Nicholson, John
Nicholson, John (1821–57), army officer and administrator in India, was born 11 December 1821 in Dublin, eldest son among five sons and two daughters of Dr Alexander Nicholson, physician, of Stramore House, Gilford, Co. Down, and his wife Clara (née Hogg). His father had studied…...
O'Brien, William
O'Brien, William (c.1640–92), 2nd earl of Inchiquin , army officer and colonial governor, was the eldest son of Murrough O'Brien (qv) (c.1614–1673), 6th Baron Inchiquin and 1st earl of Inchiquin, and his wife,…...
O'Connor, Maurice
O'Connor, Maurice (d. 1740), lawyer and patron of Turlough Carolan (qv), was born in the late seventeenth century, eldest among three sons of John O'Connor Faly, attorney, of Gortnamona, King's Co. (…...
O'Hara, Kane (Kean
O'Hara, Kane (Kean ) (c.1712–1782), musician and librettist, was born at Templehouse, Co. Sligo, younger of two sons of Kean Og O'Hara, landowner (and high sheriff of the county in 1703), and his wife, the widow of Theobald Mathew. Educated locally, he entered…...
Ouseley, Sir Gore
Ouseley, Sir Gore (1770–1844), diplomat and orientalist, was born 24 June 1770 at Limerick, second son of Capt. Ralph Ouseley, soldier, and his first wife, Elizabeth (née Holland). Educated at home with his brother, William, and his cousin,…...
Pakenham, Sir Richard
Pakenham, Sir Richard (1797–1868), diplomat, was born 19 May 1797 at Pakenham Hall, Castlepollard, Co. Westmeath, fifth son of Admiral Sir Thomas Pakenham and Louisa Anne Pakenham (née Staples), granddaughter of William Conolly of Castletown, Co. Kildare. He was the nephew of…...
Parsons, Sir William
Parsons, Sir William (1570?–1650), lord justice of Ireland, was the eldest son of James Parsons of Leicestershire and his wife Catherine Fenton. As a youth, he was a staunch puritan and client of the earl of Leicester. After Leicester's death (1588), he settled in Ireland and from…...
Pennefather, Richard
Pennefather, Richard (1773–1859), judge and chief baron of the exchequer in Ireland, was born in August 1773 at Dublin, the eldest son of Major William Pennefather, of Knockeven (between Clonmel and Cashel), Darling Hill, Co. Tipperary (MP for Cashel in the Irish parliament), and…...
Pennefather, William
Pennefather, William (1816–73), evangelist, philanthropist, and hymn writer, was born 5 February 1816 at 5 Merrion Square, Dublin, the youngest son of the eight children of Richard Pennefather (qv), chief baron of the exchequer in…...
Perceval, Richard
Perceval, Richard (c.1558–1620), official in Ireland, was the eldest son of George Perceval (d. c.1599), of Sydenham, Somerset, England, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of Sir Edward Bampfylde, of Poltimore, Devon. He entered the Merchant Taylors’…...
Percival (Perceval), Sir Phillip
Percival (Perceval), Sir Phillip (1605–47), landowner and government official, was the second son of Richard Percival of Tickenham, Somerset, and his second wife, Alice Sherman of Ottery St Mary, Devon. His father was the clerk of the court of wards in Ireland and trained Phillip…...
Peter, Richard Milliken
Peter, Richard Milliken (1849–1909), rugby and swimming pioneer and administrator, was born in Dublin, a member of the Peter family after whom Peter Place, off Adelaide Road in Dublin, was named; no other family details are known. He was educated at Blackheath school near London,…...
Petrie, George
Petrie, George (1790–1866), artist, antiquary and collector of Irish traditional music, was born on 1 January 1790 (his gravestone has 1789) in Dame Street, Dublin, the only child of James Petrie, portrait painter, of Dublin, and Elizabeth Petrie (née Simpson) of Edinburgh, Scotland.…...
Philips, Ambrose
Philips, Ambrose (1674–1749), official and writer, was born in Shropshire, England, son of Ambrose Philips, cloth manufacturer, and his wife Margaret, née Brookes. He attended Shrewsbury school and St John's College, Cambridge. He was a fellow of St John's (1699–1708), and seems…...
Phillips, Walter Alison
Phillips, Walter Alison (1864–1950), historian and first Lecky professor at TCD, was born 21 October 1864 at Lewisham, England, youngest son of John Phillips, merchant, and Jane Phillips (née Atkins); throughout his career he was known as W. Alison Phillips. His father died in…...
Piers (Pierse), Sir Henry
Piers (Pierse), Sir Henry (d. 1638), administrator, whose parentage is unknown, served as secretary to Sir Arthur Chichester (qv) throughout his eleven years as lord deputy of Ireland, from 3 February 1605 to 30 August 1616. For…...
Ponsonby, Brabazon
Ponsonby, Brabazon (1679–1758), 2nd Viscount Duncannon , 1st earl of Bessborough , revenue commissioner and lord justice of Ireland, was eldest son of William Ponsonby (1659–1724), 1st Baron Bessborough and Viscount Duncannon, of Bessborough, Co. Kilkenny, and his wife Mary (d.…...
Pratt, Benjamin
Pratt, Benjamin (1669–1721), provost of TCD, was born at Garradice, Co. Meath, eldest son of Joseph Pratt (d. December 1705 or January 1706) and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Audley Mervyn (qv) and widow of Nathaniel Poole. He…...
Pratt, John
Pratt, John (1670–1741), MP and government official, was fourth son of Joseph Pratt of Cabra Castle, Co. Cavan, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Audley Mervyn (qv) of Co. Fermanagh. One of his brothers,…...
Purser, John Mallet
Purser, John Mallet (1839–1929), physiologist and professor of medicine, was born 8 November 1839 in Dublin, eldest son among nine sons and two daughters of Benjamin Purser (1815–98), corn merchant, and Anne Purser (née Mallet). He was educated in private schools before studying…...
Quain, Jones
Quain, Jones (1796–1865), surgeon, medical writer, and professor of anatomy, was born in November 1796 at Mallow, Co. Cork, eldest son of Richard Quain of Rathhealy, gentleman, and his first wife (née Jones). His younger brother was Richard…...
Quain, Richard
Quain, Richard (1800–87), surgeon, anatomical lecturer, and medical writer, was born in July 1800 at Fermoy, Co. Cork, third son of Richard Quain, gentleman, of Rathealy, Co. Cork, and his first wife (née Jones). His elder brother was Jones…...
Quin, Walter
Quin, Walter (c.1575–1640), writer and royal tutor, was born into a Dublin merchant family. In 1590 he joined the law faculty of the Jesuit University of Ingolstadt where he moved in recusant circles and where his literary aspirations were noted. That year he contributed…...
Reid, Richard Tuohill
Reid, Richard Tuohill (1823–83), lawyer and academic, was the only surviving son of Herbert Reid, a Killarney merchant, and Catherine Reid (née Tuohill). His father died young and he entered TCD as a sizar in 1841; he was admitted as a…...
Ridgeway, Sir Thomas
Ridgeway, Sir Thomas (1565?–1632), 1st earl of Londonderry, planter and treasurer of Ireland, was born at either Torwood or Tor Abbey, Devonshire, England, heir of Thomas Ridgeway of Tor Mohun, and his wife Mary Southcote of Bovey Tracey, both of Devonshire. After matriculating (…...