Biographies A-Z

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Rackard, Nicholas (‘Nicky’)

Rackard, Nicholas (‘Nicky’) (1922–76), hurler, was born 28 April 1922 in Killann, Rathnure, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, third child and eldest son among five sons and four daughters of Robert Rackard, farmer, publican, and grocer, and Anastasia Rackard (née Doran). The family had a 120-…

Rackard, Robert (Bobbie)

This is a co-subject for the entry on Rackard, Nicholas (‘Nicky’). View the original entry.

Radcliffe, John

Radcliffe, John (1765?–1843), lawyer, judge, PC, and author, was born in Co. Fermanagh, only son of Richard Radcliffe, clergyman, and his wife Christian, daughter of Robert Mason of Co. Galway and widow of Joseph Ormsby. After his father's…

Radcliffe, Sir George

Radcliffe, Sir George (1593–1657), lawyer and royalist, was baptised 21 April 1593, the son of Nicholas Radcliffe of Overthorpe in the parish of Thornhill, Yorkshire, and Margaret Marsh of Darton, Yorkshire. After attending school in Oldham (1607–9), he matriculated at Oxford on 3…

Radcliffe, Thomas

Radcliffe, Thomas (1526/7–1583), 3rd earl of Sussex , lord deputy (1556–60) and lord lieutenant of Ireland (1560–65), was the eldest son of Henry, second earl of Sussex, and his first wife, Elizabeth (d. 1534), and was styled Lord Fitzwalter from 1542 until his accession to the…

Rafroidi, Patrick

Rafroidi, Patrick (1930–89), scholar, university professor, and administrator, was born 15 June 1930 in Arpajon, Essonne, France, elder son and second among four children of Gaston Rafroidi, from Arpajon, of middle-class extraction, and his wife Constance (‘Connie’) O'Rahilly, from…

Raftery, Barry

Raftery, Barry (1944–2010), archaeologist, was born in Dublin on 16 August 1944, the younger of two sons of Joseph Raftery (qv) and his wife Charlotte Raftery (née Lang), who was German. His father was an archaeologist, keeper of Irish…

Raftery, Joseph

Raftery, Joseph (1913–92), archaeologist, was born in Dublin, son of John Raftery, governor of Mountjoy prison. Most of his childhood was spent in Portlaoise, Co. Laois, where he attended St Mary's CBS, to which he had won a…

Raftery, Mary Frances Thérèse

Raftery, Mary Frances Thérèse (1957–2012), campaigning journalist and documentary maker, was born on 21 December 1957 in Dublin to Adrian Raftery, an Irish diplomat, and Ita Raftery (née Elmes). She had one sister and two brothers. The family lived in France for much of her early life,…

Ragnall

Ragnall (d. 921), grandson of Ímar and king of Waterford and York, belonged to a dynasty that had developed close connections with British-based Scandinavians. It is asserted that he was a grandson of Ímar (qv) (d. 873), one of the earliest…

Raiftearaí, Antaine (Ó Reachtabhra, Antoine; Raftery, Anthony)

Raiftearaí, Antaine (Ó Reachtabhra, Antoine; Raftery, Anthony) (1799–1835), poet, was born in Cill Liadáin (Killedan) near Kiltimagh, Co. Mayo, son of a weaver from Co. Sligo; nothing else is known of his parents. Blinded by smallpox in childhood, and illiterate, he was helped by his…

Rainsford, Frederick Fitzpatrick (‘Turkey’)

Rainsford, Frederick Fitzpatrick (‘Turkey’) (1909–99), RAF air commodore and diplomat, was born 12 December 1909 at Fisherhill, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, son of County Inspector Ross Carthy Rainsford of the RIC and Maud Elizabeth Rainsford (…

Rákóczi, Basil

Rákóczi, Basil (1908–79), painter and psychoanalyst, was born 31 May 1908 in Chelsea, London, son of Ivan Rákóczi, Hungarian composer, violinist, and artist, and Charlotte May Dobbey, who went by the name ‘Dolly Wilce’ and was an artist's model from Co. Cork. His parents, who were…

Ralegh, Sir Walter

Ralegh, Sir Walter (c.1554–1618), soldier and settler in Ireland, was one of the most famous and infamous Englishmen of the Elizabethan and Jacobean reigns. He was born at Hayes Barton, Devon, son of Walter Ralegh (d. 1581) and his third wife, Katherine, daughter of Sir…

Ralph of Norwich

Ralph of Norwich (a.1200–p.1258), priest and royal official, began his connection with Ireland in May 1216, when he was sent as a messenger to the justiciar, Geoffrey de Marisco (qv), from the king. In the next…

Ram, Abel

This is a co-subject for the entry on Ram, Sir Abel. View the original entry.

Ramage, John

Ramage, John (1746–1802), miniaturist and goldsmith, was born in Dublin (nothing is known of his parents), and entered the Dublin Society's schools in 1763. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Liddell, a London merchant, prior to his emigration to Canada; they had two children,…

Rambaut, Arthur Alcock

Rambaut, Arthur Alcock (1859–1923), astronomer, was born 21 September 1859 in Waterford city, third son of the Rev. Edmund Francis Rambaut (BA, TCD), Church of Ireland clergyman and curate of…

Rambaut, Daniel Frederick

Rambaut, Daniel Frederick (1865–1937), doctor and Irish international rugby player, was born on 6 August 1865 at 3 Newtown Buildings, Waterford city, to Reverend Edmund Francis Rambaut, a Church of Ireland clergyman at Trinity, Waterford (who later moved to Carysfort church, Blackrock,…

Ram, Sir Abel

Ram, Sir Abel (d. 1692), goldsmith and banker, was the elder of two sons of the five children of Abel Ram of Ramsfort and Clonattin, Co. Wexford, and his wife, Eleanor Ram (née Andrews). His parents were the children of two successive bishops of Ferns and Leighlin,…

Ram, Thomas

Ram, Thomas (1564–1634), Church of Ireland bishop of Ferns and Leighlin, was born in Windsor, Berkshire, the son of Dr Francis Ram of Windsor. After attending Eton he entered King's College, Cambridge (1588), graduated BA (1592–3) and…

Randles, Eileen

Randles, Eileen (1937–2015), teacher, education leader and nun, was born 26 April 1937 in Kenmare, Co. Kerry, the youngest of three daughters born to Tom Randles and his wife Nora (‘Dolly’) May (née Healy). The family lived on the premises of the garage Tom ran on Shelbourne Street in…

Ranelagh, Elaine Lambert Lewis O'Beirne-

Ranelagh, Elaine Lambert Lewis O'Beirne- (1914–96), writer and folklorist, was born 6 July 1914 in Brooklyn, New York, USA, the only child of Josephine Lambert Lewis and Harry Lewis, who worked in real estate. She studied classics at Vassar College and majored in Greek. Her interest in…

Ranke, Clarissa (‘Clara’) Helena von

Ranke, Clarissa (‘Clara’) Helena von (1808–71), poet, was born in Dublin, elder daughter of John Crosbie Graves (1776–1835), chief police magistrate of Dublin, and his wife Helena, daughter of the Rev. Charles Perceval, rector of Bruhenny, Co. Cork. Her brother…

Rawdon, Elizabeth

Rawdon, Elizabeth (1731–1808), countess of Moira , literary patroness, and amateur antiquarian, was born 23 March 1731, eldest surviving daughter of Theophilus Hastings , 9th earl of Huntingdon, and his wife Selina, daughter of Washington Shirley, 2nd Earl Ferrers. Selina, countess…