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,…...
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, 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…...
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…...
Corbet, William
Corbet, William (d. 1838?), printer and newspaper proprietor, was in business in Dublin by 1783; he later had premises in Great Britain Street (1788–1810), Sycamore Alley (1813–22), College Green (1823–4), Palace Street (1825–30), and Upper Ormond Quay (from 1831). In 1783 he was…...
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…...
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…...
Costello, Michael Joseph (‘Mickey Joe’)
Costello, Michael Joseph (‘Mickey Joe’) (1904–86), army officer and public servant, was born 2 July 1904 in Cloughjordan, Co. Tipperary, the eldest of five boys and three girls (three of the children died of influenza in 1917) of Denis Costello of Kilmihill, Co. Clare, and Teresa…...
Costigan, Daniel
Costigan, Daniel (1911–79), civil servant and Garda commissioner, was born 18 February 1911 in Derryfada, Kealkil, Bantry, Co. Cork (where the Costigan family had lived for many generations), elder surviving son and third among six children of James Costigan (d. 1956) and Anne…...
Cotter, Sarah
Cotter, Sarah (fl. 1751–92), printer and bookseller, was possibly the sister of Joseph Cotter (d. c.1751), a bookseller operating from under Dick's Coffee House, Skinner Row, Dublin (1744–c.1751). She continued the trade at the same address (1751–74) and…...
Courtenay, Sir Philip
Courtenay, Sir Philip (a.1355–1406), lieutenant of Ireland, was third son of Hugh Courtenay, earl of Devon, and his wife Margaret, daughter of Humphrey Bohun, earl of Hereford and Essex. He was appointed lieutenant of Ireland on 1 July 1383, replacing…...
Courtney, Michael Aidan
Courtney, Michael Aidan (1945–2003), catholic archbishop and Vatican diplomat, was born 5 February 1945 in Nenagh general hospital, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, youngest child among four sons and three daughters of Aloysius Daniel 'Louis' Courtney (see below), medical doctor, of 23 Summerhill…...
Cowley (Colley), Walter
Cowley (Colley), Walter (d. a.1552) administrator, was the eldest son of Robert Cowley (qv), master of the rolls in Ireland, and his wife, Anne. He was probably born in Dublin, but the family moved to Co. Kilkenny, where they…...
Cowley, Robert
Cowley, Robert (d. 1546?), government official, was the son of Walter Cowley. His origins are uncertain: the near-contemporary Book of Howth states that he was born in England, but the name Cowley was common in Kilkenny city from the start of the fifteenth century; perhaps he was…...
Coyne, Richard
Coyne, Richard (1776/7–1856), printer and bookseller, was first in business in 1808 at 154 Capel Street, Dublin. In 1821 he took over the business of Hugh Fitzpatrick (qv) (d. 1818) at 4 Capel Street and from the following year he…...
Coyne, Thomas Joseph (‘Tommy’)
Coyne, Thomas Joseph (‘Tommy’) (1901–61), civil servant, was born 22 February 1901 in Dublin, youngest among five children of William P. Coyne (qv), barrister, later head of the statistical section of the Department of Agriculture (…...
Crampton, Sir John Fiennes Twisleton
Crampton, Sir John Fiennes Twisleton (1805–86), diplomat, was born in Dublin, elder son of Sir Philip Crampton (qv) of Merrion Square, Dublin, surgeon to the Meath Hospital and surgeon-general to the forces in Ireland. He was…...
Crawford, (Robert) Lindsay
Crawford, (Robert) Lindsay (1868–1945), journalist, Orangeman, and diplomat, was born 1 October 1868 at Tonagh, Lisburn, Co. Antrim, son of James Crawford, scripture reader, and Matilda Crawford (née Hastings). Educated privately, he worked for a time in business before becoming…...