Abbott, Thomas Kingsmill
Abbott, Thomas Kingsmill (1829–1913), scholar and clergyman, was born 26 March 1829 in Dublin, son of Joseph Abbott, clerk of the peace, and his wife Jane Kingsmill. Thomas entered TCD 9 June 1846 as a sizar (his father being dead),…...
Acheson, Anne Crawford
Acheson, Anne Crawford (1882–1962), sculptor, was born in Portadown, Co. Armagh, one of several daughters of John Acheson and Harriet Glasgow Acheson, and was educated in Victoria College and later in the School of Art (both in Belfast) and then at the Royal College of Art, London,…...
A'Court, William
A'Court, William (1779–1860), 1st Baron Heytesbury, diplomat, politician, and lord lieutenant of Ireland, was born 11 July 1779, eldest son of Sir William Pierce Ashe A'Court, 1st baronet, and his second wife, Letitia, daughter of Henry Wyndham of Salisbury. He was educated at Eton but…...
Adams, William George Stewart
Adams, William George Stewart (1874–1966), economist, academic, and public servant, was born 8 November 1874 at Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland, youngest child of John Adams, headmaster of St John's Grammar School, Hamilton, and Margaret, daughter of John Stewart, Glasgow cotton…...
Áed
Áed (d. 598), son of Ainmere and overking of Uí Néill, belonged to Cenél Conaill, one of the leading dynasties of Uí Néill. His father Ainmere (qv) (d. 569), a first cousin of Colum Cille (…...
Áed
Áed (982/3–1056), son of Cróngille Ua Foirréid and bishop and scholar at Armagh, belonged, like many bishops of Armagh, to the Cenél nÉogain, the most powerful of the dynasties of the Northern Uí Néill. He is best known as the subject of the poem ‘Uasal epscop Éirenn Áed’: here the…...
Áed Abrat
Áed Abrat (‘of the eyelid’) (d. 577), son of Eochu Tírmchárna and overking of Connacht, features as an ancestor of the Uí Briúin Aí dynasty of Co. Roscommon from which the later Ua Conchobair kings of Connacht claimed descent. His pedigree, however, is dubious, with elements…...
Áed Allán
Áed Allán (d. 743), son of Fergal and king of Tara, belonged to the Cenél nÉogain dynasty. His father, Fergal (qv) son of Máel-dúin, king of Tara, was slain by the Leinstermen in 722. His mother was probably a daughter of Ernán, a Cenél…...
Áedán
Áedán (c.534–606/9), son of Gabrán and king of Dál Riata, belonged to the lineage of Cenél nGabráin and had at least one brother, Éoganán (d. 597). His father, Gabrán son of Domangart, reigned as king of Dál Riata c.538–558. His mother, said to have been Fedelm…...
Áed Bennán
Áed Bennán (‘of the spiked helm’?) (d. 619/21), son of Crimthann and overking of Munster, belonged to the dynasty of Éoganacht Locha Léin (centred in mid Co. Kerry). Áed supposedly had two brothers, Áed Finn and Áed Damán, which suggests genealogical confusion. It is said that he…...
Áed Dub
Áed Dub (‘black [haired]’) (d. 588), son of Suibne Araide and overking of Ulaid, belonged to the Dál nAraide dynasty of the Ulster Cruthin. He emerged as king of Dál nAraide after the battle of Móin Dairi Lothair (563), in which the Uí Néill severely defeated the Cruthin.…...
Áed Findliath
Áed Findliath (‘light-grey’) (d. 879), son of Niall and king of Tara, belonged to the Northern Uí Néill dynasty of Cenél nÉogain. His father, Niall Caille (qv), previously king of Tara, died in 846. His mother, Gormlaith, was a daughter of…...
Áed Menn
Áed Menn (‘stammering’) (d. 738), son of Colcu, king of south Leinster and contender for overkingship of the province, was a member of the Síl Cormaic lineage of Uí Chennselaig. His father Colcu (d. 722) had held the relatively minor kingship of Ard Ladrann, the caput of…...
Áed Oirdnide
Áed Oirdnide (d. 819), son of Niall and king of Tara, belonged to the Cenél nÉogain dynasty. His father, Niall Frossach (qv), was king of Tara until his abdication c.770. His mother Dunlaith was a daughter of…...
Áed Rón
Áed Rón (‘seal[-like]’) (d. 735), son of Bécc Bairrche and overking of Ulaid, was a member of the Cenél Demmáin lineage of Dál Fiatach. His father Bécc Bairrche (qv), was previously king of Ulaid (east Ulster), having abdicated in 707.…...
Áed Sláine
Áed Sláine (d. 604), son of Diarmait and king of Tara, belonged to the Uí Néill dynastic confederation and was ancestor of the Síl nÁedo Sláine (‘the seed of Áed of Slane’) dynasty of Brega. It is probably significant that the leading dynasties of what became the Southern Uí…...
Áed Uaridnach
Áed Uaridnach (d. 612), son of Domnall and king of Tara, belonged to Cenél nÉogain, a dynasty of Uí Néill. Originally accorded the epithet Allán or Ollán, the meaning of which is uncertain, Áed was dubbed Uaridnach (martial or war-like) by Middle Irish…...
Ailerán (Aileranus Sapiens)
Ailerán (Aileranus Sapiens) (d. 665), fer léigind (lector or chief scholar) of the monastery of Clonard, Co. Meath, died in the great cholera or plague, termed the Buide Conaill (AU 665). His obit is given as 29 December in the Martyrology of Tallaght and in the…...
Ailill Molt
Ailill Molt (‘ram[-like]’) (d. 482), son of Nath Í, king of Connacht and putatively king of Tara, was an early representative of the Uí Fhiachrach dynasty of Connacht. His father, Nath Í son of Fiachra, is claimed by Middle Irish sources to have been king of Tara. His mother is…...
Ainmere
Ainmere (d. 569), son of Sétnae and putatively king of Tara, belonged to the Cenél Conaill dynasty of Uí Néill. His father Sétnae is credited with six sons, but none of the others achieved any distinction. According to the ‘Banshenchas’ (lore of women), Ainmere married Brigit,…...
Ainsworth, Thomas Joseph ('Joe')
Ainsworth, Thomas Joseph (Joe; ‘Two Gun Joe’) (1927–2015), garda, was born 17 May 1927 at his parents’ home at Davitt’s Terrace, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, the elder of two sons of Harry (Henry) Ainsworth, a victualler, and his wife Margaret (née Feeney). Ainsworth was…...
Albann (Halfdan)
Albann (Halfdan) (d. 877), Scandinavian leader associated with Dublin, was, according to tradition, son of the viking leader Ragnarr Lodbrok, and was one of three documented Scandinavian leaders active in Britain and Ireland c.850–80, the others being…...
Aldfrith
Aldfrith (d. 705), king of Northumbria, son of Oswiu of Northumbria and an Irish princess of the Cenél nÉogain, was brought up in Ireland, where he spent many years in study. When his half-brother Ecgfrith died suddenly (685), he was brought to the throne of Northumbria with the…...
Alen (Allen), John
Alen (Allen), John (1476–1534), archbishop and administrator, was the son of Edward Alen and his wife Catherine (daughter of Sir John St Leger), and cousin of Sir John Alen (qv). He was educated at Oxford and Cambridge (…...
Alen, Sir John
Alen, Sir John (d. 1561), lawyer and administrator, was the son of Warin Alen of Cotteshall, Norfolk, England, and cousin of his namesake John Alen (qv), archbishop of Dublin (1529–34) and a protégé of Cardinal Wolsey. He entered Gray…...