Law

Denham, Sir John (1559–1639), judge, was born probably in London, second son of William Denham – a goldsmith of St Matthew's, Friday St., London, who later settled in Thorpe, Surrey – and his wife Joan. Having been a member of Furnival's Inn, Denham entered Lincoln's Inn on 19…

Dent, Thomas (fl. 1331–61), clerk and chief justice of the Dublin bench, was probably from Dent in Yorkshire, England, and may have been the son of John Jonesman de Dent, with whom he appears accused in 1331 of poaching and trespasses on a manor in Yorkshire belonging to…

Deverell, Averill Katherine Statter (1893–1979), barrister, was born 2 January 1893 in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, the only daughter (she had a twin brother) of William Deverell of Ellesmere, Greystones, clerk of the crown and peace, and his wife Ada Kate Statter Carr. As a teenager she…

Dillon, Garret (Gerard, Gerald) (fl. 1685–93), lawyer and signatory of the articles of Limerick, was a native of Roscommon. He was probably admitted to Gray's Inn in 1669, and was called to the bar in 1674. He built up a substantial practice on the Connacht circuit until…

Dillon, James Mathew (1902–86), politician, barrister, and businessman, was born 26 September 1902 at 2 North Great George's St., Dublin, fifth child among five sons and one daughter of John Dillon (qv), Nationalist MP for Mayo East, and his…

Dillon, Robert (d. 1642), 2nd earl of Roscommon , lord justice, was the eldest son of Sir James Dillon and his wife Eleanor Barnwall of Turvey. He graduated from Gray's Inn in 1613; his legal expertise would partly explain his prominent roles in the 1634 and 1640 parliaments. He…

Dillon, Sir Lucas (Luke) (d. 1593), chief baron of the Irish exchequer, was eldest son of Sir Robert Dillon (qv) of Newtown, Trim, Co. Meath, chief justice of the common pleas, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Edward…

Dillon, Sir Robert (d. 1579), judge, was the third son of James Dillon of Riverstown, Co. Meath, and Elizabeth, daughter of Bartholomew Bathe of Dullardstown. He became a lawyer, probably having been trained at the inns of court in London, and was appointed attorney-general of…

Dillon, Sir Robert (d. 1597), judge, was the eldest son of Thomas Dillon of Riverston, Co. Meath, and his wife Anne, daughter of Sir Thomas Luttrell (qv), chief justice of the common pleas. He studied law at Lincoln's Inn, appearing…

Dix, Ernest Reginald McClintock (1857–1936), solicitor, book collector, and Irish language enthusiast, was born 8 April 1857 in Dublin, elder son of Henry Thomas Dix (1825–1902), a prominent solicitor, and his wife Emma Patience, daughter of an army officer, Henry McClintock of…

Dixon, Kevin (1902–59), barrister and judge, was born 22 June 1902 in Dalkey, Co. Dublin, son of Martin Dixon, quantity surveyor and builder, and his wife Ellen, née Sheridan. Educated at Belvedere College, Dublin, UCD, and the King'…

Doherty, John (1783–1850), politician and chief justice of the common pleas, was second son of John Doherty, attorney, of Aungier St., Dublin, and his wife Margaret, daughter of David Verner. Educated at Chester School, he entered TCD…

Dolan, Charles Joseph (1881–1963), politician and lawyer, was born 18 August 1881 in Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim, eldest of four sons of John Dolan, general merchant, and Bridget Dolan (née Fitzpatrick); he had at least one half-brother and one half-sister by his widowed father's…

Domvile (Domville), Sir William (1609–89), attorney general and constitutional writer, was son and heir of Gilbert Domvile (1583–1637) of Cheshire and his wife, Margaret Jones (d. 1615), a daughter of Thomas Jones (qv) (d. 1619), archbishop of…

Donnellan, James (1588?–1665), lawyer, was third son of Nehemias Donellan (qv), archbishop of Tuam (1595–1609), and his wife Elizabeth O'Donnell of Tyrconnell. He was a scholar of…

Dowling, Matthew (‘Mat’) (1756–1805), United Irishman and attorney, was born in King's Co. (Offaly), son of Patrick Dowling and his wife. Little is known about his early life except that he came from a catholic family. He entered TCD in…

Downes, William (1751–1826), 1st Baron Downes of Aghanville , lord chief justice, was born in Donnybrook, Co. Dublin, the third and only surviving son of six children of Robert Downes, MP for Kildare borough (1735–54), and his wife, Elizabeth Downes, the daughter of Thomas Twigge…

Downing, Timothy McCarthy (1814–79), solicitor and politician, was born at Kenmare, Co. Kerry, on 11 May 1814, the second son in the family of Eugene Downing, a local merchant, and his wife, Helena, daughter of Timothy McCarthy of Kilfadamore, Co. Kerry. They had two other sons and…

Dowse, Richard (1824–90), lawyer, MP, and judge, was born 8 June 1824 in Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, only son of William Henry Dowse, merchant, and his wife Maria, daughter of Hugh Donaldson, all from Dungannon. He came from modest circumstances, but his early aptitude for learning…

Duane, William John (1780–1865), lawyer, journalist, and US treasury secretary, was born 9 May 1780 in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, eldest son of William Duane (1760–1835), catholic Irish-American radical journalist, and Catherine Duane (née Corcoran; 1760–98), a local protestant woman.…

Dubthach of the moccu Lugair (5th cent.?), remembered as a leading poet and brehon who flourished around the time of the introduction of Christianity into Ireland, is attached to the population group of Cenél Lugair, which is traced to one Óengus Umall of Connacht. Tradition…

Duff, Charles St Lawrence (1894–1966) author, barrister and linguist, was born on 7 April 1894 in Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, the youngest of ten children to grow to adulthood of John Duff, secretary of the Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway, and his wife Anne Marie Duff (…

Duff, David (1883–1959), doctor, barrister and colonial civil servant, was born on 11 April 1883 in Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, one of ten children of John Duff, the secretary of the Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway, and his wife Anne Marie (née Elkins). Educated at the…

Duffy, Bernard Joseph (1882–1952), barrister, playwright, and novelist, was born 19 June 1882 at Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan, son of James Joseph Duffy, general merchant, and Mary Anne (Maryann) née McEntagart. Educated at Viscount Weymouth Grammar School, Carrickmacross, and…

Duffy, George Gavan (1882–1951), politician and judge, was born 21 October 1882 at Rose Cottage, Rock Ferry, Cheshire, the eldest son of Sir Charles Gavan Duffy (qv), nationalist politician and premier of Victoria, Australia (1871…