Colgan, Nathaniel
Colgan, Nathaniel (1851–1919), botanist, marine biologist, and traveller, was born 28 May 1851 in Dublin. The identity of his parents is not known with certainty, though they may have been Nathaniel Watson Colgan and Letitia Phair, who married in Dublin in 1846. Colgan was educated…...
Collins, John
Collins, John (1883–1954), civil servant, was born 29 May 1883 in Waterford city, one of four children of John Collins, borough constable, and Bridget Collins (née Quinlan), of the City Hall, Waterford. Educated at Mount Sion CBS,…...
Collis, Maurice Stewart
Collis, Maurice Stewart (1889–1973), author, artist, and civil servant, was born 10 January 1889 in Eglinton Road, Donnybrook, Dublin, the eldest son of William Stewart Collis, a solicitor in the firm of Collis & Ward, and Edith Lilla Collis (née Barton);…...
Colton, John
Colton, John (d. 1404), justiciar of Ireland and archbishop of Armagh, was born at Terrington, Norfolk, England. He graduated as doctor of canon law at Cambridge c.1348, being appointed shortly afterwards chaplain to William Bateman, bishop of Norwich. In 1349 Colton…...
Comerford, Gerard (Gerald, Garret)
Comerford, Gerard (Gerald, Garret) (d. 1604), attorney and judge, was a younger son of Fowke (Fulke) Comerford of Callan, Co. Kilkenny, and his wife Rosina Rothe. His father was a loyal adherent of Thomas Butler (qv), 10th earl of…...
Commins, Thomas Vincent
Commins, Thomas Vincent (1913–85), diplomat, was born 3 October 1913 at Ballymoreen, Littleton, Co. Tipperary, third among six children of James Commins (b. 1877) and Mary Commins (née Corbett; b. 1887), both national school teachers. He was educated at Rockwell College, Co. Tipperary,…...
Conefrey, Peter
Conefrey, Peter (1880–1939), catholic priest and social critic, was born 9 June 1880 in Mohill, Co. Leitrim, son of James Conefrey, publican, and his wife Mary McGivney. There were many priests on both sides of the family. His uncle, Fr Thomas Conefrey, parish priest of Drumlish,…...
Coningsby, Thomas
Coningsby, Thomas (1657–1729), Baron Coningsby of Clanbrassil and earl of Coningsby , lord justice and officeholder, was born 2 November 1657, only son and heir of Humphrey Coningsby of Hampton Court, Herefordshire, and his wife Lettice Loftus (daughter of Sir Arthur Loftus of…...
Connolly, Joseph
Connolly, Joseph (1885–1961), politician, businessman and civil servant, was born 19 January 1885 at 41 Alexander St. West, Belfast, one of fourteen children (five of whom died in infancy) of John Connolly, master baker, and Margaret Connolly (née MacNeill) of Cushendall, Co.…...
Conroy, Sheila (née Williams)
Conroy, Sheila (née Williams) (1918–2012), trade unionist, social activist and administrator, was born on 22 April 1918 (or 4 April 1917) in Bantry, Co. Cork, only child of Harry and Jane Williams. A Welsh petty officer in the Royal Navy, Harry Williams was stationed at Bantry (1914–…...
Conway, Thomas
Conway, Thomas (1733–95), French army officer and governor of Mauritius, was born on 27 February 1733 at Templenoe, near Nedeen, Co. Kerry, elder son of James Conway (1711–87), a French army officer, and his wife, Julia, daughter of Denis Mahony of Dromore. The Conways and Mahonys…...
Cooke, Adolphus
Cooke, Adolphus (1792–1876), eccentric, was born in Cookesborough near Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, illegitimate son of Robert Cooke, landowner, and an unnamed servant. Adolphus's mother was sent away, and he was raised by a nurse, Mary Kelly, in a two-room thatched cottage, forbidden…...
Cooke, Edward
Cooke, Edward (1755–1820), administrator and politician, was third son of William Cooke (1711–97), provost of King's College, Cambridge, and his wife Catherine (née Sleech). Educated at Eton and at King's College, Cambridge, he graduated BA (…...
Cooke, Sir Richard
Cooke, Sir Richard (1561–1616), administrator, was son of William Cooke of Great Linford, Buckinghamshire, related to the influential Cecil family. Educated at Oxford (BA 1581), he entered the service of Francis Mills, secretary to Sir Francis…...
Cook, Robert
Cook, Robert (1646?–c.1726), eccentric, was the son of Robert Cook of Cappoquin, Co. Waterford. During the reign of James II (qv) he fled to England and lived at Ipswich. In its act of attainder the 1689 Jacobite parliament…...
Cooper, Bob (Robert George)
Cooper, Bob (Robert George) (1936–2004), politician and civil servant, was born in Co. Donegal on 24 June 1936, elder son of William Hugh Cooper, schoolteacher, and his wife Annie (née Pollock). He was educated at Foyle College, Derry, then studied law at Queen's University, Belfast…...
Cope, Sir Alfred William (‘Andy’)
Cope, Sir Alfred William (‘Andy’) (1877–1954), civil servant, was born 14 January 1877 in Kennington, south London, eldest son among eleven children of Alfred Cope, bottle merchant, and Margaret Elizabeth Cope (née Dallimore). Probably educated locally, he entered the British civil…...
Coppinger, Richard William
Coppinger, Richard William (1847–1910), naval surgeon, naturalist, and explorer, was born 11 October 1847 in Dublin, youngest among six sons of Joseph William Coppinger, solicitor, of Farmley, Dundrum, Co. Dublin, and Agnes Mary Coppinger (née Cooke), a native of Co. Tipperary. He…...
Coppin, Louisa (Little Weesy)
This is a co-subject for the entry on Coppin, William. View the original entry....
Coppin, William
Coppin, William (1805–95), sailor, shipbuilder, and inventor, was born 9 October 1805 in Kinsale, Co. Cork; no details of his parents are known. From his childhood he displayed a strong affinity to the sea, and at the age of 15 was involved in the rescue of six customs men from a…...
Corbet, William Joseph
Corbet, William Joseph (1824–1909), civil servant and politician, was the third son of Robert Corbet of Ballykaneen, Queen's County, and his wife, Alice, daughter of John Mulhall of Clonaslee, where William Corbet was born on 12 December 1824. He was educated at Broadwood Academy in…...
Cormac
Cormac (fl. 6th cent.) of the Uí Liatháin was a pilgrim monk mentioned several times by Adomnán (qv) in his ‘Vita Columbae’. He appears in the genealogies as ‘priest’, son of Dímma, grandson of Commán, and belonging to the tribe of…...
Cornwalsh, James
Cornwalsh, James (a.1385–1441), administrator, son of William Cornwalsh, was probably born in Ireland. He served as a JP in Waterford and Wexford (1406, 1409); in May 1410 was made a deputy admiral of Ireland under…...
Corry, James
This is a co-subject for the entry on Corry, James. View the original entry....
Corry, James
Corry, James (c.1740–1795), clerk of the Irish house of commons and secretary of the linen board, was born in Newry, Co. Down, and was possibly the son of Edward Corry, a merchant; there are few details about his childhood. He came to prominence in 1777 when, on the…...