Classics and Languages

Nesbitt, William (1824–81), professor of Latin and of Greek, was born in January 1824 in Co. Armagh, son of John Nesbitt (d. 1858), methodist minister (whose family moved with him to various congregations), and his wife, who may have been Jane Douglass. Nesbitt was educated mostly…

Nicholson, Ernest Wilson (1938–2013), biblical scholar, was born on 26 September 1938 in Portadown, Co. Armagh, the youngest of three children of Ernest Tedford Nicholson, a soldier and baker, and Veronica Muriel Nicholson. After attending Hart Memorial Primary School in Portadown, he…

Nic Mhaicín, Maighréad (1899–1983), translator, was born 12 March 1899 in Dunglow, Co. Donegal, third eldest child of the nine children of John Macken , a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC), and his wife, Margaret McNamee, commonly known as Daisy Macken. While still a young…

Norris, Philip (c.1400–1465), scholar and controversialist, was probably born in Dundalk, where on 31 July 1427 he was presented to the parish church of St Nicholas. Granted leave of absence for seven years in order to study at a university, he went to Oxford; there he…

Nugent, Thomas (1700?–1772), writer and translator, was a native of Ireland, but little is known of the details of his life. He is frequently confused with his namesake (c.1710–1788), the fourth son of Walter Nugent of Carpenterstown, Co. Westmeath. In addition to original…

Ó Briain, Liam (1888–1974), republican, scholar of Romance languages, and Irish-language enthusiast, was born 16 September 1888 at 10 Church Street, North Wall, Dublin, seventh child of Arthur O'Brien, clerk, and Mary O'Brien (née Christie), who was from Co. Meath. He was christened…

O'Callaghan, May (1881–1973), journalist, translator and communist, was born Julia Mary O'Callaghan in Wexford town on the 14 August 1881, the youngest of four children born to Patrick O'Callaghan, RIC head constable, and Jane O'Callaghan (…

O'Connell, Peter (Ó Conaill, Peadar) (1755–1826), schoolmaster and lexicographer, was born at Carne, Killimer, Co. Clare (a townland latterly designated as Carrowdotia, on the Shannon estuary 8 km east of Kilrush), one of four sons and two daughters of Tadhg Ó Conaill and Áine Ó Conaill…

O'Conway, Matthias James (1766–1842), linguist and lexicographer, was born 3 February 1766 in Galway, son of Matthew O'Conway (who was according to one source a ‘merchant’ of that city) and his wife Elizabeth O'Hogan. We know of only one other sibling, an older brother, John. A native…

O'Flaherty, Kathleen Mary Josephine (1916–94), French scholar, was born 26 December 1916 in Mayfield, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, the youngest of the four children, two sons and two daughters, of Bernard Joseph O'Flaherty, a prominent and well-to-do solicitor, and his wife, Frances…

O'Flanagan, Theophilus (c.1762–1814), classical and Irish scholar, was born in the parish of Tulla, Co. Clare, son of Mathghamhain Ó Flannagáin, scribe and hedge-schoolmaster. He was baptised Tadhg but later on entering TCD…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Ogle, George. View the original entry.

Ó hUallacháin, Colmán (1922–79), educator, linguist, Irish-language activist and priest, was born Liam Holohan on 8 December 1922 in Dublin, eldest among four sons and two daughters of Garry Holohan (Gearóid Ó hUallacháin) (1894–1967), imprisoned republican soldier, and latterly an…

Ó Maolmhuaidh, Proinsias (Francis O'Molloy) (d. 1677), grammarian and theologian, was probably born in the very early seventeenth century, and most likely in the part of Co. Offaly known as Fircall, or O'Molloy's Country. It is stated that he was of noble birth, being related to…

O'Meara, John (1915–2003), academic, was born 18 February 1915 at Eyrecourt, Co. Galway, the elder of two sons of Patrick O'Meara, a small businessman from Ilaunmore on Lough Derg, and Mary O'Meara (née Donelan). The very early death of his father, at the end of 1915, and the troubled…

Ó Riain (O'Ryan), Henry (fl. 1633), Dominican priest and Latin poet, probably received his classical education at Munster and pursued his philosophical and theological studies at Rome or elsewhere in Italy. Resident at Rome in 1633, he was commissioned to compose a…

Ormsby, John (1829–95), writer and translator, was born 25 April 1829 at Gortner Abbey, Co. Mayo, eldest child of George Ormsby (d. 1836), captain in the 3rd Dragoon Guards and high sheriff of Mayo in 1827, and his wife, Marianne, third daughter of Humphrey Jones of Mullinabro,…

Ouseley, Sir Gore (1770–1844), diplomat and orientalist, was born 24 June 1770 at Limerick, second son of Capt. Ralph Ouseley, soldier, and his first wife, Elizabeth (née Holland). Educated at home with his brother, William, and his cousin,…

Parke, Herbert William (1903–86), classical scholar, was born 7 September 1903 at Moneymore, Co. Londonderry, only son of William Parke, civil servant, and Bertha Parke (née Blair). He was educated at Coleraine Academical Institution and (when his father moved to the north of…

Pedersen, Holger (1867–1953), Irish-language scholar and comparative linguist, was born 7 April 1867 in Gelballe, Lunderskov, Denmark, one of eleven children of Kristen Pedersen, teacher and small farmer. His father was particularly interested in mathematics and foreign languages, and…

Percy, Thomas (1729–1811), bishop of Dromore, poet, and scholar, was born 13 April 1729 in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England, son of Arthur Piercy or Pearcy, grocer, and his wife Jane (née Nott); there was at least one other son. Thomas was educated at the local grammar school, and…

Plunkett, Richard (Risteard Pluincéid) (fl. 1662), Franciscan friar and dictionary compiler, is of obscure origins. The Plunketts were one of the most prominent Old English families of the Pale, with titles such as ‘lord of Louth’, ‘Lord Dunsany’, and ‘baron of Killeen’.…

Poole, Jacob (1774–1827), philologist and antiquarian, who was descended from an old-established quaker family, was born 11 February 1774 in Growtown, Co. Wexford, son of Josiah Poole and his wife Sarah, daughter of Jacob Martin of Aghfad, Co. Wexford. The Pooles, originally from…

Porter, Francis Knowles (1845–69), interpreter with the British legation in China, was born in Belfast, fifth son of the Rev. John Scott Porter (qv), minister of Rosemary St. presbyterian church, a prominent figure in unitarian and…

Purser, Louis Claude (1854–1932), classical scholar, was born 28 September 1854 at Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, the youngest son of Benjamin Purser, a merchant of Dungarvan, and his wife, Anne, daughter of John Mallet, an ironmonger originally from Devon. Anne's brother was the…