Maume, Patrick

Etchingham, Sean R. (1870–1923), politician and journalist, was born 6 February 1870 at Ballintray (near Gorey), Co. Wexford, son of Jack Etchingham, gardener, and his wife, Margaret (née Redmond), who also had at least three daughters. The family had a Fenian tradition, which…

Fahey, Denis (1883–1954), catholic priest and anti-Semite, was born in Kilmore, Golden, Co. Tipperary, on 2 July 1883, youngest of three sons of Timothy Fahey, farmer, and his wife, Brigit Fahey (née Clery). Timothy Fahey's farm was located in the parish of Knockavilla, whose pastor,…

Falls, Cyril Bentham (1888–1971), military historian and journalist, was born 2 March 1888 in Dublin, elder of two sons of Charles Fausset Falls (1860–1936) and his wife Clare (née Bentham), who also had a daughter. His father was a prominent Enniskillen solicitor and a leading…

Farrell, Mairead (1957–88), republican paramilitary, was born 3 August 1957 in Belfast, youngest of six children and only daughter of Daniel Farrell and his wife, whose surname was Gaffney. Farrell's family were middle-class Catholics who owned a hardware and grocery shop. Her…

Farrell, Monica (1892–1982), protestant evangelist, was born in Dublin in 1892, one of the younger children in a family of seven. Her mother died when she was seven and she was brought up by an older sister who worked as a seamstress. She reacted to her bereavement and physical ill-…

Faul, Denis O'Beirne (1932–2006), catholic priest and human rights activist, was born in Louth village (near Dundalk), Co. Louth, on 14 August 1932, son of Joseph Faul, medical practitioner, and his wife Anne Frances (née O'Beirne) from Newry, Co. Down. He had three sisters and three…

Faulkner, Pádraig (1918–2012), politician, was born on 12 March 1918 in Dundalk, Co. Louth, the eldest of six children (four daughters and two sons) of Thomas Faulkner, farmer, and his wife Elizabeth (née Casey). While Thomas Faulkner was a staunch Redmondite and member (eventually…

Ferguson, Richard ('Dick') (1935–2009), barrister and politician, was born in Derrygonnelly, Co. Fermanagh, on 22 August 1935, only child of Wesley Ferguson, RUC sergeant, and his wife Edith. The Fergusons, who were methodists, had farmed…

Field, William (1843–1935), nationalist politician and businessman, was born in Blackrock, Co. Dublin, son of John Field, victualler, and Grace Field (née Byrne). His father was the secretary of the Blackrock branch of the Young Irelanders' Confederation, and had his house searched…

Finucane, Patrick (1950–89), solicitor and republican, was born in Belfast, eldest of eight children (seven boys and one girl) of Patrick Finucane, flour-mill worker, and his wife, Kathleen. He was educated at St Mary's Christian Brothers’ grammar school, St Malachy's College,…

Fitt, Gerard ('Gerry') (1926–2005), politician, was born Gerald Martin on 9 April 1926 in the infirmary of Belfast workhouse, son of Rose Martin, unmarried servant, and an unknown father. Shortly after birth, Fitt was fostered out to George Patrick Fitt, cigarette factory worker, and…

Fitzgerald, Eugene (Gene) (1932–2007), politician, was born in Crookstown, Co. Cork, on 21 August 1932; he had at least one brother and one sister. Educated at Crookstown national school and Presentation Brothers' College, Cork, he lived most of his adult life in Bishopstown in the…

Fitzgerald, (Fanny Louisa) Geraldine Penrose- (1846–1939), novelist and catholic convert, was born 27 January 1846, youngest daughter of Robert Uniacke Penrose-Fitzgerald and his wife Frances Matilda (née Austen); she had at least three brothers and one sister. The Penrose-…

FitzGerald, Garret (1926–2011), economist, politician and taoiseach, was born in Dublin on 9 February 1926, fourth and youngest son of…

Fitzgibbon, Gerald (1837–1909), judge, was born 28 August 1837 in Dublin, the eldest child of the two sons and a daughter of Gerald Fitzgibbon (qv), judge, and his wife, Ellen (née Patterson), who came from Belfast. He was educated…

Flannery, Michael (1902–94), Irish-American republican activist, was born in January 1902 in Knockshegowna, near Roscrea, in north Co. Tipperary, the sixth of seven children. His paternal grandfather was evicted three times during the period of the famine, his father was active in…

Folens, Albert Joseph Marcel (1916–2003) Flemish nationalist and educational publisher, was born 15 October 1916 in Bissegem, west Flanders (latterly part of the municipality of Kortrijk, formerly Courtrai) to a devoutly catholic Flemish‐speaking family. (Folens recalled saying many…

Fortune, Sean (1953–99), catholic priest and paedophile, was born in Gorey, Co. Wexford, on 20 December 1953. He was educated in Gorey at the Loreto Convent and the Christian Brothers' School, and then became a member of the Christian Brothers' juniorate in Dún Laoghaire (1969–73). In…

Foster, Lydia Mary (1867–1943), writer and schoolteacher, was born in Newmills, Co. Tyrone in 1867, fourth of six children (three sons and three daughters) of James Foster, presbyterian minister of Newmills congregation 1850–90, and his wife Lydia (née Harkness), from a presbyterian…

Fouéré, Yann (1910–2011), Breton nationalist and businessman, was born Jean-Adolphe Four in Aignan, Gers département (Gascony), France, on 26 July 1910, the elder child of a boy and girl born to Jean Fouéré, civil servant, and his wife Marie (née Liegard). The Fouéré family had…

Fox, William (‘Billy’) (1939–74), farmer and politician, was born in January 1939 in Cortubber, Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan, the only son of William Fox and his wife, Helen. He was educated at the local national school and Victor Weymount grammar school, Carrickmacross, and then worked…

French, Sir John Denton Pinkstone (1852–1925), 1st earl of Ypres, field-marshal and lord lieutenant of Ireland, was born 28 September 1852 at Ripple Vale, near Deal, Kent, the only son (he had five sisters) of Captain John Tracey French, RN, and his wife…

Fuller, Stephen (1899–84), farmer, political activist and survivor of the 1923 Ballyseedy massacre, was born on 25 December 1899 at Fahavane, a hamlet just outside the village of Kilflynn, north of Tralee, Co. Kerry. The eldest child of Daniel Fuller, ‘an extensive farmer’, (…

Gaffney, Gertrude (‘Gertie’,‘Conor Galway’) (d. 1959), journalist, was born in Middletown, Co. Armagh, and educated at St Louis convent, Carrickmacross. Under the pen name ‘Conor Galway’ she published several stories and one novel, Workers towards the dawn (1919). She was…

Gaffney, Honoria (Mother Mary Evangelista) (1853–1920), missionary nun, was born 1 May 1853 in the parish of Kilronan, Keadue, Co. Roscommon, the seventh of ten children of Patrick Gaffney, cobbler and smallholder, and his wife Mary (née Quinn). Gaffney's parents farmed eleven acres…