Biographies A-Z

Ó Nualláin, Ciarán (1910–83), journalist and Irish-language writer, was born 2 February 1910, in Strabane, Co. Tyrone, one of twelve children of customs and excise officer Micheál Victor Ó Nualláin and his wife, Aigneas Ní Ghoirmligh, both from Omagh, Co. Tyrone. He was a brother of the…

Ó Nualláin, Gearóid (1874–1942), Irish scholar, was born 22 May 1874 in Deargmhuine, Co. Tyrone, one of eight children of Dónal Ó Nualláin, a schoolteacher, and his wife, Jane Mellon. His nephew, Ciarán Ó Nualláin (qv), noted that Dónal Ó…

Öpik, Ernst Julius (1893–1985), astronomer and astrophysicist, was born 23 October 1893 at Port Kunda, Estonia, one among six sons and one daughter of Karl Heinrich Öpik, harbourmaster, and his wife. He was educated at High School, Tallinn, Estonia, where he graduated with honours…

O'Queely, Malachy (c.1586–1645), catholic archbishop of Tuam and leading confederate, was born in the barony of Corcomroe, Co. Clare. It has been plausibly surmised that he was the son of Donnogh MacLeagh McGuillpatrick who held 217 acres of land in that barony in 1641.…

O'Quinn, Jeremiah (d. 1658), presbyterian minister, was born to Irish-speaking catholic parents in Templepatrick, Co. Antrim. Presumably raised a catholic, he later converted to protestantism. The local protestant landowner, Arthur Upton…

Ó Raghallaigh, Pádraic Gearóid (1924–99), broadcaster, was born 12 April 1924 in Galway, youngest of five children of UCG professor of Irish Tomás Ó Raghallaigh, and his wife, schoolteacher Máire Sinéad Ní Challanáin. His parents had met…

O'Rahilly, Alfred (1884–1969), scholar, university president, controversialist, and priest, was born 19 September 1884 in Listowel, Co. Kerry, eighth child of Thomas Francis Rahilly and Julia Mary Rahilly (née Curry); he changed his name to ‘O'Rahilly’ by deed poll in 1920. His fourteen…

O'Rahilly, Aodogán John Eoin O'Sullivan (1904–2000), republican and engineer, was born 22 September 1904, third son among four sons of…

O'Rahilly, Michael Joseph (‘The O'Rahilly’) (1875–1916), nationalist and journalist, was born at Ballylongford, Co. Kerry, on 22 April 1875, third child and only son of Richard Rahilly, businessman and magistrate, and his wife, Ellen (née Mangan); his father claimed collateral descent…

O'Rahilly (Ní Rathaille, Ó Rathaille), Cecile (Sisile) (1894–1980), Celticist and literary scholar, was born 17 December 1894 in Listowel, Co. Kerry, eleventh among thirteen surviving children of Thomas Francis Rahilly, court clerk, and Julia Mary Rahilly (née Curry) from Glin, Co.…

O'Rahilly, Thomas Francis (‘T. F.’) (1882–1953), scholar, was born 11 November 1882 in Listowel, Co. Kerry, seventh among fifteen surviving children of Thomas Francis Rahilly of Ballylongford, businessman and later court clerk, and Julia Mary Rahilly (née Curry) of Glin, Co.…

Ó Raifeartaigh, Lochlainn Séamus (1933–2000), theoretical physicist, scholar, and senior professor at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, was born 11 March 1933 in Clontarf, Dublin, second eldest among three sons and three daughters of…

Ó Raifeartaigh, Tarlach (1905–84), educationist, civil servant, and Celticist, was born 16 April 1905 in Carrickmore, Co. Tyrone, son of James Rafferty and his wife Sarah (née Brannigan), both schoolteachers. Sarah died when Tarlach was very young and afterwards his father married Mary…

Ó Rathaille, Aogán (1670?–1728/9), poet, was probably born in Co. Kerry. Origins There is no direct evidence of his date of birth or family origins, but notes in multiple manuscript compilations of his work agree that he was born on the Kerry side of the intersection of counties Kerry…

Orde (Orde-Powlett), Thomas (1746–1807), 1st Baron Bolton , politician, second son of John Orde (d. 1784) of East Orde and Morpeth, Northumberland, and his second wife, Anne Orde (née Marr; d. 1788), daughter of Ralph Marr of Morpeth, was born on 30 August 1746 and baptised at…

O'Regan, Brendan (1917–2008), businessman, was born 15 May 1917 in Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare, the fourth child of seven of James O'Regan and his wife Nora (née Ryan). His father owned and managed a variety of local businesses, including the Old Ground Hotel in Ennis, Co. Clare, and was…

O'Regan, Joseph (1898–1975), proprietor of the Southern Star newspaper, was born 8 January 1898 in Cork, second son of three sons and one daughter of William O'Regan, founder of Aughadown Creameries, of Seaview House, Aughadown, Co. Cork, and his wife Nora, daughter of…

O'Reilly, Andrew (1742–1832), general in the Austrian army, was born 3 August 1742 at Ballinlough, Co. Westmeath, youngest among three sons of James O'Reilly, Roman catholic farmer, and Barbara O'Reilly (née Nugent). In 1763 he joined the Imperial army with his brother, James, and…

This is a co-subject for the entry on O'Reilly (Ó Raghallaigh), Cathal. View the original entry.

O'Reilly, Brendan (1929–2001), athlete, broadcaster, entertainer, and songwriter, was born 14 May 1929 in Granard, Co. Longford, one of six children of James P. O'Reilly, shopkeeper and musician, and Catherine O'Reilly (née Donegan). The family moved to Dublin when Brendan was…

O'Reilly, Charles Joseph (‘C. J.’; ‘Charlie’) (1891–1952), hockey player, was born 9 April 1891 in Naas, Co. Kildare, youngest among six sons and two daughters of Joseph Richard O'Reilly of Castle Wilder, Co. Wexford, and Booterstown, Co. Dublin, barrister,…

O'Reilly, Count Alexander (1723–94), Irish general in the Spanish service, was baptised 24 October 1723 at the parish church of Baltrasna, Co. Meath, the eighth son of Thomas O'Reilly (d.1756) of Baltrasna, and his wife Rosa McDowell, originally of Montagh, Co. Roscommon. While he…

This is a co-subject for the entry on O'Reilly (Ó Ragallaig), Cathal. View the original entry.

O'Reilly, Dominick William (d. 1816), landowner and catholic activist, nephew of William Reilly (1710/11–1782), inherited a modest estate at Kildangan Castle, Monasterevin, Co. Kildare, on the death of his unmarried uncle; no further details of his family are known. He was drawn…

O'Reilly, Edmund (1598–1669), catholic archbishop of Armagh, was born 2/3 January 1598 in the Dublin district. He may have belonged to one of the O'Reilly families of Breifne stock resident in Timothan and Saggart, Co. Dublin, in the seventeenth century. He appears as ‘Edmund…