Irish Language

Mac Suibhne, Micheál (c.1760–c.1820), poet, was born at Funshinaugh, near Cong, Co. Mayo. The names of his parents are not known, but his family is said to have migrated from Ulster to Connacht in Cromwellian times. Micheál Mac Suibhne and his brother Toirdhealbhach…

MacSwiney, Patrick John (1885–1940), catholic priest, Gaelic scholar, antiquarian, historian and teacher, was born on 16 March 1885 in 40 Nile Street (latterly Sheares Street), Cork city, the son of Terence McSweeney (b. 1847), a bootmaker, and his wife Hannah (née McCarthy; b. 1848…

Mageoghegan (Mac Eochagáin), Conall (fl. 1620s–1630s), Gaelic annalist, was born in the late sixteenth century in Co. Westmeath, the son of Niall Mageoghegan (d. 1596). Members of his family were lords of the territory of Kinaleagh (Cinel-Fhiachach) in Co. Westmeath (…

Maguire, Conor Joseph O'Loughlin (1861–1944), physician and folklorist, was born in Carraroe, Co. Galway, the only son of the two children of Edward Maguire, also a physician, and his first wife, whose maiden name was O'Loughlin. His father later married a second time and had another…

Malone, Sylvester (1822–1906), priest, ecclesiastical historian, and Irish-language enthusiast, was born in the parish of Kilmally, Co. Clare, son of Jeremiah Malone and Mary Malone (neé Slattery). A fluent Irish-speaker since his youth, he was educated at Maynooth and ordained in 1853…

Marstrander, Carl (1883–1965), Celtic scholar and linguist, was born 26 November 1883 in Kristiansand, Norway, son of Fredric Marstrander, principal of a local college, and his wife Christiane Brodtkorb Svendrup. His interest in languages was probably encouraged at an early age by a…

Mason, Henry Joseph Monck (1778–1858), miscellaneous bilingual writer, librarian, and evangelical reformer, was born 15 July 1778 at Powerscourt demesne, Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow, son of Lt-col. Henry Monck Mason and his second wife, Jane, only daughter of…

Maude, (Maighréad) Caitlín (1941–82), poet, writer, singer, actress, dramatist and Irish-language activist, was born 22 May 1941 in Casla, Co. Galway, second child of John Joseph Maude (Seán Ó Máidhbh) and his wife Mai Ridge (Máire Nic an Iomaire), a teacher. Caitlín received her…

McKenna, Lambert (Mac Cionnaith, Láimhbheartach) (1870–1956), Irish-language scholar and catholic social thinker, was born 16 July 1870 in Clontarf, Co. Dublin, son of Andrew McKenna, accountant, and Mary McKenna (née Lambert). Having attended Belvedere College, Dublin, he entered the…

McKiernan, Eoin (1915–2004), cultural entrepreneur and promoter of Irish studies, was born in Manhattan, New York city, on 10 May 1915, eldest of four children of Henry McKiernan (born in America of Cavan–Leitrim parents), foreman engineer, and his wife Delia (née Nagle), who had…

McKinney, Thomas Joseph (1887–1973), army surgeon and Irish scholar, was born 30 October 1887 at Greencastle, Co. Antrim, son of Thomas McKinney, sergeant in the RIC, and Mary McKinney (née McKillop). His family later moved to…

Merriman, Brian (c.1749–1805), poet, was born in Ennistymon, Co. Clare. Very little is known with certainty about him. His name is more than likely a variant of the west Clare surname Marrinan. His father was a stonemason, who worked on the building of the Deer Park walls…

Meyer, Kuno (1858–1919), Celtic scholar, philologist and translator, was born 20 December 1858 in Hamburg, north Germany, second among four children of Eduard Meyer, a classical historian of some repute, and Henrietta Meyer. Kuno first attended the Siemsenschen Privatschule and then the…

Mooney, Canice (1911–63) Franciscan priest, historian, and Irish language scholar, was born 13 February 1911 in Drumshambo, Co. Leitrim, one of eight children of publican, auctioneer and public representative Andrew Mooney and his wife Josephine Gaffney. He was christened Albert…

Moran, David Patrick (‘D. P.’) (1869–1936), nationalist journalist, was born 22 March 1869 in Manor, Co. Waterford, youngest among twenty children of James Moran, building contractor, who constructed several large ecclesiastical and civic buildings in late nineteenth-century Waterford (…

Morris, Henry (Ó Muirgheasa, Énrí; ‘Fearghas Mac Roígh’) (1874–1945), writer and Irish scholar, was born 14 January 1874 in Lisdoonan, Donaghmoyne, Co. Monaghan, son of Luke Morris, farmer and local scholar, and Mary (‘Moya’) Morris (née Ward). He was educated by his great-uncle…

Mulchrone, Kathleen (‘Kate’) (Ó Maolchroín, Ní Maolchroín, Caitlín) (1895–1973), Celticist, was born 22 November 1895 in Kilbeggan, Co. Westmeath, youngest among four daughters of Patrick Mulchrone, RIC sergeant, originally from Co.…

Murphy, (Henry) Gerard (1901–59), Celticist, was born 2 May 1901 in Clontivern, Clones, Co. Monaghan, second son of Henry Murphy, solicitor, and his wife Mary Travers (née Donnelly). Although baptised as ‘Henry’, he was known as ‘Gerard’ to his family, friends, and students. He…

Murray, Laurence Patrick, ('Larry'), (Ó Muireadhaigh, Lorcán) (1883–1941), priest, historian and Irish-language activist, was born 8 June 1883 in Newry Street, Carlingford, Co. Louth, the eldest of seven surviving children (four sons and three daughters) of James Murray, a member of the…

Neilson, William (Mac Néill, Uilliam) (1774–1821), presbyterian minister, classical and Irish-language scholar and writer, was born 12 September 1774 at Rademon, Kilmore, Co. Down, fourth among seven sons of the Rev. Moses Neilson (1739?–1823), schoolmaster and presbyterian minister of…

Ní Bhrolcháin, Muireann (1955–2015), academic and activist, was born on 15 May 1955 at Calvary Hospital (Bon Secours) in Galway, the eldest of three daughters of Cilian Ó Brolcháin, professor of physics at University College Galway (UCG, now the University of Galway) from Dublin, and…

Nic Dhonnchadha, Lil (1891–1984), Irish language scholar and language activist, was born 9 October 1891 in Belfast, one of the four surviving children of customs and excise officer Séamus Mac Donnchadha and his wife, Georgina Ffolliott L'Amie, who had trained as a teacher. Her father…

Ní Chéileachair, Síle (1924–85), teacher and Irish language author, was born 24 July 1924 in Cúil Aodh, Co. Cork, one of six children of farmer Dónall Bán Ó Céileachair and his wife, Siobhán Ní Mhulláin. Although born in the Gaeltacht, she grew up in a bilingual environment. She…

Ní Chonaill, Eibhlín Dhubh (c.1743–c.1800), poet, was born in Derrynane (Doire Fhionáin), Co. Kerry, one of the twenty-two children of Máire Ní Dhuibh (qv) and her husband, Domhnall Mór Ó Conaill of Derrynane…

Nic Niocaill, Eibhlín (1884–1909), Gaelic League activist, was born 22 October 1884 in Dublin as Eveleen Constance Nicholls , only daughter and second among four children of Archibald J. Nicholls (1845–1924), barrister and secretary of the Loan Fund Board of Ireland, and his wife, Mary…