kyne). He was educated at…

Griffin, Noel (1926–81), businessman, was born on 23 December 1926 in Upper Leeson Street, Dublin, the eldest son of Joseph Griffin of Sandymount, Dublin, and his wife Maureen (née Nicholson). Joseph Griffin was in the IRA's Dublin Brigade during the war of independence and fought…

Griffith, Amyas (d. 1801), excise officer, writer, and freemason, was born at Roscrea, Co. Tipperary, son of an excise officer, Jonas Griffith, who seems to have been a connection of Richard Griffith (qv) (1714?–88); Amyas Griffith's…

Griffith, Arthur Hill (1861–1946), Australian politician, was born 16 October 1861, son of Arthur Griffith, solicitor, and his wife, Hannah (d. 1882), daughter of James Courtney Cottingham of Dublin. An uncle was Sir Richard…

Griffith, Arthur Joseph (1871–1922), journalist and politician, was born 31 March 1871 in Dublin into a working-class family, son of Arthur Charles Griffith, printer, and Mary Griffith (née Whelan). He attended the CBS schools in St Mary's…

Griffith, Elizabeth (1727–93), playwright, novelist, and actress, was born in Glamorgan, Wales, on 11 October 1727, the daughter of Thomas Griffith (1680?–1744), at one time actor–manager of the Smock Alley theatre, Dublin, and originally from Wales, and his wife, Jane (née Foxcroft…

Griffith, Patrick Raymond (1798–1862), first catholic bishop of the Cape colony, was born in Limerick on 13 October 1798, to John Griffith and Honor Griffith (née Nealon). After his elementary education in Limerick, he joined the Dominican order. At sixteen years of age, he went…

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Griffith, Richard (1752–1820), nabob, was born in Abbey St., Dublin, on 10 June 1752, only son of Richard Griffith (1714?–1788) and his wife Elizabeth (qv) (née Griffith). At the age of 18, through the influence of a director of the…

Griffith, Sir John Purser (1848–1938), civil engineer, was born 5 October 1848 at Holyhead, north Wales, the only son of William Griffith (1801–81), Congregational minister, and Alicia Griffith (née Evans), a member of a leading Welsh Moravian family. John's elder sister died in…

Griffith, Sir Richard John (1784–1878), public servant, surveyor, and geologist, was born 20 September 1784 at 8 Hume St., Dublin (the house is marked by a plaque), son of Richard Griffith (qv), MP for Askeaton, deputy governor of Co.…

Grimes, Philip (1929–89), hurler, was born 8 May 1929, the son of Terence Grimes and his wife, Kathleen, née Keogh, at Monastery Street, located in the heart of the ‘up the roads’ area of Waterford city, a hurling stronghold. He received his education at the fabled hurling nursery…

Grimley (Whelan), Ellen Jane (‘Nellie’) (c.1887–1960), trade unionist, the only daughter of John Whelan, a tradesman, was probably born in Belfast. Brought up in what she felt was a relatively comfortable home, she was conscious of the grinding poverty around her. She began…

Grimshaw, Beatrice Ethel (1870–1953), author and traveller, was born 3 February 1870 at Cloona House, Dunmurry, Co. Antrim, fourth child among two sons and four daughters of Nicholas William Grimshaw of Belfast, former director of the Ulster Spinning Company turned wine-and-oil merchant…