Biographies A-Z

Gibson, Chloe (1899–1995), theatre and television director, was born 18 May 1899 in Torquay, Devon, England, daughter of Walter Ernest Cawdle and Lotte Cawdle (née Saunders). She was educated at Lauriston Hall, Torquay. After studying painting briefly, she trained in speech and drama…

Gibson, Edward (1837–1913), 1st Baron Ashbourne, barrister, Conservative MP, and lord chancellor of Ireland, was born in Dublin on 4 September 1837, the second son of William Gibson, solicitor, of Merrion Square, Dublin, and Rockforest, Co. Tipperary, and his wife, Louisa (née Grant).…

Gibson, Jack Stanley (1909–2005), medical doctor and hypnotherapist, was born in Dublin on 3 November 1909, the youngest of six children (four boys, two girls; a brother predeceased him) of Adam Henry Gibson, merchant, and his wife Mary Jane ('Millie') (née Bailey), of Hollybank…

Gibson, Norman James (1931–2014), economist and university administrator, was born on 13 December 1931 in Lisnaskea, Co. Fermanagh, the younger of two children of Frederick Gibson, a shopkeeper and small farmer, and Hilda Gibson (née Smith). Frederick Gibson (1888–1975) was born in…

Gibson, Sir Maurice (1913–87), judge, was born 1 May 1913 in Belfast, son of William James Gibson, chemist, and his wife, Edith Mary. He was educated at the RBAI and took a first-class honours degree at…

Gibson, Violet Albina (1876–1956), failed assassin, was born 31 August 1876 in Dalkey, Co. Dublin, to Edward Gibson (qv), a wealthy lawyer and politician, and Frances Maria Adelaide Gibson (née Colles), the daughter of a barrister. Violet was…

Gibson, William (1753–1838), Reformed Presbyterian minister, was born 1 July 1753 near Knockbracken, Co. Down, son of Robert Gibson, farmer, and his wife Susanna (née McWhirr). He was brought up as an orthodox presbyterian, but during his studies at Glasgow University (where he…

Gibson, William (1808–67), presbyterian minister, was born 1 May 1808 in Ballymena, Co. Antrim, son of James Gibson and Mary Gibson (possibly née Cumming), shopkeepers; a brother died as an infant, and he had at least one sister. William received a good education in Ballymena and…

Gibson, William (Mac Giolla Bhríde, Liam) (1868–1942), 2nd Baron Ashbourne , Irish-language activist, was born 16 December 1868 in Dublin, eldest child of Edward Gibson (qv), 1st Baron Ashbourne, and Frances Maria Adelaide Gibson (née Colles…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Giffard, John. View the original entry.

Giffard, John (1746–1819), accountant general of the Irish customs and acting grand master of the Orange order, was born 14 February 1746 (NS), the only child of John Giffard, attorney, of Great Torrington, Devon, and his wife Dorcas Robinson (née Murphy), daughter of Arthur…

Gifford, Grace (Evelyn) (1888–1955), cartoonist and republican, was born 4 March 1888 at 8 Temple Villas, Palmerston Park, Rathmines, Dublin, one of twelve children of Frederick Gifford, a wealthy solicitor, and Isabella Gifford (née Burton), a niece of the artist Sir…

Gilbert, Claudius (d. c.1696), clergyman and pamphleteer, may have been related to a Claudius Gilbert who applied for naturalisation in England in 1656, and who may have been French. Alexander Gilbert, a commonwealth minister in the diocese of Connor in 1655, could have…

Gilbert, Claudius (1669/70–1743), clergyman and university benefactor, was born in Belfast, the only son and heir of Claudius Gilbert (qv), a nonconformist clergyman and prolific pamphleteer who appears to have conformed to the…

Gilbert, Eliza Rosana (‘Lola Montez’) (1820–61), dancer and adventuress, was born in spring 1820 in Co. Limerick, daughter of Edward Gilbert, a British soldier serving in Co. Cork, and Eliza Oliver, illegitimate daughter of Charles Silver Oliver, MP; her parents married around the…

Gilbert (Gille, Gilla, Gilli) (d. 1145), first bishop of Limerick and papal legate at the synod of Ráith Bressail (1111), was possibly of Norse-Irish birth, as may be inferred from the forms of his name: Gilla as he himself wrote it in Latin, and Gilli as it…

Gilbert, Irene (c.1910–1985), fashion designer, was born in Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Both in private conversation and public interview she was always secretive and little is therefore known of her parentage or early life, although on one occasion she did explain that while…

Gilbert, Sir Humphrey (1537–83), soldier and explorer, was second son of Otho Gilbert (d. 1547) of Compton, near Dartmouth. Sir Walter Ralegh (qv) was his half-brother from the second marriage of his mother, Catherine, daughter of Sir…

Gilbert, Sir John Thomas (1829–98), merchant, historian, archivist, and librarian, was born 23 January 1829 at 23 Jervis St., Dublin, second son and fifth child of John Gilbert (1791–1833), wine and cider importer and Portuguese consul, and Mary Anne Gilbert (née Costello), both…

Gilbert, Stephen (1912–2010), writer and businessman, was born on 22 July 1912 in Newcastle, Co. Down, eldest of five children (two sons and three daughters) of William Gilbert (1862–1935), director of Samuel McCausland and Co. tea and seed merchants (founded 1825), and his second wife…

Gildas (d. c.570), British ecclesiastic and monastic reformer, exercised considerable influence on the early Irish church. His ‘De excidio et conquestu Britanniae’, although not an historical work, remains a primary source for the history of post-Roman Britain. There,…

Gildea, Sir James (1838–1920), philanthropist, was born 23 June 1838 in Kilmane, Hollymount, Co. Mayo, third son of the Rev. George Robert Gildea (1803–87), provost of Tuam, and Esther Gildea (née Greene) of Greenmount, Co. Wexford. The Gildeas had settled in Mayo in the early…

Gilhooly, James Peter (1847–1916), politician, was born in 1847, son of Peter Gilhooly of Bantry, Co. Cork, officer in the coastguard service. Gilhooly was early involved in Fenianism; he was believed by the RIC to be head centre for…

Gilla-Cóemáin (Gilla-Cóemgin) (fl. c.1072) was one of the most distinguished poets and historians of pre-Norman Ireland, and made a very significant contribution to Irish pseudo-history and early history. His father was Gilla-Samthainne, whose name, which implies devotion…

Gilla meic Liac (Gelasius) (d. 1174), abbot of Derry, archbishop of Armagh, was the son of Annaid, grandson of Ruaidrí, and belonged to a line of the Cenél nÉogain (RIA, MS 23. D. 17). The description of his father as in fer dána…