Beale, Abraham
Beale, Abraham (1793–1847), ironmonger and philanthropist, was born 16 August 1793 in Cork, into a quaker family, second of five sons and four daughters of Thomas Beale and Elizabeth Beale (née Abell). He was educated at the Friends' Provincial School, Newtown, Co. Waterford. He…...
Beattie, John (‘Jack’)
Beattie, John (‘Jack’) (1886–1960), socialist and trade unionist, was born 14 April 1886 into a presbyterian family in Ballymacarrett, Belfast, son of Robert Beattie, dealer, and Eliza Beattie (née Downey). He left school aged 13 and worked at the Belfast Ropeworks before joining…...
Beatty, Alfred Chester
Beatty, Alfred Chester (1875–1968), mining engineer, art collector, and philanthropist, was born in New York on 7 February 1875, third son of John Cuming Beatty and his wife Hetty, daughter of William Gedney Bull. His paternal grandparents were born in Co. Armagh and Queen's Co. (…...
Beatty, Sir William
Beatty, Sir William (1773–1842), naval surgeon, was born in the Waterside district of Derry, the eldest of four sons and two daughters of James Beatty, excise gauger, and his wife, Anne (née Smyth). Nothing is known about William's early life but he presumably attended a local grammar…...
Beatty, Thomas Edward
Beatty, Thomas Edward (1800–72), obstetrician, was born 1 January 1800 in Dublin, son of John Beatty, MD, and Mary Beatty (née Betagh). He was apprenticed to C. H. Todd (qv), graduated…...
Beddy, James Patrick
Beddy, James Patrick (1900–76), public servant and economist, was born 28 September 1900 in Cobh, Co. Cork, the eldest son and second of the three children of Thomas Robert Beddy, RIC constable, and Mary Beddy (née Barry), of Macroom, Co…...
Beere, Thekla (June)
Beere, Thekla (June) (1901–91), civil servant and first chairman of the Commission on the Status of Women, was born 20 June 1901 in Kilmore, Columbkille, near Granard, Co. Longford, one of two daughters of the Rev. Francis John Armstrong Beere, Church of Ireland vicar of Streete, Co.…...
Beit, Sir Alfred Lane
Beit, Sir Alfred Lane (1903–94), art collector and patron, was born 19 January 1903 in London, younger son of Sir Otto Beit (1865–1930), industrialist of German birth, and his wife Lillian (d. 1946), daughter of T. L. Carter of New Orleans. Otto Beit inherited in 1906 the…...
Bell, Elizabeth Gould
Bell, Elizabeth Gould (1862?–1934), medical doctor and suffragist, was born in Newry, Co. Down, daughter of Joseph Bell of Spring Hill, Newry, clerk of the Newry Union. Little is known of her childhood and early education. With her sister Margaret Bell, she completed one year's…...
Bellingham, O'Bryen
Bellingham, O'Bryen (1805–57), doctor, was born 12 December 1805 in Castlebellingham, Co. Louth, third son and fourth child among five sons and three daughters of Sir Alan Bellingham (1776–1827), 2nd baronet, and Elizabeth Bellingham (née Walls). He was educated at the Feinaiglian…...
Bellingham, Sir Daniel
Bellingham, Sir Daniel (c.1620–1672), 1st baronet, government official, was the elder son, of the two sons and one daughter, of Robert Bellingham, attorney in the court of exchequer, and his wife, Margaret, née Whyte, of Clongill, Co. Meath;…...
Bellingham, Sir Edward
Bellingham, Sir Edward (a.1507?–1550), soldier and administrator, was the younger son of Sir Edward Bellingham of Erringham, Old Shoreham, Sussex, and Jane Bellingham (née Shelley) of Michelgrove, Sussex. He and his brother spent their early life till 1514 as wards of the…...
Bell, Sir William Ewart
Bell, Sir William Ewart (1924–2001), rugby international and civil servant, was born 13 November 1924 in Belfast, son of the Rev. Dr Frederick George Bell, an ordained minister of the presbyterian church, and Margaret Jane Bell (née Ewart), a qualified teacher. He was the eldest…...
Belton, John (‘Johnnie’) Aloysius
Belton, John (‘Johnnie’) Aloysius (1903–69), diplomat, was born 6 November 1903 at 37 Ballymahon St., Longford town, youngest child and second son of John Belton (b. 1861), corn and wool buyer, and his wife Margaret (b. 1867; née Farrell) who ran a stationery shop. He was educated…...
Benn, Edward
Benn, Edward (1798–1874), philanthropist, industrialist, and antiquarian, was born in Tandragee, Co. Armagh, third of four sons and five daughters of John Benn, Belfast brewer, and Elizabeth Benn (née Craig). With his younger brother George…...
Bennett, Edward Hallaran
Bennett, Edward Hallaran (1837–1907), surgeon, was born 9 April 1837 at Charlotte's Quay, Cork, fifth and youngest son of Robert Bennett (recorder of Cork, son of a doctor) and his wife Jane (daughter of William S. Hallaran, another well-known Cork doctor). Edward attended Hamblin's…...
Bennett, Louisa (‘Louie’)
Bennett, Louisa (‘Louie’) (1870–1956), suffragist, trade unionist, and peace activist, was born 7 January 1870, in Garville Avenue, Rathgar, Dublin, the eldest daughter of James Cavendish Bennett, a prosperous auctioneer, and his wife Susan (née Bolger). She was brought up at Temple…...
Benson, Charles
Benson, Charles (1797–1880), physician, was born in Collooney, Co. Sligo, into an ancient family, son of Charles Benson, land agent, and Elizabeth Benson (née Gray). Educated at W. C. Armstrong's school in Sligo, he was then indentured (1815) to…...
Bentham, Ethel
Bentham, Ethel (1861–1931), doctor and MP, was born 5 January 1861 in London, second daughter of William Bentham (an inspector, secretary, and later general manager with the Standard Life Assurance Company in London) and Mary Ann Bentham (née Hammond). Her father, a quaker, was…...
Bergin, Patrick
Bergin, Patrick (1913–91), trade unionist and republican, was born in Carlow on 6 February 1913, one of nine children of a railway signalman. His mother, an ardent republican and a devout catholic, came from a Co. Westmeath family of shopkeepers and small farmers. Having been…...
Bermingham, John
Bermingham, John (d. 1329), earl of Louth and justiciar of Ireland, was eldest son of Peter Bermingham (qv), lord of Tethmoy, and Ela, daughter of William de Oddingeseles, justiciar of Ireland 1294–5. After his father's death his…...
Bermingham, Patrick
Bermingham, Patrick (c.1460–1532), judge and administrator, was born in Ireland, and entered Lincoln's Inn, London, where between 1478 and 1476 he kept at least four terms and suffered a period of expulsion. He inherited his brother John's Irish estates in 1483. He appears…...
Bermingham, Walter
Bermingham, Walter (d. 1350), lord of Carbury and justiciar of Ireland, was eldest son of William de Bermingham (qv), lord of Carbury, by his first wife. He took part in the campaign against…...
Bermingham, William de
Bermingham, William de (d. 1332), lord of Carbury and deputy justiciar, was second son of Peter de Bermingham (qv), lord of Tethmoy. Much of his early career was closely tied to that of his brother…...
Bermingham, William (‘Willie’) Patrick
Bermingham, William (‘Willie’) Patrick (1942–90), founder of ALONE, was born 29 March 1942 in Inchicore, Dublin, third among seven children of William Bermingham, bellman on a fuel cart, and Mary Bermingham (née Dalgarno). He was educated at St Michael's School, Inchicore, and…...