Biographies A-Z

Tweedy, Henry John Colpoys (1847–1917), doctor, was born Henry John Tweedy on 3 April 1847 in Dublin, eldest and only son among four children of Henry Tweedy, MD, and Elizabeth Tweedy (née Owen). He was educated at a dame school and at Bective…

Tweedy, (Muriel) Hilda (1911–2005), activist for women's rights and in consumer affairs, was born 26 August 1911, in Clones, Co. Monaghan, in her mother's family home. Her father was a Church of Ireland clergyman, James Ferguson Anderson , at the time rector of Florencecourt, Co.…

Twisleton, Edward Turner Boyd (1809–74), poor law commissioner, was born 24 May 1809 in Ceylon, third son of Dr Thomas James Twisleton (1770–1824), archdeacon of Colombo, and his second wife, Anne (née Ashe) of Bath, England. Edward's grandfather was the 7th Baron Saye and Sele,…

Twomey, Daniel (1886–1968), civil servant, was born 29 December 1886 at Rockborough House, Macroom, Co. Cork. He was educated at Presentation College, Cork, and UCC. In 1905 he won a scholarship to the College of Science, Dublin,…

Twomey, Maurice (‘Moss’) (1897–1978), revolutionary, was born 10 June 1897 at Clondulane, Fermoy, Co. Cork, eldest son among two sons and five daughters of Maurice Twomey, labourer at Hallinan's flour mill, and May Twomey (née Donovan), housewife. Twomey attended the local primary…

Twomey, Séamus (1919–89), Provisional IRA chief of staff, was born in Marchioness Street in the Lower Falls area of Belfast, the son of an IRA Volunteer in the 1920s. Twomey experienced the poverty of interwar Belfast: ‘degradation and…

Tynan, Margaret (1930–2007), first woman mayor of Kilkenny, was born 15 November 1930 in Kilkenny city, only daughter of Pierce Tynan and his wife Mary ('Minnie') (née McGrath); there were also three sons. Pierce Tynan set up a prosperous motor company and garage in Kilkenny, and was…

Tynan, Patrick Joseph Percy (1851–1936), revolutionary, was born in March 1851 in Gorey, Co. Wexford, son of Patrick Tynan, shopkeeper, and Maryanne Tynan (née Lavelle). The family lived at 35 Main St., Gorey, and there were at least two other children: Harry Tynan later worked as a…

Tynan, Thomas (1871–1953), merchant, farmer, greyhound breeder, and politician, was born 17 March 1871 in Jamestown, Ballybrittas, Queen's Co. (Laois), son of Thomas Tynan, farmer, and Mary Tynan (née Connell). Educated locally, in early manhood he entered business as publican and…

Tynbegh, William (c.1375–1424), administrator, first appears in the historical record in October 1391, when he received permission to reside in England to study law. By 1400 he had returned to Ireland; he was appointed the king's attorney in Ireland in January 1400. By…

Tyndall, John (1820–93), scientist and mountaineer, was born 2 August 1820 in Leighlinbridge, Co. Carlow, only son among two children of John Tyndall (1792–1847) and Sarah Tyndall (née McAssey; d. 1867). His father came from a family of small landowners in Co. Kilkenny, acted as…

Tyrrell, Edward (d. 1713), priest-catcher, was of obscure origin. He was said to have been the son of a man from Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, who had been executed for sheep stealing; it was further alleged that he turned informer against the family who subsequently brought him up…

Tyrrell, George (1861–1909), Jesuit priest and theologian, was born 6 February 1861 at 91 Dorset Street, Dublin, the third and youngest child of William Henry Tyrrell, journalist (who died six weeks before George's birth), and his second wife, Mary (née Chamney). …

Tyrrell, John (‘Jack’) (1905–88), naval architect, was born 16 June 1905 in Arklow, Co. Wicklow, son of Michael Tyrrell (qv), shipbuilder, and Mary Tyrrell (neé Abraham). Since at latest the 1770s, generations of Tyrrells had owned,…

Tyrrell, Michael (1869–1948), shipbuilder, was born 6 January 1869 at Arklow, Co. Wicklow, son of John Tyrrell, shipbuilder and founder (1864) of John Tyrrell & Sons Ltd, and Dorah Tyrrell (neé Murray). Since at least the 1770s the Tyrrell family had designed, built, owned, or…

Tyrrell, Patrick (d. 1692), catholic bishop of Clogher and Meath, was descended from the Tyrrells of Fertullagh, Co. Westmeath, but nothing more is known of his parents. He probably joined the local Franciscan friary at Multyfarnham at an early age. He spent part of his early…

Tyrrell, Richard (c.1570–c.1648), confederate captain during the Nine Years' War, was born about 1570 into a cadet branch of the Gaelicised Old English Tyrrell family, who were lords of Fertullagh, a territory in the southeast of Co. Westmeath. The Annals of the…

Tyrrell, Robert Yelverton (1844–1914), classical scholar, was born 21 January 1844 at Ballingarry, Co. Tipperary, the youngest son of Rev. Henry Tyrrell, vicar of the parish of Ballingarry, and his wife, Elizabeth (née Shea). His first cousin was the modernist theologian…

Tyrrell, Sir William (1885–1968), RAF air vice-marshal, physician and rugby player, was born in Belfast on 20 November 1885, son of John Tyrrell of Belfast and Bangor, businessman, JP, and later alderman of Belfast, and Jennie Tyrrell (née…