Biographies A-Z

Ganly, Patrick (1809–99), geologist, was born in Dublin. His family came from the Longford-Roscommon area, where his father Patrick may have worked for William Edgeworth and Richard Griffith (qv) during their survey of Co.…

Gann, Thomas William Francis (1867–1938), archaeologist and explorer, was born 13 May 1867 in Murrisk Abbey, Co. Mayo, son of William Gann, gentleman, and Elizabeth Rose Gann (nèe Garvey). His family moved to England and he was educated at King's School, Canterbury, Kent, before…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Gardiner, Luke. View the original entry.

Gardiner, Frederick Thomas (1874–1921), rugby footballer, was born 31 May 1874 at Tullyglush, Co. Armagh, son of William Gardiner, merchant, and Mary Gardiner (née Coulter). Educated at Lurgan College in the late 1880s, he moved to Belfast to play club rugby for the North of Ireland…

Gardiner, Luke (a. 1690–1755), MP, treasury official, and property developer, was a native of Dublin city, possibly son of James Gardiner of the Coombe. From humble beginnings, of which little is known, he became the founder of the family fortune; his combined career as…

Gardiner, Luke (1745–98), 1st Viscount Mountjoy (second creation), MP and property developer, was born 7 February 1745, eldest son of Charles Gardiner (qv) of Dublin and his wife Florinda, daughter of Robert Norman of Lagore, Co. Meath. His grandfather and…

Gardiner, Marguerite (Margaret) (1789–1849), countess of Blessington , writer, journalist, and society hostess, was born 1 September 1789 at Knockbrit, Co. Tipperary, the second daughter and fourth child of Edmund Power and his wife Ellen (née Sheehy), both from well-established…

Gardner, George (1877–1954), boxer, was born 17 March 1877 in Ballinslacken, Lisdoonvarna, Co. Clare, son of Patrick Gardner, bare-knuckle prizefighter; nothing is known of his mother. His family emigrated to Lowell, Massachusetts, in his early childhood and he fought his first of…

Gardner, Sir Robert (1838–1920), accountant, was born 14 April 1838 in Kilrea, Co. Londonderry, one of six children (three boys and three girls) of John Gardner, a shopkeeper, and Sarah Gardner (née Taggart). John Gardner moved to Ballymoney, Co. Antrim, where Robert was educated…

Gargan, Denis (1819–1903), catholic priest and president of Maynooth College, was born in June 1819 at Cromwell's Bush, Duleek, Co. Meath, the second son of Patrick Gargan, who seems to have farmed there, and his wife, Jane (née Branagan). Having been taught at home by a tutor,…

Garvey, Edmund (1915–89), Garda commissioner, was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, one of two sons of Irish emigrant parents who had spent time in America before settling in England. In 1917 they returned to their native Ballinlough in Co. Roscommon, where they ran a small…

Garvey, John (c.1515–1595), Church of Ireland archbishop of Armagh, was the eldest son of John Garvey (or O'Garvey) of Murrisk, Co. Mayo, and his wife, Fionnghuala, daughter of ‘Le Botiller’ (that is, Butler), of Burrishoole, Co. Mayo. He was said to have been educated at…

Garvey, Máire (Mary) McDonnell - (1927–2009), traditional musician and writer, was born 10 July 1927 on a farm in Tobracken, near Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon, one of three children (a girl and two boys) of James McDonnell and his wife Annie Theresa (née Talbot). As well as farming…

Garvey, Philomena Kathleen (1926–2009), amateur golfer, was born on 26 April 1926 in the village of Baltray, Co. Louth, the youngest of six children (four sons and two daughters) of James Garvey, a seaman, and his wife Kathleen (née Owens), whose father had been a ship's captain.…

Garvey, Tom (Thomas) (1936–2008), public servant, was born at 7 Herbert Place, Ballsbridge, Dublin, on 27 May 1936, the son of Tom Garvey, of Leinster Road, Rathmines, Dublin, an inspector in the Department of Agriculture, and his wife Brigit (née Lynch). He was educated at St. Mary…

Garvin, John (1904–86), civil servant and Joycean scholar, was born 19 November 1904 in Ballinafad, Co. Sligo, first child of Thomas and Kate Garvin. He was educated at St Nathy's College, Ballaghaderreen; at UCG, where he was awarded…

Garzia (Garcia), John (d. p.1723), priest-catcher, was almost certainly born in Spain. He was the most notorious of a profession – which included Edward Tyrell (qv) – active in the early eighteenth century, who, in return…

Gately, Stephen Patrick (1976–2009), pop singer and entertainer, was born 17 March 1976 at the Rotunda hospital, Dublin, third son and fourth child among four sons and one daughter of Martin Francis Gately, house painter and decorator, and Margaret Gately (née Martin), homemaker and…

Gatty (Gillett-Gatty), Katherine (1870–1952), suffragette and socialist, was born on 11 June 1870 in Firozpur, India, to Edward Gatty, a British army captain and Emma Rebecca Gatty (née Collum ), a member of a prominent Fermanagh family. Gatty, an only child, was raised on the…

Gaveston, Piers de (d. 1312), earl of Cornwall , lieutenant of Ireland, was son of Arnaud de Gabeston, lord of Gabeston in the viscounty of Bearn and duchy of Gascony, and Claramonde, daughter of Arnaud-Guillaume de Marson. He first appears in English records in 1297 serving with…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Jones, Valentine. View the original entry.

Gaynor, Anna (‘Sister Mary John’) (1826–99), Sister of Charity and first superior of Our Lady's Hospice, Harold's Cross, Dublin, was born 17 March 1826 in Athlone, one of six children (five daughters and one son) of John and Anne Gaynor of Roxborough, Co. Roscommon. One of the…

Gay, Thomas Earnan (1884–1953), librarian and republican, was born in Dublin on 22 January 1884, the eldest of six children (two girls and four boys) of Thomas Patrick Gay, a porter and later a warehouseman, and his wife Catherine (née Coleman). He was educated at the…

Geaney, Donal (1951–2005), businessman, was born Daniel John Geaney in Hollis Street hospital, Dublin, on 21 January 1951, the first of two sons of Daniel Geaney, wholesaler, of Raheny, Dublin, and his wife Mary (née Diran), dress designer. He grew up in Clontarf, Dublin, attending…

Gearnon, Antoin (Gernon, Anthony) (1610?–c.1677), author and Franciscan, was born into a propertied Old English family, probably in Co. Louth, where the Gernons gave their name to the civil parish of Gernonstown. Nothing is known of his early education or immediate family apart…