Biographies A-Z

Edwards, William Victor (‘Billy’) (1887–1917), rugby, swimming, and water polo international, was born 16 October 1887 in Strandtown, Belfast, the son of Alfred Edwards, merchant, from Strandtown, and Mary Edwards (née Wilson). He was educated at Thanet College, Margate, England;…

Edwin (Richards), Elizabeth Rebecca (1771?–1854), actress and singer, was the daughter of William Talbot Richards and his wife Sarah, who acted in English, Scottish and Irish provincial theatres, and at Crow Street in Dublin. Records are unclear on her date and place of birth.…

Egan, Barry M. (1879–1954), businessman and politician, was born in Cork city into a prominent Cork merchant family, the son of Finbarr Egan and his wife Mary (née Noonan). His grandfather William Egan founded the firm of William Egan & Sons, jewellers, on Grand Parade, Cork, in…

Egan, Boetius (1580?–1650), catholic bishop, was the son of Teig Egan of Park in the parish of Clonbern, Co. Galway. His family had traditionally been brehons to a branch of the Clanricard Burkes. He studied philosophy at Douai and theology at Louvain where he was taught by…

Egan, Boetius (1734–98), catholic archbishop of Tuam and founding trustee of St Patrick's College, Maynooth, was born at Dunblaney, near Tuam, Co. Galway. He was sent abroad to study for the priesthood, leaving behind two brothers who were brought up in Tuam. Educated at the Irish…

Egan, James Francis (1847–1909), Fenian, was born in Limerick city, son of the proprietors of a small city hotel, of whom no other details are known. Educated locally, as a young man he worked initially as a commercial traveller for a Dublin ironmongery firm, and subsequently for a…

Egan, John (1755–1810), politician and lawyer, was born at Charleville, Co. Cork, the second son of Dr Carbery Egan, a Church of Ireland clergyman, and his wife, Jane Egan (née Markham). He was educated at Newmarket, Co. Cork, and then at the Charleville Endowed School, which was…

Egan, John (1952–2012), Gaelic footballer, was born on 13 June 1952 in Tahilla, near Sneem, Co. Kerry, one of four sons and three daughters of Paddy Egan, a carpenter of Tahilla, and his wife Mary (née O'Shea), who ran a small shop there. He played Gaelic football constantly,…

Egan, Michael (1880–1954), handballer, was born 28 August 1880 at Ballyglass, Glenamaddy, Co. Galway, the son of Thomas Egan, a small farmer, and Catherine Egan (née Haddican) of Ballyglass. When he was young, his family migrated to Pittsburgh, USA. In 1896 they moved again, to…

Egan, Patrick (1841–1919), nationalist, was born 13 August 1841 in Ballymahon, Co. Longford, son of Francis Egan, a tenant-farmer who later became a civil engineer. Educated locally, at the age of 17 he moved to Glasnevin, Dublin, and began working as a clerk at the headquarters of…

Egan, Patrick Joseph (1876–1960), businessman and politician, was born 14 June 1876 in Tullamore, King's Co. (Offaly), eldest son among at least four sons and one daughter of Henry Egan (1847–1919), of High St., Tullamore, prosperous merchant and local politician, and Elizabeth Egan…

Egan, Pierce (c.1774–1849), popular novelist and sporting journalist, was the eldest son of James Egan, labourer; his uncle was John Egan (qv), the politician. Although there is no record of his birth or early life, there is reason…

Egerton, George (Mary Chavelita Dunne ) (1859–1945), writer, was born 14 December 1859 in Melbourne, Australia, eldest daughter among three daughters and one son of Capt. John Joseph Dunne (1837–1910), native of Queen's Co. (Laois), Ireland, army officer, author, artist, sportsman,…

Eglington, Tommy (Thomas Joseph) (1923–2004), soccer player, was born 15 January 1923 at 14 Norfolk Market, Great Britain (latterly Parnell) Street, Dublin, son of Christopher Eglington, butcher, and his wife Margaret (née McHugh). In his childhood the family moved to 7 Hazel Road…

Eithne (d. 795), daughter of Donnchad Midi and queen-consort of Leinster, belonged to the Clann Cholmáin dynasty of the Southern Uí Néill. Her marriage to Bran Ardchenn (qv), an early representative of the Uí Muiredaig lineage of Uí…

Elam (Dacre Fox), Norah (1878–1961), suffragist and fascist, was born Norah Doherty in Blackrock, Co. Dublin, on 5 May 1878, third of nine children (three daughters and six sons) of John Doherty, businessman, and his wife Charlotte Isabel (née Clarke). The family moved in 1888 to London…

Elder, Olivia (1735?–1780), poet, was born on 21 January, possibly in 1735 or perhaps 1739, the daughter of Rev. John Elder (1693–1779), presbyterian minister of Aghadowey in north Co. Londonderry since 1723; her mother's name is not known. There seems to have been at least one…

Eliot, Edward Granville (1798–1877), 3rd earl of St Germans , chief secretary and lord lieutenant of Ireland, was born 29 August 1798 in Plymouth, Devon, England, the only son of William Eliot (1767–1845), 2nd earl of St Germans, and his first wife, Lady Georgiana Augusta Leveson-Gower…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Elliman, Maurice (Moshe, Moses). View the original entry.

Elliman, Maurice (Moshe, Moses) (1872–1952), businessman, cinema and theatre impresario, was born 9 March 1872 into a Jewish family in Kovno, Lithuania, then part of the Russian empire. His father, Moshe Hellman, died before his second son was born and named after him. His mother…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Elliman, Maurice (Moshe, Moses). View the original entry.

Elliott, Andrew Charles (c.1828–1889), barrister, judge, and politician in Canada, was born in Dublin, son of John Elliott. After education in Ireland, he entered Lincoln's Inn, London (11 November 1851), and qualified as a barrister in 1854. In early 1859 he emigrated to…

Elliott, James (1838–83), boxer, was born in March 1838 in Athlone, Co. Westmeath. His family emigrated to the US when he was an infant, and he grew up in Brooklyn, New York. His father abandoned the family shortly after their arrival in America and Elliott worked from a young age in a…

Elliott, Robert Matthew Johnson (1863–1910), painter and critic, was born in England. He went to sea, aged fourteen, and worked his way up from cabin boy to master's certificate. Largely self-educated, he is reputed to have slept only four hours out of twenty-four, in order to…

Elliott, Seamus ('Shay') (1934–71), cyclist, was born 4 June 1934 at Old County Road, Crumlin, Dublin, the second of three sons of Jim Elliott, garage owner of Rathfarnham, Co. Dublin, and his wife Nell (née Farrell). His parents were part of the republican contingent that seized the…