Biographies A-Z

Falloon, Cecil Samuel Gordon ('Paddy') (1911–2003), businessman, hotelier, and restorer of historic buildings, was born 10 July 1911 in Camly Macullagh, a townland near Newtownhamilton in south Co. Armagh, younger son and youngest of four children of Samuel Falloon, farmer, and his…

Falls, Cyril Bentham (1888–1971), military historian and journalist, was born 2 March 1888 in Dublin, elder of two sons of Charles Fausset Falls (1860–1936) and his wife Clare (née Bentham), who also had a daughter. His father was a prominent Enniskillen solicitor and a leading…

Fane, John (1759–1841), 10th earl of Westmorland , lord lieutenant of Ireland, was born 1 June 1759, the eldest son of two sons and four daughters of John Fane, 9th earl of Westmorland, and his first wife, Augusta Fane (née Bertie). He succeeded to the title on the death of his…

Fanning, Aengus (1944–2012), newspaper editor, was born on 22 April 1944 in the family home at Cloonbeg Terrace, Tralee, Co. Kerry, the fourth child among five sons and one daughter of Arnold ('Paddy') Fanning, a teacher, and his wife Clara (née Connell). Originally from Rostrevor,…

Farley, James Lewis (1823–85), eastern affairs expert and writer, was born 9 September 1823 in Dublin, only son of Thomas Farley, a Co. Cavan farmer. Educated in TCD, he soon transformed his early interest in law into a fascination with…

Farley, John Murphy (1842–1918), cardinal and fourth archbishop of New York, was born 20 April 1842 in Newtown Hamilton, Co. Armagh, son of Philip Farrelly, a prosperous farmer, and Catherine Farrelly (née Murphy). He changed the spelling of his family name in 1872. His parents…

Farquhar, George (1677?–1707), playwright, was born in Derry, son of an anglican clergyman (his parents’ names are unknown), and educated in Derry at the Free Grammar School under Ellis Walker. The details of Farquhar's life remain scanty, in spite of his fame, and modern scholars have…

Farquharson, Tom G. (c.1900–1974), goalkeeper, was born in Dublin, son of a trader; there is no other information on his parents or early life. Displaying an early aptitude for football, he won the Leinster minor cup with Annesley before deciding to concentrate on playing…

Farran, George Philip (1876–1949), marine taxonomist and fisheries scientist, was born 21 November 1876 at Knocklyon House, Templeogue, Co. Dublin, eldest among two sons and two daughters of Edmond Chomley Farran, a man of private income, of Belcamp Park, Raheny, Co. Dublin, and…

Farrell, Brian (1929–2014) broadcaster and academic, was born Bernard Brendan Farrell on 9 January 1929 at 16 Lowe Street, Miles Platting, Manchester, England. He was the fourth of five children of Francis (Frank) Farrell, a railway porter from Glasgow (whose family were from Wicklow),…

Farrell, Edmund (1913–75), company director, was born 28 January 1913 at 71 Kenilworth Square, Rathmines, Dublin, son of John Farrell, tobacconist, of that address, and Mary Farrell (née Redmond). Educated at Belvedere College, he later worked in the Capitol Cinema on Prince's St. (in…

Farrell, Edmund (‘Ed’) Anthony (1946–2014), businessman, was born on 20 September 1946 in Lower Baggot Street, Dublin, the elder son of two sons and seven daughters of…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Farrell, Terence. View the original entry.

Farrell, James Gordon (1935–79), novelist, was born 23 January 1935 in Liverpool, England, second of three sons of William Farrell, broker's clerk and accountant, and Josephine Farrell (née Russell), born in Ireland of an English timber dealer. He moved with his family to…

Farrell, James Patrick (‘J. P.’) (1865–1921), politician and journalist, was born 13 May 1865 in Longford, eldest of five children of Patrick Farrell of Longford and Ann Farrell (née Lynam) of Strokestown, Co. Roscommon. Educated at St Mel's College in Longford, he became involved…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Farrell, Terence. View the original entry.

This is a co-subject for the entry on Farrell, Terence. View the original entry.

Farrell, Mairead (1957–88), republican paramilitary, was born 3 August 1957 in Belfast, youngest of six children and only daughter of Daniel Farrell and his wife, whose surname was Gaffney. Farrell's family were middle-class Catholics who owned a hardware and grocery shop. Her…

Farrell, Michael James (1899–1962), writer, was born in Carlow, one of at least seven children (four boys and three girls) of James Farrell, an ironmonger, and his wife Mary Agnes (née Brophy). He was educated at Knockbeg College, becoming an enthusiastic student of the classics, and…

Farrell, Micheal (1940–2000), painter and print-maker, was born 3 July 1940 at Cookstown House, near Ceanannus Mór (Kells), Co. Meath, one of two sons and two daughters of James Farrell, farmer and rugby player with Bective Rangers, and Nora Farrell (née Folwell). He began his…

Farrell, Monica (1892–1982), protestant evangelist, was born in Dublin in 1892, one of the younger children in a family of seven. Her mother died when she was seven and she was brought up by an older sister who worked as a seamstress. She reacted to her bereavement and physical ill-…

Farrell, Peter Desmond (1922–99), soccer player, was born 16 August 1922 in Dalkey, Co. Dublin, son of Loughlin Farrell, insurance agent, and Teresa Farrell (née Glynn), of Ruby Cottage, Convent Road, Dalkey. He was educated at the Harold Boys School and later Dún Laoghaire…

Farrell, Sir Thomas (1827–1900), sculptor, was born in Dublin, third of six sons of Terence Farrell (qv), sculptor, of Dublin, and Maria Farrell (née Ruxton). He received his earliest training as a sculptor in his father's workshop on…

Farrell, Terence (1798–1876), sculptor, was born at Creve, Co. Longford, where his family ran a number of stone quarries. Nothing more is known of his parents except that in 1810 he moved with his mother to Dublin, where they joined his elder brother, then working there as a stone…

Farren, Elizabeth (1762–1829), countess of Derby and actress, was born 6 July 1762 either in Cork, Bath, or Southampton, to George Farren, surgeon and apothecary of Cork, and his wife Margaret (née Wright), daughter of a wealthy brewer in Liverpool who latterly fell on hard times.…