Miscellaneous

O'Neill, Henrietta (1757/8–1793), poet, hostess, and patron of the arts, was the only child of Charles Boyle (1728–59), Viscount Dungarvan (son of John Boyle (qv), 5th earl of Cork and Orrery), and his wife, Susannah (1732–83), daughter of…

O'Shea, William Henry (1840–1905), politician and adventurer, was born in Dublin, son of Henry O'Shea (pronounced ‘O'Shee’), a catholic solicitor from an indebted Limerick gentry family, and his wife Catherine, a papal countess and daughter of Edward Craneach Quinlan of Rosana, Co…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Kyteler (Kettle, Keyetler), Dame Alice. View the original entry.

Palmer (Ambrose), Eleanor (c.1720–1818), celebrated beauty, was born Eleanor Ambrose , daughter and heiress of Michael Ambrose, a wealthy Roman catholic brewer and merchant, and his wife, the daughter of Richard Archbold, a Dublin brewer; nothing is known of her mother.…

Parsons, Richard (c.1696–1741), 2nd Viscount and 1st earl of Rosse (first creation), first grand master of the Freemasons in Ireland, and rake, was born at Twickenham, Middlesex, England, the only surviving son of Sir Richard Parsons (d. 1703), 1st Viscount Rosse, and his…

Phelan, Jim (James Leo) (1895–1966), writer, activist and tramp, was born in Inchicore, Dublin, the third child and eldest son of five surviving children (three daughters and two sons; two others died in childhood) of James Phelan, ironworker at the Inchicore railway works, and his wife…

Phillips, Michael (d. 1796), Franciscan friar and government spy, was probably brought up in north-east Connacht, and in 1795 was described as ‘from French Park’ or from ‘Killfree, near Boyle’, Co. Roscommon. His parents cannot be identified, although it is possible that he was a…

Pike, Mary (1776–1832), quaker heiress, was the only surviving daughter of Samuel Pike and his wife Catherine Hutchinson (d. 1813), a son and daughter both having died in infancy. Samuel (d. 1796) was a partner with his older brother Ebenezer in the family bank in Cork city,…

Pirrie, Margaret Montgomery (1857–1935), Viscountess Pirrie , public figure and philanthropist, was born 31 May 1857, probably in Belfast, and probably the youngest child among three sons and two daughters of John Carlisle , English master in the Belfast Academical Institution, and…

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

Reid, Thomas Mayne (1818–83), novelist and adventurer, was born 4 April 1818 at Ballyroney, Co. Down, son of the Rev. Thomas Mayne Reid (1787–1868), presbyterian minister and later senior clerk of the Irish general assembly, and his wife, a daughter of the Rev. Samuel Rutherford.…

Reynolds, Thomas (1771–1836), heir to a fortune, United Irishman, informer and consul, was born at his father's house, 9 West Park St., Dublin, on 12 March 1771. His family history is well documented. His great-great-grandfather was Connor Reynolds of Rhynn Castle, Co. Leitrim, who…

Rice, James Louis (1730–p. 1793), soldier and duellist, was son of Thomas Rice, count of the Holy Roman Empire and merchant, of Baile Mhic an Daill, Dingle, Co. Kerry, and Alicia Rice (née Meade). Educated at the Irish College at Louvain, he was initially destined for the…

Robertson, Lawrence Alexander Durdin- (1920–94), Church of Ireland clergyman and priest of Isis, was born in London on 6 May 1920, the elder son of Manning Robertson (qv) and his wife Nora (née Parsons), a connexion of the earl of…

Roche, David ‘Tiger’ (or ‘Tyger’) (c.1739–1779), adventurer and duellist, was born in Dublin, youngest son by a second marriage of James Roche, barrister. The family was well connected but ‘Tiger’ was not, as sometimes stated in nineteenth-century Dublin, a brother of the…

Rolland, Pierre (1912–93), chef, was born 29 March 1912 in Frépillon, Val-d'Oise, near Paris, an only child whose father (first name unknown) was a butcher but died in the first world war. His widowed mother Georgette (née Pouyaut) married Louis Dufond, a hotelier; they had one son…

Scott, Thomas (c.1842–1870), adventurer and Canadian ‘martyr’, was born at Clandeboye, Co. Down, the son of a presbyterian tenant farmer, most likely on the earl of Dufferin's estate. By 1863 he had emigrated to Canada West (Ontario), where he worked as a labourer, and in…

Shackleton, Francis Richard (‘Frank’) (1876–1941), Dublin Herald of Arms (1905–7), was born 19 September 1876 at Kilkea House, Kilkea, Co. Kildare, second son of Henry Shackleton and Henrietta Letitia Sophia Shackleton (née Gavan). His elder brother was Sir…

Sheehy, Edmund (1733–66), farmer executed for murder, of Lodge (parish of Ardfinnan, Co. Tipperary), was the son of Ellin Fitzpatrick. He was otherwise known as ‘Buck’ Sheehy, a term indicative of semi-gentleman status, as he had an income of £300 or £400 a year, and was a person…

Sheridan, Monica (1912–93), cookery expert, broadcaster, and journalist, was born Monica Elizabeth Treanor on 29 January 1912 at Augher Castle, Co. Tyrone, daughter of Hugh Treanor, prosperous cattle- and sheep-farmer at nearby Killaney, and Mary Ann Treanor (née Devine). She had…

Sproule, Samuel (c.1745–c.1826), architect, property developer, and government spy, was probably born in Dublin but had strong familial connections with Ulster; nothing else is known of his parents. He was a direct descendant of the Sproule family that settled in…

Stewart, Edith Helen Vane - Tempest (1879–1959), marchioness of Londonderry , public servant, and hostess, was born 3 December 1879 at Blankney, elder daughter and second among three children of Henry Chaplin , tory MP and cabinet minister, and Lady Florence Chaplin (née Leveson-Gower…

Sugrue, Michael (‘Butty’) (1924–77), circus strongman, entrepreneur, and boxing promoter, was born 27 July 1924 in Gortnascarry, near Killorglin, Co. Kerry, one of three sons and three daughters of Daniel Sugrue, labourer, and Hannah (‘Anna’) Sugrue (née Reilly). Known as ‘Butty’…

Talbot, James (c.1768–1850),3rd Baron Talbot of Malahide , diplomat and spy, was born at Malahide Castle, Co. Dublin, second son among seven sons and five daughters of Richard Talbot, soldier, and Margaret Talbot (née O'Reilly). Educated at…

Tullio, Paolo Luigi Mario (1949–2015), restaurant owner, writer and food critic, was born on 20 August 1949 in Falkirk, Scotland, the only child of Dionisio Tullio, a restaurant owner and his wife Irene (née Fusco). Although Tullio’s parents were Italian, his mother was raised between…