Biographies A-Z

Sandes, Arthur (1793–1832), soldier and administrator, was second among six sons of Henry Sandes, of Glenfield, Co. Kerry, and his wife Alice, daughter of Arthur Browne of Ventry, Co. Kerry. All six sons served in the British army during the Napoleonic wars. Serving in the commissariat…

Sandes, Elizabeth Anne (‘Elise’) (1851–1934), founder of Sandes Soldiers' Homes in Ireland, India, and Great Britain, was born 19 February 1851 in Tralee, Co. Kerry, third daughter among seven daughters and two sons of Stephen Sandes, British army officer, of Sallow Glen, Co. Kerry…

Sandford, Francis (1630–94), herald and genealogist, was born at Carnew (Carnowe) Castle, Co. Wicklow, third among four sons of Francis Sandford (1587–1653) and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Calcott or Caldecott Chambre (d. 1638), of Williamscot, Oxfordshire, England, and of…

Sandford, Fulk de (d. 1271), archbishop of Dublin, was the illegitimate son of either Gilbert Basset, lord of Wycombe, or Fulk Basset, bishop of London. Styled ‘magister’, he may have received an MA from Oxford. In 1244 he was appointed to the…

Sandford, Irene (1937–2005), singer, was born in east Belfast on 11 January 1937, eldest child of Francis Sandford, who owned a hairdressing salon, and his wife Meta (née Nesbitt). She had two younger sisters and a younger brother. She attended Belmont and Strandtown primary schools…

Sandford (Sanford), John of (d. 1294), archbishop of Dublin and justiciar of Ireland, has usually been referred to as the brother of Fulk de Sandford (qv), archbishop of Dublin, in which case he would have been connected to the…

Sands, Robert (‘Bobby’) (1954–81), IRA hunger striker, was born 9 March 1954 in Rathcoole, north Belfast, eldest of four children of John Sands and Rosaleen Sands. In 1961 the Sands family moved back to Rathcoole from Newtownabbey after anti-catholic harassment. At Stella Maris…

Sandys, William (c.1760?–1812), militia and army officer, was a son of William Sandys of Crevaghmore, high sheriff of Co. Longford. Almost nothing is known of his early life but he had at least one sister and appears to have unsuccessfully sought election to the Irish…

Sankey, Sir Richard Hieram (1829–1908), military engineer and chairman of the Irish board of works (1884–96), was born 22 March 1829 at Rockwell Castle, Cashel, Co. Tipperary, fourth son of Matthew Sankey, JP and barrister, of Bawnmore, Co.…

Sankey (Zanchie, Zanchy), Sir Hierome (Hierom, Jerome) (c.1621–c.1687), soldier and politician, was son of Richard Sankey, clergyman, of Endsworth, Shropshire, England, and his wife Anne Smolt of Burford Castle, Dorset. He matriculated as a sizar from Trinity…

Sargent, Fay (1890/91–1967), singer, actress, and journalist, was born in Waterford in 1890 or 1891, an only child, and christened Mary Gertrude. Her father Terence Hannan died, aged 38, when she was an infant, and she and her mother went to England to live with her uncle, the Rev.…

Sarsfield, Dominick (d. 1636), 1st Viscount Sarsfield of Kilmallock , lawyer and judge, was third youngest son of Edmund Sarsfield, a Cork merchant, and Katherine, daughter of Piers Gould of Cork. Dominick entered Middle Temple in London in 1594, and despite his relatively humble…

Sarsfield, Patrick (d. 1693), soldier, lst earl of Lucan , was the second son, and youngest of five children, of Patrick Sarsfield and his wife Anne, daughter of Rory O'More (qv), a leader of the 1641 rebellion. The Sarsfields were an Old…

Sarsfield, Sir William (1520–1616), politician, was the son of alderman John Sarsfield of Sarsfieldstown, Co. Meath. A wealthy landowner, he was deeply involved in the civic life of Dublin, beginning his connection with the municipal government in 1554–5, when he served as sheriff…

Saul, Jonathan Patrick (‘Paddy’) (1894–1968), sailor and pioneer aviator, was born into a Church of Ireland family in Skerries, Co. Dublin, son of a Dublin contractor, Thomas Saul, and his wife Catherine; he had at least three sisters and three brothers. Educated at St Patrick's…

Saunders, Colman Patrick Mansfield (1900–94), pioneering paediatrician, was born 25 November 1900 at the family home in Glenageary, Co. Dublin, the son of David Mansfield Saunders, a major in the RAMC who was serving in South Africa at…

Saunders, Henry (c.1725–1787), publisher, printer, and bookseller, was probably born in Dublin; nothing else is known of his family background. He lived and worked in the city throughout his life. In the late 1740s he was a journeyman to the printer and newspaper proprietor…

Saunderson, Edward James (1837–1906), politician, was born 1 October 1837 at Castle Saunderson, Co. Cavan, the fourth son (there were also two daughters) of Alexander Saunderson (d. 1857), landlord, and his wife, Sarah Juliana (née Maxwell; d. 1870), eldest daughter of the Rev.…

Saurin, William (1757/8–1839), barrister and attorney general for Ireland, was born probably in the parish of Shankill, outside Belfast, second son of the Rev. James Saurin (d. 1772), vicar of Belfast 1747–72, and his wife Jane (d. 1760), daughter of…

Savage, John (1828–88), nationalist and writer, was born 13 December 1828 in Dublin. Little is known of his background except that he came from a nationalist family: his father was a repealer and his grandfather a United Irishman. He attended school in Harold's Cross, Dublin. In…

Savage, Marmion Wilme (1803–72), novelist and journalist, was born 22 February 1803 in Dublin, the only child of Revd Henry Savage and Sarah Savage (née Bewley). He grew up in his father's parish in Ardkeen, Co. Down. Awarded a BA in classics…

Savage, Philip (1644–1717), chancellor of the exchequer, was born in February 1644 in Dublin, only son of Valentine Savage (d. 1670?) and his wife Anne Haughton, both of Dublin. He had three younger sisters. He was educated by Mr Golbourne of Dublin, entering…

Savage, Roland (‘Ronnie’) Marcus Anthony Burke- (1912–98), Jesuit priest and editor, was born in north Dublin on 11 August 1912, son of Matthew Burke-Savage, medical doctor, and his wife Alice (née O'Connor). Educated at Clongowes Wood College, Co. Kildare, he entered the Society of…

Savage, Sir Robert (c.1293–1360), landowner and seneschal of Ulster, was the son and heir of Henry Savage (d. c.1305), lord of the Savages of the Ards, Co. Down. On his father's death he became leader of the Savages, an English family who had accompanied…

Savage, Sir Roland (Raibhlinn, Janico) (d. 1519), lord of Lecale and seneschal, was a younger son of Robert Savage the Younger, lord of Lecale and head of a largely gaelicised family that competed with the neighbouring Whites of the Dufferin, for the most part successfully, for the…