Biographies A-Z

Valence, Agnes de (c.1250–1309), magnate, was the daughter of William de Valence, lord of Wexford (sometimes styled earl of Pembroke), and Joan de Munchensy (granddaughter of William Marshal (qv), earl of Pembroke and lord of…

Valentine, John (b. 1857, d. p. 1945), businessman and political activist, was born at Longford town, the son of a blacksmith. Valentine was educated at the national school in Irvinestown, Co. Fermanagh, where his family moved in the early 1870s. As ‘a bare-footed boy’…

Vallancey, Charles (1725?–1812), soldier and antiquary, may have been connected with the French noble family of d'Estampes de Vallancey (or Valençay), but the names of his parents are unknown. It has been stated he was born at Windsor, but in neither the records of Windsor parish church…

Valognes, Hamo de (d. c.1203), a member of the household of John (qv), lord of Ireland, from at latest 1193 and possibly as early as 1185, was sent by John to Ireland as his justiciar in 1195. While in Dublin, he appears to have entered…

Vandeleur, Crofton Moore (1808–81), landlord and MP, was born on 9 December 1808 in Kilrush, Co. Clare, the elder son among two sons and two daughters of John Ormsby Vandeleur and his wife Lady Frances (d. 1833), daughter of Charles Moore (qv), 1st marquess of Drogheda. John Ormsby…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Vandeleur, Crofton Moore. View the original entry.

This is a co-subject for the entry on Vandeleur, Crofton Moore. View the original entry.

Vandeleur, John Scott (1791–p. 1833), landlord, was born in Co. Clare, first son of Col. Boyle Vandeleur of Ralahine, Co. Clare, and his wife Diana, daughter of John Scott of Cahircon, Co. Clare. He was educated at the school of the Rev. Louis Kerr, entered…

Vandeleur, Sir John Ormsby (1763–1849), British army general, was eldest son of Richard Vandeleur, captain in the 9th Lancers, of Rutland, Queen's Co. (Laois), and Kilrush, Co. Clare, and his wife Elinor, daughter of John Firman of Firmount. Educated privately, he joined the army…

Van Der Hagen, Johann , (variously, ‘Vander Egan’) (fl.1720–36), painter, was born in The Hague, where he studied art. He moved first to London and then to Ireland, where he worked in Dublin and other towns, particularly in the south of the country. While he is best known…

Vane, Sir Francis Patrick Fletcher (1861–1934), soldier, radical, author and scout leader, was born 16 October 1861 at 10 North Great George's Street, Dublin, the only son of Frederick Henry Fletcher Vane (1807–94), a former army officer, and his wife Rosa Linda (née Moore; d. 1895), an…

van Gelderen, Gerrit (1926–94), naturalist, wildlife film-maker, broadcaster, and author, was born 26 August 1926 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, eldest child of Johannes Gerardus van Gelderen, a local-authority employee who lived within the municipal park where he worked. Familiar from…

Van Homrigh, Bartholomew (d. 1703), merchant, lord mayor of Dublin, and land agent, was born in Danzig (Gdansk). His date of birth is unknown but it was before 1665. He came to Dublin from Amsterdam in Charles II's reign and established himself as a merchant. In 1685 he acquired…

Van Homrigh (Vanhomrigh), Esther (Hester) (1688–1723), Jonathan Swift's (qv) ‘Vanessa’, was born 14 February 1688 in Dublin, eldest of the four children of Bartholomew Van Homrigh (qv),…

Van Nost, John II (c.1710–1780), sculptor, was born in London, son of John Van Nost I (sometimes spelt Ost or Oasts), sculptor. His late birth, just prior to his father's death, meant that he did not inherit the family business and was apprenticed to the sculptor Henry…

Vanston, Doreen (Dairine) (1903–88), artist, was born 19 October 1903 in Dublin, daughter of John S. B. Vanston, solicitor, and Lilla Mary Vanston (née Coffey), sculptor (see below). She was educated at Alexandra College, Dublin, and then studied art at Goldsmith's College, London, and…

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Vanston, Sir George Thomas Barrett (1853–1923), lawyer and civil servant, was born 31 May 1853 at Hildon House, Terenure, south Co. Dublin, second son of John Davis Vanston, solicitor, originally from Hacketstown, Co. Carlow, and his wife Catherine, daughter of George Washington…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Vard, John (‘Jack’, ‘Jackie’). View the original entry.

Vard, John (‘Jack’, ‘Jackie’) (1926–98), sportsman and businessman, was born 29 May 1926 in 4 Rosedale Terrace, Dublin, one of six sons and two daughters of Alfred (‘Taylor’) Vard, of Dublin, originally a cobbler by profession, and his London-born first wife, Daisy May Vard (née…

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Varian, Elizabeth Willoughby (‘Finola’) (née Treacy) (1821–96), poet and nationalist, was born in Ballymena, Co. Antrim, one of four children (three girls and a boy) of John Treacy (d. 1843) a protestant landowner of Brigadie House, Ballymena, and his wife Anne Treacy (whose previous…

Vaughan, Sir John (d. 1643), servitor, was born in Wales. He arrived in Ireland in early 1599 as a lieutenant in reinforcements sent from the Low Countries. In May 1600 he landed in Lough Foyle as part of an expedition to Ulster led by Sir…

Veale, Joseph (‘Joe’) (1921–2002), Jesuit priest and teacher, was born 7 March 1921 in Dublin, younger of two children and only son of William J. Veale, civil servant, and Mary Veale (née Mullholland), both of Dublin. After primary education at St Patrick's national school,…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Veitch, James Andrew. View the original entry.