Biographies A-Z

Maclise, Daniel (1806–70), painter, was born 25 January 1806 at Cork, and baptised at the presbyterian church on Prince's Street, Cork, on 2 February 1806. He was the son of a soldier of Scottish descent, Alexander McLeish (1777–1861), and Rebecca McLeish (née Buchanan). After 1835…

Mac Lochlainn, Michael (Mauricius) (d. 1349), Franciscan friar and bishop of Derry (1319–49), may have come from the same family as Muirchertach Mac Lochlainn (qv), high-king of Ireland (1145–66), whose descendants had held the…

Mac Lochlainn, Muirchertach (d. 1166), son of Niall, king of Ailech and high-king of Ireland, belonged to the dynasty of Cenél nÉogain. His father Niall, king of Tír Chonaill, was slain at the age of 28 just before Christmas 1119 in an intra-dynastic squabble within Cenél nÉogain.…

MacLoughlin, Cornelius (1753?–1851), merchant and repealer, was born in Dublin into a family of merchants; no other details of his family background are known. According to W. J. Fitzpatrick he was born in 1761 (Dublin catholic cemeteries, 58); his Freeman's Journal…

MacLoughlin (Mac Lochlainn), Domnall (d. 1241), last of the MacLoughlin kings of Ulster, may have been a son of Muirchertach MacLoughlin (d. 1196), king of Cenél nEógain. Even during the latter's reign, MacLoughlin domination of Ulster was in doubt. The seeds of this decline in…

MacLysaght, Edward Anthony Edgeworth (1887–1986), farmer, horticulturist, poet, novelist, senator, historian, and genealogist, was born 6 November 1887 at Flax Bourton, Somerset, the elder of the two sons of Sidney Royse Lysaght, novelist, poet, and businessman, and his wife, Kathrine,…

Mac Maghnusa (MacManus), Cathal Óg (1439–98), historian and annalist, compiler of the Annals of Ulster, was born on Seanadh Mhic Mhaghnusa, an island in Lough Erne, latterly called Belleisle or Ballymacmanus. He was the eldest son of Cathal Óg, also known as Cathal Meadhónach, son…

This is a co-subject for the entry on MacMahon (Mac Mathghamhna), Brian Mór. View the original entry.

MacMahon, Bernard (c.1736–1816), priest, scientist, and translator, was born at Castlering, Co. Louth, one of two brothers. He was educated locally and studied for the secular priesthood at Antwerp, presumably at the Irish College there. His name appears on the 1771 list…

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MacMahon, Bryan Michael (1909–98), writer and teacher, was born 29 September 1909 in Listowel, Co. Kerry, one of four children of Patrick MacMahon, clerk in a law office and later a butter-buyer and exporter, and Joanna MacMahon (née Caughlin), schoolteacher. From an early age…

MacMahon, Ella (1864–1956), novelist, was born Eleanor Harriet on 23 July 1864 in Dublin, elder of two children of the Rev. John Henry MacMahon (1829–1900), curate of St Werburgh's, Dublin (1860–71), and later chaplain of Mountjoy prison (1887–1900), and Frances MacMahon (née…

MacMahon (Ennis), Bernard (c.1680–1747), catholic archbishop of Armagh, was born in Co. Monaghan and educated at the Irish college in Rome. He was consecrated bishop of Clogher in 1709, and with a number of other bishops took measures to curtail the growth in the numbers…

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MacMahon, Heber (Ever, Emer) (1600–50), catholic bishop of Clogher, confederate politician, and military commander, was born in the barony of Farney in Co. Monaghan. His parents were probably Turlough MacMahon and Eva O'Neill. It seems that Heber's family fell on hard times and…

MacMahon, Hugh (1660–1737), catholic archbishop of Armagh, was one among at least twelve children of Colla Dubh MacMahon of Cavany, Co. Monaghan, and his wife Eileen O'Reilly. He was fostered to the MacAlivery family when about seven years old. MacMahon entered the Irish College…

MacMahon, Hugh Óg (d. 1644), soldier and conspirator, was the eldest legitimate son of Sir Brian MacHugh Óg MacMahon of Dartree (Dartry), Co. Monaghan, by a daughter of Hugh O'Neill (qv), 2nd earl of Tyrone. Fostered until the age of 16…

MacMahon, James (1865–1954), civil servant and under-secretary for Ireland, was born 20 April 1865 in Belfast, one of the seven sons of James MacMahon and his wife (she subsequently kept a hotel in Armagh, which was raided by British forces in 1920). Educated at Armagh…

MacMahon (Mac Mathghamhna), Aodh Ruadh (d. 1453), king of Oriel, was eldest son of Ruaidhrí MacMahon, king of Oriel; nothing is known of his mother. On his father's death (1446), Aodh Ruadh was appointed successor by Eóghan O'…

MacMahon (Mac Mathghamhna), Brian Mór (d. 1372), king of Oriel, was probably the eldest son of Áodh MacMahon (d. 1344); after Áodh's death Murchadh Óg MacMahon succeeded him but died within a week. Maghnus (qv) son of Eochaidh MacMahon became king, but the…

MacMahon (Mac Mathghamhna), Réamonn (d. 1484), king of Oriel, was probably third son of Ruaidhrí MacMahon (d. 1446), king of Oriel; nothing is known of his mother. When his brother Eóghan fell ill and died (1467), Réamonn was chosen to succeed. He proved an aggressive and able…

MacMahon (Mac Mathghamna), Brian (d. 1311) ‘of the mass chalices’, king of Airgialla, was son of Eochaid MacMahon, king of Airgialla; nothing is known of his mother. After the death of his father (1273) at the hands of O'Hanlon (Ó hAnluain) and the O'Neills (Uí Néill), Brian…

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MacMahon (McMahon), Michael Peter (c.1710–1807), catholic bishop, was probably born in Doonass, Co. Clare, son of Patrick MacMahon of Dooradoyle, Limerick, and Margaret MacMahon (née O'Sullivan). From a wealthy catholic gentry family who lost their lands in the Williamite…

This is a co-subject for the entry on MacMahon (Mac Mathghamhna), Aodh Ruadh. View the original entry.