Biographies A-Z

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Sabine, Sir Edward

Sabine, Sir Edward (1788–1883), soldier, polar explorer, and physicist, was born 14 October 1788 in Great Britain St. (Parnell St.), Dublin, youngest of five sons and four daughters of Joseph Sabine and his wife Sarah, daughter of Rowland Hunt of Shropshire. He was the great-…

Sackville, George

This is a co-subject for the entry on Sackville, Lionel. View the original entry.

Sackville, Lionel

Sackville, Lionel (1688–1765), 1st duke of Dorset , lord lieutenant of Ireland, was born 18 January 1688, the only son of Charles, 6th earl of Dorset, and his second wife, Mary, daughter of James Compton, third earl of Northampton. He was educated at Westminster School, and was…

Sadleir, Franc (Francis)

Sadleir, Franc (Francis) (1775–1851), academic and provost of TCD, was born on 3 May 1775, second son among five children of Thomas Sadleir (1753–1815), barrister, and his first wife, Rebecca Woodward of Cloughprior, Co. Tipperary. With his second wife, Florence Atkinson, Thomas…

Sadleir, George Forster

Sadleir, George Forster (1789–1859), army officer and explorer, was born 19 January 1789 in Cork, third son of James Sadleir, cotton manufacturer and sheriff of Cork (1791), of Tipperary and later Shannon Vale House, Clonakilty, Co. Cork, and his wife Joanna, daughter of George Forster…

Sadleir, John

Sadleir, John (1813–56), banker, politician, speculator, and swindler, was born 17 November 1813 at Shronell House in the parish of Shronell near Tipperary town, fifth of seven children born to Clement William Sadleir, a protestant farmer and middleman, whose earliest known…

Sadleir (Sadler), Thomas

Sadleir (Sadler), Thomas (d. c.1680), army officer and administrator, was the fourth son of Richard Sadleir of Sopwell, Hertfordshire, and Joyce Honywood of Charing, Kent, and Marks Hall, Essex. He appears as a lieutenant colonel in the parliamentarian army, served under…

Sadleir, Thomas Ulick (‘Tom’)

Sadleir, Thomas Ulick (‘Tom’) (1882–1957), barrister-at-law, genealogist, registrar at the Office of Arms, and deputy Ulster King of Arms, was born 15 September 1882 at the Curragh camp, Co. Kildare, youngest among three sons (one of whom died in infancy) of the Rev. Franc Sadleir…

Sadlier, Mary Anne

Sadlier, Mary Anne (1820–1903), novelist, was born 31 December 1820 in Cootehill, Co. Cavan, daughter of Francis Madden , a successful merchant who educated his daughter at home after the early death of his wife (name unknown). Mary evidenced writing talents at a young age and in 1839…

Saint-Gaudens, Augustus

Saint-Gaudens, Augustus (1848–1907), sculptor, was born 1 March 1848 at 35 Charlemont Street, Dublin, eldest of three surviving sons of Bernard Saint-Gaudens, shoemaker, of Aspet, Gascony, France, and Mary Saint-Gaudens (née McGuiness), a plasterer's daughter, of Ballymahon, Co.…

Saint-Ruth (Saint-Ruhe), Charles Chalmont

Saint-Ruth (Saint-Ruhe), Charles Chalmont (c.1650–91), marquis of Saint-Ruth , commander of the Irish Jacobite army in 1691, was a French aristocrat of modest means who had made his career as an officer in Louis XIV's army. He commanded a regiment in the 1672 invasion of…

Salkeld, Blanaid

Salkeld, Blanaid (1880–1958), poet and actor, was born Florence ffrench-Mullen on 10 August 1880 in India, daughter of Lt Colonel Jarlath ffrench-Mullen and Anna Maria (Mina) Byrne. Her father was in the Bengal medical service and brother to St Laurence ffrench-Mullen (father of…

Salkeld, Cecil Ffrench

This is a co-subject for the entry on Salkeld, Blanaid. View the original entry.

