Biographies A-Z

Lawlor, Patricia (‘Patsy’) (1933–97), politician and ICA president, was born Patricia Broughal , in March 1933 in Kill, Co. Kildare, daughter of a local businessman and his wife. Educated locally and at St Mary's secondary school in Naas, she trained as a nurse. She was deeply…

Lawlor, Thomas (1842–1916), parish priest, was born 18 August 1842 at Irribeg, Lixnaw, Co. Kerry. Educated locally, he studied for the priesthood at the Irish College in Paris, where he was ordained in December 1866. On his return to Kerry he served as curate at Abbeydorney,…

Lawrence, George (c.1758–1802), artist, was one of three brothers, all of whom were artists; no details of their parents are known. In 1771 he entered the Dublin Society schools and was taught by Francis Robert West (qv)…

Lawrence, John Fortune (1833–97), sporting merchant and publisher, was born 13 January 1833 in Dublin, the eldest of six brothers and five sisters (three of each reaching adulthood) of William Lawrence (d. 1887), a clerk of works at the General Post Office (GPO), and his wife Elizabeth…

Lawrence, Richard (fl. 1643–1684), army officer, author, and entrepreneur, first came to public attention during the English civil wars, serving with parliament as commissary of provisions in Lord Manchester's army (September 1643–April 1645). Little is known of his…

Lawrence, William John (1862–1940), drama critic, was born 29 October 1862 in Belfast, son of Joseph Lawrence, railway station manager; nothing is known of his mother. He was educated at the dowager countess of Annesley's private school at Newcastle, Co. Down, and at Methodist…

Lawrence, William Mervin (1840–1932), photograph merchant, was born 5 July 1840 in the General Post Office, Lower Sackville (later O'Connell) St., Dublin, second surviving son of William Lawrence of Pembrokeshire, Wales, then clerk of works at the…

Law, Sir Edward Fitzgerald (1846–1908), diplomat and financial expert, was born 2 November 1846 at Rostrevor House, Co. Down, third son among nine children of Michael Law of Castle Fish, Co. Kildare, lawyer and later director of the Bank of Ireland, and Sarah Anne Law (née…

Lawson, James Anthony (1817–87), judge and economist, was born 10 February 1817, the eldest son of James Lawson of Waterford and his wife Mary Anthony. After initial education in Waterford, he entered TCD in October 1833, became a…

Lawson, John (1708/9–1759), preacher, classical scholar and professor of oratory, was born in Magherafelt, Co. Londonderry, the son of the Rev. Alexander Lawson, curate of Omagh, Co. Tyrone. He was educated at the school of Mr MacMahon in Monaghan, before entering…

Leadbeater, Mary (née Shackleton) (1758–1826), author, poet, and memoirist, was born 1 December 1758 at Ballitore (‘Ballintore’), Co. Kildare, the second child of the three daughters and one son of…

Leahy, Cornelius (‘Con’) (1876–1921), athlete, was born 27 April 1876 in Cregane, Charleville, Co. Cork, son of Thomas Leahy, farmer, and Mary Leahy (née McDonagh). In his international athletic career between 1899 and 1908, he won four successive British Amateur Athletic…

Leahy, Edward Daniel (1797–1875), artist, was born in London, son of David Leahy of Dublin (afterwards of London), who was of a Cork family; nothing is known of his mother. He studied in the Dublin Society's school, where he won several prizes between 1811 and 1814. He exhibited six…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Leahy, Cornelius (‘Con’). View the original entry.

Leahy, Patrick (1806–75), catholic archbishop of Cashel, was born 31 May 1806, probably in the townland of Fennor, Co. Tipperary, and was baptised in the parish of Gortnahoe, Co. Tipperary, eldest among four sons (and probably eldest child) of Patrick Leahy, surveyor, and his wife…

Leahy, Patrick Joseph (1917–98), general practitioner and medical campaigner, was born 13 March 1917 at the Mall, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, the son of William Leahy, a self-made man and architect cum engineer, and Margaret Leahy (née Doyle). One of eight children, he was born into a…

Leamy, Edmund (1848–1904), writer, politician, and lawyer, was born 25 December 1848 in Waterford city. Educated at University High School, Waterford, St John's College, Waterford, and St Stanislaus College in Tullabeg, he was admitted a solicitor in 1878 and called to the Irish…

Leared, Arthur (1822–79), physician and traveller, was born in Wexford, son of Richard Leared, merchant. He graduated BA (1845), MB (1847), and MD (1860) from…

Leask, Harold Graham (1882–1964), architectural historian and archaeologist, was born 7 November 1882 in Dublin, probably at the family home in Harold's Cross, youngest among (at least) three sons and three daughters of Robert H. Leask, Scottish-born architect and engineer, and Anna…

Leask (Longfield), Ada Kathleen (1899–1987), historian and antiquary, was born 27 October 1899 in India, the eldest daughter of Major Alfred Percival Longfield (1862–1916) and Constance Ada Longfield (née Sanders) (d. 1967) of Edinburgh. Owing to her poor health she spent much of…

Leathley, Joseph (d. 1757), ‘college binder’, printer, and bookseller, joined the Dublin printers, guild in July 1719, having been sworn a freeman of the city earlier in the year. He initially undertook a small number of joint publishing ventures with other members of the trade in…

Leathley, Mary Elizabeth Southwell (née Dudley) (1818–99), writer, was born 18 June 1818 in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, the daughter of George Dudley, a member of the Society of Friends. She published her first book when she was sixteen, and subsequently became a prolific writer of…

Leavy, (Mary) Patricia ('Pat') (née Judge) (1936–2003), actress, was born on 27 July 1936 in a nursing home at 12 Upper Leeson Street, Dublin, daughter of Edmund Judge, a commercial traveller in drapery, of The Downes, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, who died in a car accident on 22 December…

Le Blond, Elizabeth (‘Lizzie’) Alice Frances (née Hawkins-Whitshed; other married names Burnaby, Main) (1860–1934), mountaineer, author and photographer, was born 26 June 1860 in Dublin, the only child of Sir St Vincent Bentinck Hawkins-Whitshed, 3rd (and last) baronet of Killincarrick…

Le Blund (Blond), Nicholas (d. 1305), bishop of Down, a member of the Benedictine order, first appears in 1260 as a messenger of the papal chaplain and tax collector, John de Frosinone (qv). As de Frosinone's messenger, Le Blund was…