Biographies A-Z

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…

O'Byrne (Ó Broin), Reamain (c.1450–1510?), 6th lord of Crioch Raghnuill, was the son of Seán O'Byrne, lord of Crioch Raghnuill. That Reamain became a powerful and influential figure among the Irish of the Wicklow mountains was completely unexpected, as his particular family…

O'Byrne (Ó Broin), Sir John (d. 1367), lord of the O'Byrnes, was the son of Tadhg O'Byrne (c.1300–50), lord of the O'Byrnes. Nothing is known of his early life and little can be ascertained about his father, who ruled over the O'Byrnes during the 1340s and died about…

O'Byrne (Ó Broin), Tadhg (d. 1543?), son of Gearóid mac Dúnlaing O'Byrne, lord of the O'Byrnes, was overlord of the O'Byrnes for much of the 1530s and the early 1540s. Nothing is recorded of his early life except for the death of his father during 1490, but it is likely that he…

O'Byrne, Seán (c.1470–1551), eldest son of Reamain O'Byrne (qv) (c.1450–1510), became 7th lord of Crioch Raghnuill on his father's death. It seems, though, that the Fitzgeralds of Kildare punished him for his…

Ó Cadhain, Máirtín (1906–70), republican, creative writer, and academic, was born 4 January 1906 at An Cnocán Glas, Spiddal, Co. Galway, second born and first surviving child among seven sons and six daughters of Seán Ó Cadhain, farmer, and Bríd Ní Chonfhaola, farmer's daughter, both of…

Ó Cadhlaigh, Cormac (1884–1960), Celticist, was born 26 April 1884, in Kinsale, Co. Cork, one of seven children of shoemaker Jeremiah Ó Cadhlaigh and his wife, Marianne McCarthy. His mother had trained as a teacher but never entered the profession and instead managed Clarke's tobacco…

O'Cahan, Sir Donnell Ballach (d. 1617?), Gaelic chieftain, was the eldest son of Rory O'Cahan, ruler of a territory corresponding approximately to Co. Londonderry. His holdings have been described as a rich and populous land, and the O'Cahan was accounted the most powerful of the…

O'Cahill, Daniel Duff (c.1580–c.1660), harper, was born in Barrymore, Co. Cork, son of Cormac O'Cahill, and nephew (or other relative) of Daniel Oge O'Cahill, harper in Barrymore, referred to in inquisitions of 1585 and 1606. O'Cahill seems to have commenced his…

Ó Caiside, Tomás Bán (c.1700–d. p. 1749), renegade Augustinian, rake, and folklore persona, was the son of Eoghan son of Éamann Odhar, and brought up in Leacht an Driseacháin, Co. Roscommon, about halfway between Castlerea and Tulsk. Ó Muraíle suggests…

O'Callaghan, Cornelius Leslie (‘C. L.’) (1880–1943), croquet player, was born in December 1880 in London, son of Denis Richard O'Callaghan (1827–1904), a landowner of considerable wealth from Killeenleigh, Kanturk, Co. Cork, JP for Cork and…

O'Callaghan, Donal (1891–1962), lord mayor of Cork, chairman of Cork County Council and TD, was born on 23 June 1891 in Peacock Lane, Cork, eldest among seven surviving children (five sons and two daughters, another son died in infancy) of William O’Callaghan, an insurance agent, and…

O'Callaghan, Edmund Bailey (1797–1880), physician, journalist, and historian, was born 28 February 1797 at Mallow, Co. Cork, youngest among six children of Owen O'Callaghan, a local merchant; nothing is known of his mother. Educated in Dublin, in 1820 he moved to Paris, where he…

O'Callaghan, Jeremiah (1780–1861), priest and controversialist, was born in Co.Cork, one of fifteen children of Jeremiah O'Callaghan (occupation unknown) and Mary O'Callaghan (née Tuathaigh). Educated for the priesthood, he was ordained by Bishop…

O'Callaghan, John (1865–1913), journalist and political activist, was born at Kilavullen, Co. Cork (near Fermoy), on 13 October 1865. He was educated at Kilavullen national school, and then in his early teens moved to Cork city to work for the daily Cork Herald. After…

O'Callaghan, John Cornelius (1805–83), historian and journalist, was born in Talbot St, Dublin, one of at least six children of John O'Callaghan, a prosperous catholic attorney, originally from Ulster. O'Callaghan always attributed his literary tastes and interest in history to…

O'Callaghan, John Joseph (c.1838–1905), architect, was born in Co. Cork. As a youth he received his first architectural training from John Benson (qv), the county surveyor, before becoming a clerk in the office of…

O'Callaghan, Kate (Kathleen) (1885–1961), teacher and politician, was born 11 October 1885 in Crossmahon, Lissarda, Co. Cork, daughter of Cornelius Murphy , farmer. Educated at St Mary's Dominican College, Dublin, she obtained a BA from the…

O'Callaghan, Lucius (1877–1954), architect, was born 18 August 1877 at 31 Harcourt St., Dublin, the second eldest of six sons and two daughters of John Joseph O'Callaghan (qv), architect, and his wife Eva. He was educated at the…

O'Callaghan, May (1881–1973), journalist, translator and communist, was born Julia Mary O'Callaghan in Wexford town on the 14 August 1881, the youngest of four children born to Patrick O'Callaghan, RIC head constable, and Jane O'Callaghan (…

O'Callaghan, Michael (1879–1921), nationalist and politician, was born 6 September 1879 in Eden Terrace, Limerick, son of Edward Hackett O'Callaghan, owner of the city tannery at Lower Gerald Griffin St., and Ellen O'Callaghan (née Smithwick), a member of the Kilkenny brewing family…

O'Callaghan, Michael (1887–1962), trade unionist, revolutionary nationalist, and civil servant, was born 25 January 1887 in Henry Street, Tipperary town, son of Denis Callahan, draper, of farming stock from Ballyhone, Emly, Co. Tipperary, and Bridget Callahan (née Hayes), of…

O’Callaghan, Patrick ('Pat') (1906–1991), Olympic athlete and doctor, was born 28 January 1906 at Knockanroe, Derrygallon, near Kanturk, Co. Cork, the second of three sons of Paddy O’Callaghan, farmer of Knockanroe, and his wife Jane (née Healy). After being educated locally, he won a…

O'Callaghan, Sir Francis Langford (1839–1909), civil engineer, was born 22 July 1839 at Drisheen, Co. Cork, second son of James O'Callaghan, JP, and Agnes O'Callaghan (née Langford). Educated privately, he entered…

O'Callaghan, Thomas Alphonsus (1839–1916), catholic bishop, was born 9 May 1839 in Sullivan's Quay, Cork, son of Michael O'Callaghan and Margaret Palmer, both from Cork. He was educated at North Monastery CBS, O'Connor's school,…