Military

Coote, Sir Charles (d. 1642), army officer, was the eldest son of Sir Nicholas Coote of Blownorton, Norfolk, and had two sisters and at least two brothers, one of whom, William, became dean of Down. His mother was almost certainly Nicholas Coote's second wife, Eleanor, daughter of…

Coote, Sir Eyre (1726–83), soldier, was born at Ash Hill, Kilmallock, Co. Limerick, fourth and youngest son of Jane Coote (née Evans) and the Rev. Chidley Coote, anglican clergyman and direct descendant of Sir Charles Coote (qv),…

Coote, Sir Eyre (1759–1823), general and MP, was born c.20 May 1759, second son of the Rev. Charles Coote (qv) of Shaen Castle, Queen's Co. (Laois), dean of Kilfenora, Co. Clare, and Grace Coote (née Tilson). Educated at Eton (…

Corbet, Thomas (1773?–1804), United Irishman and French soldier, was born at Ballythomas, Co. Cork, one of eight children of Frederick Corbet, protestant farmer and schoolteacher; his mother was a Purcell. Educated by his father, he entered …

Corbet, William (1779–1842), United Irishman and French general, was born 17 August 1779 at Ballythomas, Co. Cork, one of eight children of Frederick Corbet, a protestant farmer and schoolteacher; his mother was a Purcell. Educated by his father, he entered…

Corcoran, Michael (1827–63), brigadier-general in the American civil war and Fenian, was born in Carrowkeel, Co. Sligo, on 21 September 1827, son of Thomas Corcoran (d. 1845), a retired British army officer who had served in India, and Mary Corcoran (née McDonagh). In 1846 he joined…

Cornwallis, Charles (1738–1805), soldier and lord lieutenant of Ireland (1798–1801), was born 31 December 1738 in London, eldest son of Charles (1700–62), 1st Earl Cornwallis , and his wife Elizabeth (d. 1785), daughter of Charles, 2nd Viscount Townshend. Educated at Eton and the…

Corry, Daniel (1902–90), army officer and showjumper, was born 30 August 1902 in Loughrea, Co. Galway, the second of five children of Daniel Corry, shopkeeper, and Ellen Corry (née Morrissey); he was educated locally and as a boarder at St Joseph's College, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway.…

Cosby, Francis (1510–80), soldier and planter, was the second son of John Cosby of Great Leak in Nottinghamshire and his wife Mabel Agard. He became a soldier, serving in the English forces in the Low Countries. In 1535 he arrived in Ireland in the retinue of…

Costello, Dudley (c.1600–1667), confederate colonel and tory, was born in the barony of Costello and Gallen, Co. Mayo. He may be the same Col. Dudley Costello who supported Owen Roe O'Neill (qv) after the…

Costello, Michael Joseph (‘Mickey Joe’) (1904–86), army officer and public servant, was born 2 July 1904 in Cloughjordan, Co. Tipperary, the eldest of five boys and three girls (three of the children died of influenza in 1917) of Denis Costello of Kilmihill, Co. Clare, and Teresa…

Cotter, Sir James (c.1630–1705), soldier and Jacobite, was second of two sons and three daughters of Edmond Cotter, gentleman, of Ballinsperry, Carrigtohill, Co. Cork, and his wife Ellish, daughter of John Connell of Barryscourt, Carrigtohill. James Cotter appears to have…

Coughlan, Cornelius (1828–1915), soldier, was born 27 June 1828 in Eyrecourt, Co. Galway, son (possibly one of four sons) of Edward and Catherine Coughlan, and was educated at Eyrecourt. He enlisted as a private in the 75th (Stirlingshire) Regiment (later the Gordon Highlanders), in…

Courcy, John de (a.1155–1219), magnate, was younger son of William de Courcy II and Agnes de Rumilly. He is one of the most colourful figures of the late twelfth century in Ireland, traditionally described as a landless knight from Somerset who, almost single-handedly,…

Courtney, Thaddeus Cornelius (‘Ted’) (1895–1961), engineer, army officer, and businessman, was born at Cork on 13 December 1895, the elder son of Timothy Courtney of Co. Kerry, pensioner of the RIC, and Ellen Courtney (née Shea) of…

Cowan, Peadar (1903–62), soldier, solicitor, and politician, was born Peter Cowan on 23 October 1903 in Lacken, Arva, Co. Cavan, eldest son of Thomas Cowan, labourer, and Anne Cowan (née Rudden). Educated locally, he served with the Ballinagh Company, West Cavan Brigade,…

Crane, Charles Paston (1857–1939), RIC officer, resident magistrate, and soldier, was born at Holden Clough, Holden, Yorks. (now Lancs.), son of William Crane (d. 1903), anglican curate, and was educated at home and Exeter College, Oxford (BA…

Crawford, Frederick Hugh ('Fred') (1861–1952), soldier and UVF gun-runner, was born 21 August 1861 in Belfast, son of James Wright Crawford of Cloreen, Malone Road, Belfast, owner of a chemical factory, and Madge Crawford (née Mathews) of Portadown, Co. Armagh. The family were…

Crean, Thomas Joseph (1873–1923), rugby player, military doctor, and VC holder, was born 19 April 1873 in Morrison's Hotel, Dawson Street, Dublin, the second son and fifth of the eight children of Michael Theobald Crean, barrister of the Irish land commission, and his wife, Emma,…

Croft(s), Sir James (1517/18–90), soldier and administrator, was second son of Sir Richard Croft of Herefordshire and Catherine Croft (née Herbert). James sat in parliament for Herefordshire (1542; 1545?); was made a knight (1547), governor of Haddington (1549), and member of the…

Cromwell, Edward (1560?–1607), 3rd Baron Cromwell , soldier, was son of Henry Cromwell, 2nd Baron Cromwell, and his wife Mary (née Paulet), daughter of the marquis of Winchester. He spent some time at Jesus College, Cambridge, but was not created MA…

Cromwell, Henry (1628–74), soldier and administrator, was born 20 January 1628 at Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, England, fourth son of Oliver Cromwell (qv) and Elizabeth Cromwell (née Bourchier). He fought only in the closing stages of…

Cronin, Seán Gerard (1922–2011), journalist, historian and republican, was born on 29 August 1922 in Dublin, the only son among three children of Con Cronin (d. 1924), a member of the IRA, and his wife Kate. After Con Cronin's death, Kate worked as a cook in a boarding school while…

Crosbie, Thomas (d. 1694), soldier and politician, was the eldest son of David Crosbie of Ardfert, a protestant planter whose family had moved to Kerry in the early seventeenth century. His mother (d. 1628), whose name does not survive in the records, was a daughter of John Steere,…

Crosby, Sir Piers (1590–1646), courtier and army officer, was the son of Patrick Crosby (Mac an Chrosain) and his wife Catherine, probably an only son with one sister. In 1611 he inherited the property accumulated by his father in Queen's County and Kerry, but disputes over his…