O'Brien, Matthew
O'Brien, Matthew (1814–55), mathematician, was born at Ennis, Co. Clare, the son of Matthew O'Brien, a doctor. Educated initially by a private tutor, he entered Trinity College, Dublin, in July 1830 at the age of sixteen, but in November 1834 transferred to Gonville and Caius…...
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'Neill, (Katharine) Jean
O'Neill, (Katharine) Jean (1915–2008), Lady O'Neill of the Maine , plantswoman and horticulturalist, was born 16 January 1915 at 41 Brook Street, Mayfair, London, one of five children of William Ingham Whitaker, landowner and horticulturalist of Pylewell Park, near Lymington, Hampshire…...
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…...
Parsons, William
Parsons, William (1800–67), astronomer and 3rd earl of Rosse , was born 17 June 1800 at York, England, eldest among three sons and two daughters of Sir Lawrence Parsons (1758–1841) of Parsonstown (Birr), King's Co. (Offaly), and Alice Parsons (née Lloyd), daughter of a…...
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…...
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’…...
Perceval, Robert
Perceval, Robert (1756–1839), physician, chemist, traveller, and founding member of the RIA, was born 30 September 1756 in Dublin, third and youngest son of William Perceval, barrister, and his second wife, Elizabeth Perceval (née Ward; d.…...
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,…...
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…...
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, 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,…...
Price, Liam
Price, Liam (1891–1967), district justice and antiquary, was born 23 February 1891 and christened William George (‘Willie’), the only surviving son of George Price (d. 1915), QC (queen's counsel), of 84 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin, prominent in the legal profession as registrar of the…...
Purser, Francis (‘Frank’) Carmichael
Purser, Francis (‘Frank’) Carmichael (1876–1934), neurologist, was born 16 September 1876 in India, son of William Edward Purser (b. 1845), official in the Indian civil service, and Elizabeth Purser (née Geoghegan), his cousin. After the death of his mother (1877), he was sent to…...
Rambaut, Arthur Alcock
Rambaut, Arthur Alcock (1859–1923), astronomer, was born 21 September 1859 in Waterford city, third son of the Rev. Edmund Francis Rambaut (BA, TCD), Church of Ireland clergyman and curate of…...
Richardson, William
Richardson, William (1740–1820), cleric, geologist, agriculturist, and pamphleteer, was probably born at Castleroe, near Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, the only son of Charles Richardson (d. 1743) and his wife Sarah, daughter of Hercules Heyland of Coleraine. He was educated at…...
Richey, James Ernest
Richey, James Ernest (1886–1968), geologist, was born 24 April 1886 at Desertcreat rectory, Co. Tyrone, son of John Richey, Church of Ireland rector, and Susanna Richey (née Best). He spent his childhood in Desertcreat and was educated at St Columba's College, Rathfarnham, and at…...
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 (…...
Roberts, Michael
Roberts, Michael (1817–82), mathematician, was the eldest son of Captain Michael Roberts, of Kilmoney Abbey near Carrigaline, Co. Cork, and Elizabeth Roberts (née Townsend Stewart). His twin brother was William Roberts (1817–83), also a mathematician and scholar and fellow of…...
Robinson, Thomas Romney
Robinson, Thomas Romney (1793–1882), astronomer and mathematical physicist, was born 23 April 1793 in St Anne's parish, Dublin, eldest son of Thomas Robinson, an English portrait painter, and Ruth Robinson (née Buck). He was named after his father's painting master, George Romney.…...
Rochfort, Robert
Rochfort, Robert (1651/2–1727), MP and chief baron of the exchequer, was second son of Prime-Iron Rochfort, army officer and landowner, and Thomazine Rochfort (née Pigott). Prime-Iron served as a lieutenant-colonel in Cromwell's army and was found guilty by court martial in 1651 of…...