Biographies A-Z

O'Brien, William (1881–1968), labour leader and trade union official, was born 23 January 1881 at Ballygurteen, Clonakilty, Co. Cork, third son and youngest among four children of Daniel O'Brien of Co. Tipperary, member of the RIC, and…

O'Brien, William (c.1640–92), 2nd earl of Inchiquin , army officer and colonial governor, was the eldest son of Murrough O'Brien (qv) (c.1614–1673), 6th Baron Inchiquin and 1st earl of Inchiquin, and his wife,…

O'Brien, William (1852–1928), Irish nationalist leader, agrarian campaigner, journalist, and author, was born 2 October 1852 in Mallow, Co. Cork, second son of James O'Brien, solicitor's clerk, and his wife Kate, daughter of James Nagle, a local shopkeeper. It was generally believed…

O'Brien, William Shoney (1825–78), capitalist in America, was born in Abbeyleix, Queen's Co. (Laois). He emigrated to the US as a teenager and settled in New York City, where he became an American citizen on 3 November 1845. Harbouring dreams of finding adventure in Texas, he worked…

O'Brien, William Smith (1803–64), politician, was born 17 October 1803 at Dromoland, Co. Clare, second son of Sir Edward O'Brien (1773–1837), baronet, and his wife, Charlotte (1781–1856), elder daughter of William Smith of Cahirmoyle (or Cahermoyle). William was descended from the…

Ó Broin, León (1902–90), senior civil servant, historian, and author, was born Leo Byrne on 10 November 1902 at 21 Aungier Street, Dublin, the second of four sons of James P. Byrne, a potato factor's bookkeeper, and Mary Byrne (née Killeen), daughter of a seaman who abandoned his…

Ó Broin, Seán (1890–1965), civil servant, was born 22 June 1890 in Kilrush, Co. Clare, as John Joseph Byrne, son of Thomas Byrne, RIC constable, from Ballymote, Co. Sligo, and Maryanne Byrne (née Birmingham), of Kilrush. He was…

Ó Bruadair, Dáibhidh (Dáibhí) (c.1625–1698), bardic poet, was one of the last practitioners of the old learning cultivated within the Irish bardic schools and one of the most prolific Gaelic poets of the post-Classical Modern Irish period. At least eighty of his poems have…

O'Bryen, Dennis (c.1755–1832), surgeon, dramatist, and political writer, was born in Ireland; no details of his parents are known. He abandoned a surgical career to become a writer, and by 1782 had settled in London, where he quickly established himself as a political…

Ó Buachalla, Breandán (1936–2010), scholar and critic, was born in Cork city on 15 January 1936, the fourth of the seven children of Joseph and Bridget Buckley (née de Courcy). He attended St Nessan's Christian Brothers' School, O'Sullivan's Quay, and later studied at University College…

Ó Buachalla, Liam (1899–1970), professor of economics and Irish-language enthusiast, was born 10 April 1899 at 40 Clanbrassil St., Dublin, son of Thomas Buckley, cooper, and Sarah Buckley (née Treacy). His family moved to Drogheda when he was very young and he received his…

Ó Buachalla (Ua Buachalla), Domhnall (Donal/Daniel Richard Buckley) (1866–1963), republican and last governor general of the Irish Free State, was born 3 February 1866 in Maynooth, Co. Kildare, one of four sons and a daughter of Cornelius Buckley, shopkeeper and native Irish-speaker…

O'Byrne, Aodh (c.1520–1579), lord of Crioch Raghnuill, was the eldest son of Seán O'Byrne (qv), lord of Crioch Raghnuill, and his wife, Doireann O'Byrne. After the collapse of the Kildare hegemony in 1535,…

O’Byrne, Aodh (c.1596–p.1652), soldier, was the second son of Phelim O'Byrne (qv) (d. 1631), lord of Crioch Raghnuill, and Una O'Toole (d. 1628), daughter of Fiach O'Toole (qv…

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O'Byrne, Brian (1593–1653), lord of Crioch Raghnuill, was the eldest son of Feilim O'Byrne (qv) (d. 1631), lord of Crioch Raghnuill, and Una O'Toole (d. 1628), daughter of Fiach O'Toole (qv) (d…

O'Byrne, Cathal (1876–1957), antiquarian, writer, and entertainer, may have been the Charles Burns born on 1 June 1876 in Kilkeel, Co. Down, the son of James Burns, a farmer, and his wife Isabella (née Arnett). O'Byrne's biographer states that his parents came from Co. Wicklow, which…

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O'Byrne, Feilim (d. 1631), lord of Críoch Raghnuill, was second son of Fiach MacHugh O'Byrne (qv), lord of Críoch Raghnuill and leader of Gaelic Leinster, and Sadhbh, daughter of…

O'Byrne, Fiach MacHugh (c.1544–1597), lord of Crioch Raghnuill and leader of Gaelic Leinster, was eldest son of Aodh O'Byrne (qv) (d. 1579), lord of Crioch Raghnuill, and his first wife Sadhbh, daughter of Feilim O'Byrne of…

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This is a co-subject for the entry on O'Byrne (Ó Broin), Sir John. View the original entry.

O'Byrne, John (1884–1954), lawyer and judge, was born 24 April 1884, the fourth son of Patrick O'Byrne of Seskin, Co. Wicklow, and his wife, Mary Tallon. He was educated at the Patrician monastery, Tullow, Co. Carlow, and UCD. He…

O'Byrne (Ó Broin), Donnchadh (d. 1434), lord of the O'Byrnes, was the son of Bran O'Byrne (d. 1378), king of Uí Faoláin, son of Philip O'Byrne and probably Dearbhail O'Toole. Bran became lord of the O'Byrnes upon the death of his first cousin Sir…

O'Byrne (Ó Broin), Murchad (d. 1338), lord of the O'Byrnes and probably eldest son of Gearóid O'Byrne (Ó Broin ) (d. c.1293 ), lord of the O'Byrnes, was at times the most powerful Irish aristocrat in Leinster during the first three decades of the fourteenth century. Gearóid…