Agriculture

McCaughey, Sir Samuel (1835–1919), pastoralist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist in Australia, was born 30 June 1835 in Tullynewey, near Ballymena, Co. Antrim, eldest son and second child of Francis McCaughey, tenant of a large farm, and Eliza McCaughey (née Wilson), who later had…

McGuckian, Alexander Aloysius (1895–1952), agriculturist, was born 8 December 1895 near Cloughmills, Co. Antrim, one of five sons of Bernard McGuckian, farmer and horsebreaker, and Rose McGuckian (née Laverty). Alexander, known as ‘Sandy’, was educated at the local national school,…

McIlmoyle, Robert John (1875–1965), Reformed Presbyterian minister and member of the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU), was born 10 April 1875, eldest son among five sons and four daughters of Robert McIlmoyle, farmer, of Stradreagh, Limavady, Co. Londonderry, and Margaret McIlmoyle (…

McKay, Robert (1889–1964), horticulturist and plant pathologist, was born 14 February 1889 in Randalstown, Co. Antrim, second of five sons of James McKay, millworker, and Martha McKay (née McDowell), both from farming backgrounds. Three of his brothers emigrated without trace. He…

Mooney, John Joseph (1920–2000), farmer and publisher, was born 8 March 1920 in a nursing home at 4 Upper Pembroke Street, Dublin, elder of two children of Patrick Mooney, farmer and cattle dealer, a native of Athy, Co. Kildare, who had inherited an uncle's farm at Kilmurry, Co.…

Moore, Charles (1820–1905), botanist and horticulturist, was born 10 May 1820 in Dundee, Scotland, son of Charles Moir, gardener, and Helen Moir (née Rattray). Of their nine children only seven survived infancy, one daughter and six sons. In 1830 the Moir family changed their name…

Moore, David (1808–79), botanist and horticulturist, was born 23 April 1808 in Dundee, Scotland, eldest son of Charles Moir, gardener, and Helen Moir (née Rattray). Of their nine children only seven survived infancy, one daughter and six sons. In 1830 the Moir family changed their…

Moore, Robert (1886–1960), farmer, politician, and presbyterian minister, was born 26 September 1886 at Ballymacannon, Ringsend, near Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, son of Kennedy Moore, whose family had farmed in the area for generations, and Mary Elizabeth Moore (née McFetridge).…

Moore, Sir Frederick William (1857–1949), horticulturist and rugby player, was born 3 September 1857 in Dublin, second eldest of three sons and two daughters of David Moore (qv), curator of the Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin, and his…

Murnaghan, George (1847–1929), businessman, farmer, and politician, was born 4 July 1847 in Greenan, Loughbrickland, Co. Down, the fourth of nine children of James Murnaghan, a local farmer, and his wife Rose (née Mulligan). He attended the Royal School, Armagh, from 1864 to 1866,…

Niven, Ninian (1799–1879), horticulturist and landscape gardener, was born at Kelvin Grove near Glasgow. His father, also Ninian Niven, of Pennicuik, was a gardener at Keir House near Stirling and had made two expeditions to the Cape of Good Hope, collecting plants for George…

O'Connor, Robert (1916–97), agricultural economist and public servant, was born 17 April 1916 in Frenchpark, Co. Roscommon. Having attended the local national school, he studied agricultural science at Mountbellew, at Albert College in Dublin, and finally in…

O'Connor, Thomas (1817–87), ‘cattle king of Refugio county, Texas’, was baptised and probably born in February 1817 in Kilmuckridge, Co. Wexford, second son of Thomas O'Connor, tenant farmer at Kilmuckridge, and Margaret O'Connor (née Power). As a younger son, he had no prospect of…

O'Ferrall, Roderic Charles Francis (‘Roddy’) More (1903–90), horse breeder, trainer, and arboriculturist, was born in Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire), Co. Dublin, on 25 July 1903, eldest among three sons and a daughter of Dominic More O'Ferrall of Kildangan, Co. Kildare, landowner and…

O’Keeffe, Paddy (1923–2013), editor, businessman and farmer, was born on 6 May 1923 at Duntaheen, near Fermoy, Co. Cork, the eldest child of two sons and a daughter of John O’Keeffe, farmer of Duntaheen, and his wife Margaret (née Ahearne). After attending CBS Fermoy, he…

O'Leary, Con (1915–98), pioneer of the co-operative movement, was born 18 May 1915 in Glendine, Inchigeela, west Co. Cork, son of Daniel O'Leary, farmer, and Kate O'Leary (née Barrett). He was educated at the local national school, before being forced to leave school to work on…

Orpen, Edward Richards Richards- (1884–1967), agriculturalist, conservationist and senator, was born Edward Richards Orpen on 20 October 1884 in London, the son of Goddard Henry Orpen (qv) and his wife…

O'Sullivan, Daniel (1758/61?–1814), middleman and magistrate, was second son of Daniel O'Sullivan and his wife Honora, daughter of Morgan O'Connell (1739–1809) of Carhen, Cahirciveen, Co. Kerry, and therefore first cousin to Daniel O'…

Parnell, John Howard (1843–1923), farmer and MP, was born at Avondale, Co. Wicklow, third but eldest surviving son among five sons and seven daughters of John Henry Parnell and Delia Tudor Parnell (née Stewart). He was the older brother of…

Pinkerton, John (1845–1908), tenant farmer, magistrate, and MP, was the son of John Pinkerton of Seacon, near Ballymoney, north Antrim, and his wife Nancy (née Pinkerton). John Pinkerton senior was a unitarian tenant farmer and linen merchant who died young after falling from his…

Plunkett, Sir Horace Curzon (1854–1932), cooperative pioneer, was born 24 December 1854 in the home of his maternal grandparents at Sherborne, Gloucestershire, England, third son and sixth child of the 16th Baron Dunsany. The Plunketts, originally Danish, but increasingly part of the…

Prior, James Michael Leathes (‘Jim’) (1927–2016), British Conservative politician, secretary of state for Northern Ireland and businessman, was born in Norwich on 11 October 1927, youngest of four children (two sons and two daughters) of Charles Prior, solicitor, and his wife Aileen (…

Purcell, Seamus (1923–2003), businessman , was born James Purcell in the family home in Cumberland Street (later Emmet Street), Birr, Co. Offaly, on 3 January 1923, the third of eight sons and two daughters of Patrick Purcell (d. 1961), cattle and sheep dealer, and his wife Florence (…

Rawdon, Sir Arthur (1662–95), 2nd baronet, soldier, and horticulturalist, was born 17 October 1662, the third and only surviving son of Sir George Rawdon (qv), 1st baronet, and his second wife, Dorothy, eldest daughter of the 2nd…

Rea, Joe (1938–2007), farm leader, was born 2 May 1938 in Cahir, Co. Tipperary, eldest of two sons and a daughter of Michael Rea, farmer of Farmlee House, Ballyea, near Cahir, and his wife Catherine (‘Kathleen’, née O’Keeffe), originally from Co. Wexford. A voracious reader from early…