Biographies A-Z

Shaw, Francis (1907–70), Jesuit priest, Celtic scholar and historical polemicist, was born 26 March 1907 in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, the fourth child among four sons and two daughters of Patrick Walter Shaw (1872–1940), merchant, and his wife Mary 'Minnie' (née Galligan). The Shaws…

Shaw, George Bernard (1856–1950), playwright, was born 26 July 1856 at 3 Upper Synge Street, Dublin, third child and only son of George Carr Shaw (1814–85) of Synge Street, clerk, Four Courts official, then corn merchant, whose English ancestor (of originally Scottish descent) had been…

Shaw, George Ferdinand (1821–99), journalist and academic, was born 26 June 1821 in Dublin, a son of William Shaw, printer. Educated in Dublin, he entered Trinity College in 1838, aged seventeen, as a sizar, which would indicate that he was not from a wealthy family. He later won a…

Shaw, James Johnston (1845–1910), economist, barrister, and judge, was born 4 January 1845 at Kirkcubbin, Co. Down, second son of John Maxwell Shaw (d. 1852), merchant and farmer, and Anne Shaw (née Johnston). His father died when he was only seven, leaving his mother to raise a…

Shaw (Shaw-Graetz), Elizabeth (1920–92), artist and children's author, was born 4 May 1920 in the manager's residence above the Ulster Bank in York Street, Belfast, the second of two daughters (there were also two sons) of George William Shaw, bank manager, originally from Co.…

Shaw, Sir Alexander William (1847–1923), bacon manufacturer and founder of Limerick and Lahinch golf clubs, was born 27 October 1847 in Limerick, second son of William John Shaw of Willowbank, Limerick, bacon merchant. He was educated at St Mary's College, Limerick, and on…

Shaw, Sir Eyre Massey (1828–1908), chief of the London Metropolitan Fire Brigade, was born 17 January 1828 at Glenmore Cottage, near Ballymore, Cobh, Co. Cork, third son of Bernard Robert Shaw, merchant, of Shaw's Terrace and later Monkstown Castle, Cork, and his first wife, Rebecca…

Shaw, Sir Frederick (1799–1876), 3rd baronet, politician, was born 11 December 1799 in Dublin, second son among eight children of Sir Robert Shaw (qv), eminent banker and politician, and his wife Maria, daughter of Abraham Wilkinson…

Shaw, Sir Frederick Charles (1861–1942), soldier, commander-in-chief in Ireland, was born 31 July 1861, son of John Shaw of Normanton, Derbyshire, England. Educated at nearby Repton School, he joined the Sherwood Foresters (Derbyshire Regiment) in 1882 and immediately saw active…

Shaw, Sir Robert (1774–1849), banker, MP, and lord mayor of Dublin, was born 29 January 1774 in Dublin, eldest son of Robert Shaw, merchant, banker, and controller of the post office, of Kilkenny and Dublin, and his first wife, Mary, daughter of William Higgins of Higginsbrook, Co…

Shaw, William (1823–95), home rule MP and congregational minister, was born at Moy, Co. Tyrone, on 4 May 1823, the son of Samuel Shaw, congregational minister, of Passage Cork. Privately educated, he entered TCD, but took no degree, and…

Shea, Daniel (1777–1836), orientalist, was born in Co. Limerick in 1777, son of Daniel Shea, farmer. He entered TCD aged 16 in June 1793, studying classics, and soon distinguished himself as a student of some ability. In 1797 he was awarded a scholarship. Some of his friends were…

Shea, Patrick (1908–86), civil servant and author, was born 27 April 1908 at Delvin, Co. Westmeath, second son of Patrick Shea, RIC district inspector, and Mary Catherine Shea (née McLaughlin). Shea's childhood was spent in Athlone,…

Shearer, (Edgar) Donald (Reid) (1909–99), sportsman and soldier, was born 6 June 1909 at Harrow-on-the-Hill, Middlesex, son of a London agent of the Derry textile firm, Lindsay Brothers, who died while Shearer was a young boy. He was educated at Aldenham School, where he excelled at…

Shearer, John (‘Jack’) (1926–2001), Church of Ireland clergyman, was born 30 December 1926 at 45 Hopewell Street in the Shankill Road area of Belfast, son of William Shearer, motor driver, and his wife, Isabelle, née Winne, both of Belfast. He attended Belfast technical school and…

Sheares, Henry (1728–75), banker, parliamentarian, and essayist, was born probably in October 1728, one of three sons of Henry Sheares (d. 1750?) of Goldenbush, near Inishannon, Co. Cork, and his wife Mary, daughter of John Bayley of Castlemore, Co. Cork. At sixteen he entered…

Sheares, Henry (1755?–1798), and his brother John Sheares (1766?–1798), barristers and United Irishmen, were born at Goldenbush, Co. Cork, the first and fourth sons respectively of a Cork banker, Henry Sheares (qv), and his wife, Jane Anne (…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Sheares, Henry. View the original entry.

Shearman, Hugh (1915–99), man of letters, Ulster unionist and theosophist, was born in Belfast, the only child of John Nicholson Shearman, teacher at Belfast Royal Academy (BRA), and his wife Margaret (née Morrison). His uncle T. E. C. Shearman was also employed at BRA (as registrar…

Sheehan, (Canon) Patrick Augustine (1852–1913), catholic priest and novelist, was baptised at Mallow, Co. Cork, on 17 March 1852 (soon after his birth), the third in a family of five children of Patrick Sheehan, shopkeeper, and his wife, Joanna (née Regan). Sheehan's parents died…

Sheehan, Daniel Desmond (‘D. D.’) (1873–1948), journalist, labour leader, MP, barrister, and soldier, was born 28 May 1873 at Dromtariffe, Kanturk, Co. Cork, the eldest of the three sons and one daughter of Daniel Sheehan, tenant farmer, and his wife, Ellen (née Fitzgerald). He…

Sheehan, David (d. 1756), mason-sculptor, was most probably a son of Tieg Sheehan, stonemason and proprietor of Tieg Sheehan & Sons in Dublin. Initially trained by his father, David was later associated with William Kidwell (qv) and…

Sheehan, Eugene (1903–86), republican, was born 11 January 1903 at 8 Blackmoor Lane, Cork city, son of Patrick Sheehan, tailor, and Mary Sheehan (née Lehane). He was educated locally before leaving school aged 15 to work with his father. He joined Fianna Éireann in the aftermath of…

Sheehan, John (1809–82), journalist, was born in Celbridge, Co. Kildare, the only son of Thomas Sheehan, a prosperous farmer, and Alicia Sheehan (née Dunn). John was educated at Clongowes Wood College, where he was tutored by…

Sheehan, Michael (1870–1945), catholic archbishop, was born 17 December 1870, at Newtown, Waterford, son of Cornelius Sheehan, merchant, and his wife, Anne Lawlor, both from Waterford. His family lived in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, from 1880. Educated privately and later at St…