Law

Comerford, Gerard (Gerald, Garret) (d. 1604), attorney and judge, was a younger son of Fowke (Fulke) Comerford of Callan, Co. Kilkenny, and his wife Rosina Rothe. His father was a loyal adherent of Thomas Butler (qv), 10th earl of…

Comerford, James ('Jim') Joseph (1901–88), nationalist, judge and parade organiser, was born on 7 January 1901 in the family home at Coolraheen, Muckalee, Co. Kilkenny, the only child of John Comerford, farmer, of Coolraheen, and his wife Julia (née Kavanagh), schoolteacher, from…

Commins, Andrew (1832–1916), barrister and politician, was born at Ballybeg, Co. Carlow, the second son of John Commins and his wife, Catherine, daughter of Laurence Fogarty of Drummond. He studied at Carlow College (where he contributed verse to the Carlow Magazine) and at…

Comyn, George (d. 1663), lawyer and politician, second son of Edmund Comyn and Gennett Sarsfield, was born into a family that had played a leading role in the civic life of Limerick for over two centuries. George trained as a lawyer, entering Gray's Inn on 11 February 1621, before…

Comyn, Michael (1871–1952), lawyer and politician, was born 6 June 1871 at Clareville, Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare, the eldest son and the second of seven children of James Comyn of Kilshanny, Co. Clare, a tenant farmer and secretary of the local branch of the Land League, and his wife…

Comyn, Sir James Peter (1921–97), leading barrister and high court judge in England, was born 8 March 1921 in Beaufield House, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin, the only son of James Comyn, a barrister and former civil servant from Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare, and his wife Mary Moloney,…

Condon, Colm (Columba) (1921–2008), barrister and attorney general, was born 16 July 1921 in Ashbourne, Co. Meath, the only son and third of six children of Thomas Condon, of Cloonand House, Ashbourne, an accountant and revolutionary, and his wife Margaret (née Maguire), a national…

Coningsby, Thomas (1657–1729), Baron Coningsby of Clanbrassil and earl of Coningsby , lord justice and officeholder, was born 2 November 1657, only son and heir of Humphrey Coningsby of Hampton Court, Herefordshire, and his wife Lettice Loftus (daughter of Sir Arthur Loftus of…

Conlon, Gerard (‘Gerry’) (1954–2014), victim of a miscarriage of justice and human rights campaigner, was born in Cyprus Street in the Lower Falls area of Belfast on 1 March 1954, the only surviving son of…

Conlon, Sarah (née Maguire) (1926–2008), campaigner, was born 20 January 1926 in the Falls Road area of Belfast, the daughter of Vincent Maguire and Mary Catherine Maguire; she had three brothers and three sisters. Sarah's life was dominated by work, family and religion. On leaving…

Connolly, Patrick Joseph (1927–2016), barrister and attorney general of Ireland, was born 25 May 1927 at 70 Botanic Road, Glasnevin, Dublin. He was the elder of two sons born to Patrick Joseph Connolly, principal of Ballyboughal national school, and his wife Ellen (‘Nellie’; née O’Hara…

Conolly, Thomas James (Tommy) (1902–92), lawyer, was born in Dublin on 4 January 1902, the second of six children, five daughters and one son, of Thomas Conolly, master builder, of Fernville, Glasnevin, and his wife, Teresa (née McQuaid), of Stormanstown, Co. Dublin. Educated at…

Conroy, John Charles (‘Charlie’) (1906–85), lawyer and judge, was born 14 January 1906 at Garafin, Rosmuc, Co. Galway, the third of the five children of bilingual parents, Patrick D. Conroy, cattle exporter and JP, and Jane A. Conroy (née…

Coogan, Edward (Eamonn, ‘Ned’) (1896–1948), deputy Garda commissioner, barrister, and politician, was born 30 November 1896 in Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny, the only son of Timothy Coogan, shopkeeper of Castlecomer, and Bridget Coogan (née Joyce). Educated at Castlecomer national…

Cook (Cooke), John (c.1609–1660), lawyer and regicide, was son of Isaac Cook(e), of Burbage, Leicestershire, England. He is identified conjecturally with ‘John Cook, esquire’ admitted into the King's Inns, Dublin, on 6 November 1634. This would be consistent with what was…

Cooke, Thomas Lalor (1792–1869), attorney and antiquary, probably born in Borrisoleigh, Co. Tipperary, was fifth among sixteen children of Richard Cooke, Roman catholic distiller and merchant, and Mary Cooke (née Lalor). Cooke was apprenticed to a solicitor in Dublin and entered…

Copinger (Coppinger), Maurice (1727–1802), politician and lawyer, was born in Dublin, son of John Copinger, a soldier. Educated at TCD, he graduated BA in spring 1748. His father died in 1750, and…

Costello, (David) Declan (1926–2011), politician, attorney general and judge, was born on 1 August 1926 in the family home at Herbert Park, Ballsbridge, Dublin, the second of five children of John Aloysius Costello (qv) and his wife…

Costello, John Aloysius (1891–1976), barrister, attorney general, dáil deputy, and twice taoiseach, was born 20 June 1891 at 13 Charleville Road, Cabra, Dublin, younger son and second among three children of John Costello, a Clareman who was a staff officer in the registry of deeds, and…

Cotter, Brigid Mary (1921–78), chemist and barrister, was born 3 January 1921 in Roscommon, the eldest daughter in the family of twelve children of Nicholas Patrick Cotter, the chief agricultural officer for Roscommon, and his wife, Bridie, née O'Brien. Brigid was educated at the…

Cowan, Peadar (1903–62), soldier, solicitor, and politician, was born Peter Cowan on 23 October 1903 in Lacken, Arva, Co. Cavan, eldest son of Thomas Cowan, labourer, and Anne Cowan (née Rudden). Educated locally, he served with the Ballinagh Company, West Cavan Brigade,…

Cox, Arthur Conor Joseph (1891–1965), solicitor and senator, was born 25 July 1891 in Dublin, younger of two sons of Dr Michael Cox (qv) (1852–1926), physician, originally of Roscommon and Sligo, and Elizabeth Cox (née Nolan). Like…

Cox, Sir Richard (1650–1733), historian and lord chancellor of Ireland, was born 25 March 1650 in Bandon, Co. Cork, only child of Richard Cox (d. 1651), a captain in the English army, and Katherine, daughter of Walter Bird of Clonakilty, Co. Cork. His grandfather Michael had moved…

Crampton, Philip Cecil (1782–1862), solicitor general, MP, and judge, was fourth son of the Rev. Cecil Crampton, rector of Headfort, and his wife Nicola Mary, daughter of the Rev. Jeremy Marsh. He entered TCD in 1797, becoming a scholar…

Cranley, Thomas (c.1340–1417), archbishop of Dublin, chancellor and justiciar of Ireland, had a long career as a cleric and scholar in England before coming to Ireland. Cranley was a fellow of Merton College, Oxford, in 1366, receiving his D.Th. before 1390. He held several…