Sall, Andrew Fitzjohn

Sall, Andrew Fitzjohn (1624–82), scholar and sometime Jesuit, was born into an Old English family in the city of Cashel, Co. Tipperary; nothing is known of his parents. More than five Jesuits bore the name Sall (Sál, Sale). With such a background it is not surprising to find the young…

Salmon, George

Salmon, George (1819–1904), mathematician and theologian, was born 25 September 1819 and baptised at St George's church, Temple Street, Dublin on 28 September 1819. He was the only son of Michael Salmon, linen merchant at the Linen Hall, Dublin, and subsequently at 80 Grand Parade, Cork…

Salmon, Peter Joseph (‘Joey’)

Salmon, Peter Joseph (‘Joey’) (1930–91), hurler, was born 1 April 1930 in Cappatagle, Co. Galway, second among two sons and two daughters of Michael Salmon, farmer, of Gortnamona, Co. Galway, and Katie Salmon (née Curley), originally from Kiltormer, Co. Galway. While he was a…

Sampson, George Vaughan

Sampson, George Vaughan (1763–1827), clergyman, linguist, survey writer, and agricultural and social reformer, was born in Co. Antrim, though his father, Arthur Sampson, was at the time rector of Templemore, Co. Londonderry. His mother was Mary Mercer, daughter of George Spaight…

Sampson, John

Sampson, John (1862–1931), scholar and librarian, was born 25 February 1862 in Schull, Co. Cork, third child and eldest of three sons of James Sampson, metallurgical chemist and mining engineer born in Cornwall of a long Cornish lineage, and Sarah Anne Sampson (née Macdermott), who…

Sampson, Ralph Allen

Sampson, Ralph Allen (1866–1939), astronomer and mathematician, was born 25 June 1866 in Skull (Schull), Co. Cork, fourth among five children of James Sampson (d. 1871), metallurgical chemist and mining engineer from Cornwall, and his wife Sarah Anne (née McDermott).…

Sampson, William

Sampson, William (1764–1836), United Irishman and lawyer, was born 27 January 1764 in Derry city, third of three sons of the Rev. Arthur Sampson, anglican clergyman of that city, and Mary Spaight Sampson, of the Dobbs family of Co. Antrim. Sampson's sister Margaret married the Rev.…

Samthann

Samthann (d. 739), saint and abbess of Cluain Brónaig (Clonbroney, Co. Longford), was the daughter of Diamrán of the Ulster Dál Fiatach and of his wife Columba, who is not otherwise known. Unlike many other Irish saints, a historical person can be discerned under the layered…

Samuels, Arthur Warren

Samuels, Arthur Warren (1852–1925), lawyer, was born 19 May 1852 in Dublin, second son of Arthur Samuels, of Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire), Co. Dublin, and Katherine Samuels (née Daly) of Mornington, Co. Meath. He was educated at the Royal School, Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, and…

Sanctán

Sanctán (6th cent.), bishop, church founder, and saint in the Irish tradition, had (according to the hagiographers) British origins. His father is given as Samuel Cennísel, his personal name appearing suitably British. His mother, on the other hand, is named as Deichter daughter of…

Sander (Sanders), Nicholas

Sander (Sanders), Nicholas (c.1530–1581), catholic priest and author, was born at Charlwood, Surrey, the son of William Saunders of Aston, high sheriff of Surrey, and his wife Elizabeth Mynes. An intelligent child, Nicholas was admitted as a scholar to Winchester College…

Sanders, Terence Robert Beaumont

Sanders, Terence Robert Beaumont (1901–85), Olympic oarsman, engineer, and armaments expert, was born 2 June 1901 in Sanders Park, Charleville, Co. Cork, younger of two sons of Robert Massy Dawson Sanders of Charleville, Co. Cork, landowner, qualified mining engineer, and…