Industry

Mason, Roy (1924–2015), secretary of state for Northern Ireland, was born on 18 April 1924 in Royston, a mining village near Barnsley, Yorkshire, the only son (he had one sister, Edna) of Joseph Mason, coalminer, and his wife Mary Ann (née MacDonald) from a Yorkshire mining family. The…

McBirney, David (1806?–1882), department store owner and founder of Belleek pottery, was probably born in 1806; no other details of his background and early life are known. By 1838 he had formed the partnership of McBirney, Collis & Co., and was trading as the Hibernian Woollen…

McCabe, Thomas (1740?–1820), watchmaker, businessman, and United Irishman, was born probably at Lurgan, Co. Armagh, the eldest of four sons of Patrick McCabe (1708?–85), a clock- and watchmaker, and his wife, Mary (née Maziere) (1717?–1801). Taking up their father's trade, he and…

McCormack, Percy (Percival Davis) (1929–2015), nuclear scientist, rocket engineer, pilot and physician, was born 23 October 1929 at the family home at 5 Garville Road, Rathgar, Dublin, the eldest of three children (he had a sister, Marion, and a brother, John) born to Thomas Henry…

McDonnel, Sir Edward (1806–60), merchant and paper manufacturer, was born in Dublin, son of Christopher McDonnel, also a merchant and paper manufacturer, and his wife Ann, daughter of Edward Brennan, all from Dublin. Although one of the most eminent and successful merchants in the…

McDonogh, Martin (Mac Donnchada, Máirtin) (1858–1934), merchant, industrialist, and TD, was born in Lettermullen, Galway, eldest son among three sons and two daughters of Thomas Redmond McDonogh (d. 1902), merchant, originally of Lettermullen and later Galway, and his wife Honoria…

Mulcahy, John Augustine (‘Jack’) (1906–94), industrialist, businessman, and philanthropist, was born 26 August 1906 at Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, fifth among twelve children of Patrick Mulcahy, town clerk of Waterford , and Mary Mulcahy (née O'Shea). He was educated locally in the…

Mulholland, Andrew (1792–1866), textile manufacturer, was born 15 March 1792, probably in Belfast. His father, Thomas Mulholland, is believed to have been of humble origins and probably illiterate; he started as a dealer, and then invested in property. In 1784 he married Anne Doe…

Murphy, James Jeremiah (1825–97), brewer, banker, and businessman, was born 10 November 1825 in Cork, eldest among six sons and nine daughters of Jeremiah James Murphy (1795–1851), merchant and distiller, of Lota Park, Glanmire, Cork, and his wife Catherine (d. 17 July 1872),…

Murphy, Joseph (1923–2001), founder of Tayto crisps, was born 15 May 1923 beside the Liberties in Dublin, one of four sons and one daughter of Thomas Murphy, builder, and Molly Murphy (née Sweeney), who owned a wallpaper and paint shop on Thomas St. He was educated at Synge St.…

Muspratt, James (1793–1886), chemical industrialist, was born 12 August 1793 in Dublin, third child and second son among six sons and two daughters of Evan Muspratt, cork-cutter, and Sarah Muspratt (née Mainwaring), both of Dublin, whose families came originally from England. After…

Newenham, Richard (1705–59), merchant and manufacturer, was born into a quaker family on 31 December 1705 in Cork, the eldest of seven children of John Newenham, a clothier of Cork city, and his wife Elizabeth (née Wight). His maternal grandfather, Thomas Wight, wrote the first history…

Nun, Richard (c.1750–1817), papermaker, was born in Dublin, son of Benjamin Nun (d. 1776), linen draper and papermaker, and his first wife, Anne (née Steel). In 1758 Benjamin Nun went into partnership with Thomas Watson (d. 1782) to set up a paper mill in Millmount, near…

O'Brien, John Patrick ('Jack') (1900–56), promoter of Irish tourism, was born on 3 February 1900 in Ballyporeen, Co. Tipperary, the eldest son of Patrick O'Brien, shopkeeper and baker of Main Street, Ballyporeen, and his wife Catherine (née O'Brien). He attended Rockwell College,…

O'Sullivan, Cornelius (1841–1907), brewer's chemist, was born 20 December 1841 at Bandon, Co. Cork, one of seven children (three boys and four girls) of James O'Sullivan, merchant, and his wife Elizabeth (née Morgan). He attended Denny Holland's private primary school in Bandon,…

Patterson, Sir Robert Lloyd (1836–1906), amateur naturalist, art collector, and linen manufacturer, was born 28 December 1836 at 3 College Square North, Belfast, second son among five sons and six daughters of Robert Patterson (qv) (…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Patterson, Sir Robert Lloyd. View the original entry.

Penrose, George (1722–96), merchant and co-founder of the Waterford glass works, was born 5 September 1722, ninth son among twelve children of William Penrose I, merchant, and Margaret Penrose (née Godfrey), of Co. Waterford. The Penroses were one of a close knit group of quaker…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Penrose, George. View the original entry.

Pirrie, William James (1847–1924), 1st Viscount Pirrie , shipbuilder and politician, was born 31 May 1847 in Quebec, Canada, the only son of James Alexander Pirrie, shipping merchant (and son of a shipping merchant, Capt. William Pirrie), of Conlig, Little Clandeboye, Co. Down, and…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Dunning, Gertrude Frances. View the…

Power, Sir John (1771–1855), 1st baronet, distiller, was born in Dublin, son of James Power, proprietor of the New Sun Inn, 109 Thomas St., Dublin, and founder of a distillery at nearby John's St. West (1791), later known as the John's Lane distillery. No information on his mother is…

Reihill, John Philip (1933–2013), coal and oil importer, was born on 28 June 1933 in Lower Baggot Street, Dublin, the elder son of two sons and two daughters of John Reihill, a coal importer of Ailesbury Park, Dublin, originally from Co. Fermanagh, and his wife Elizabeth (née Stafford…

Richardson, John Grubb (1813/15–1890), linen manufacturer and philanthropist, was second son among seven sons and three daughters of James Nicholson Richardson and Alicia Richardson (née Grubb); he was a grandson of Jonathan…

Richardson, Jonathan (1756–1817), linen bleacher and merchant, was born near Lisburn, Co. Antrim, a younger son of John Richardson and Ruth Richardson (née Hogg); the family were members of the Society of Friends. Jonathan, who had at least one elder brother, left home as a boy to…