Beasley, Thomas (Tommy)
Beasley, Thomas (Tommy) (1848–1905) and Henry Herbert (Harry) (1852–1939), jockeys, were born at Salisbury House, Athy, Co. Kildare, first and third of the five sons of Joseph Lapham Beasley, large farmer. Four of the boys were to become jockeys, but neither Willie (d. 1892, after a…...
Beckett, James C[rothers?] (‘Jim’)
Beckett, James C[rothers?] (‘Jim’) (1884–1971), water-polo international, national swimming champion, all-round sportsman, and administrator, was born 17 October 1884 in Prince William Terrace, Dublin, one of four sons and one daughter of William Francis Beckett, a successful…...
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.…...
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…...
Bennett, Alexander (‘Alec’)
Bennett, Alexander (‘Alec’) (1897–1973), motorcyclist, was born 25 April 1897 in Craigantlet, Co. Down, son of Robert Bennett, farmer, of Craigantlet, and Isabella Bennett (née Rea). Having emigrated to Canada at an early age, he began competing as a motorcyclist, primarily on half-…...
Bennett, William Thomas (‘Bill’)
Bennett, William Thomas (‘Bill’) (1877–1967), champion athlete and road bowler, was born 7 September 1877 at Killeady, Ballinhassig, Co. Cork, one of two sons and three daughters of William Bennett, farmer, from Killeady, and Eliza Bennett (née Hobbs), who was from a well known…...
Bergin, Stanley Francis
Bergin, Stanley Francis (1925–69), cricketer and journalist, was born 19 November 1925 at 8 St John's Road, Sandymount, Dublin, as Stanislaus Mary Bergin, youngest of seven sons of Bernard Christopher Bergin, assistant director GPO, and…...
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…...
Berry, Peter
Berry, Peter (1909–78), civil servant, was born 7 June 1909 at 41 New Street, Killarney, Co. Kerry, the son of Peter Berry, RIC sergeant, and his wife, Ellie Lucy (née Barry). The family later moved to Charleville, Co. Cork, where Berry was…...
Best, George
Best, George (1946–2005), professional footballer, was born 22 May 1946 in the Royal Maternity Hospital, Belfast, eldest child among two sons and four daughters of Richard 'Dickie' Best (1919–2008), a shipyard iron turner with Harland and Wolff, and his wife Ann Mary 'Annie' Best (née…...
Betham, Cecilia Maria Eleanor
Betham, Cecilia Maria Eleanor (1843–1913), archer, was born in January 1843 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, the second child and only daughter of Molyneux Cecil John Betham (1813–80), archivist, and Elizabeth Betham (née Ford), the daughter of Sir Richard Ford, chief magistrate (1800–06)…...
Bewley, Charles Henry
Bewley, Charles Henry (1888–1969), barrister and diplomat, was born 12 July 1888 in Dublin, eldest son among four children of Henry Theodore Bewley (qv), MD and quaker, and Elizabeth…...
Bewley, (Thomas) Kenneth
Bewley, (Thomas) Kenneth (1890–1943), civil servant, was born 3 July 1890 in Dublin, one of four children of quakers Henry Theodore Bewley, MD, of 26 Lower Baggot St., and his wife Eveleen, daughter of Thomas Pim of Greenbank, Monkstown, Co…...
Bianconi, Charles
Bianconi, Charles (1786–1875), transport entrepreneur, was born Joachim Carlo Guiseppe Bianconi on 24 September 1786 at Tregolo, near Como in Lombardy, Italy, the second of five children of Pietro and Maria Bianconi. His father owned a farm and a silk mill, and was agent for the…...
Bicknor, Alexander
Bicknor, Alexander (d. 1349), archbishop of Dublin and administrator, was apparently of undistinguished English parentage. A graduate of Oxford university, Bicknor (whose name derives from Bicknor in Gloucestershire) arrived in Ireland in 1302 as clerk and attorney to a landed…...
Biggs, Christopher Thomas Ewart-
Biggs, Christopher Thomas Ewart- (1921–76), UK ambassador to Ireland, was born 5 August 1921 in England, the only child of Lt-col. Henry Ewart-Biggs, of the Royal Engineers, and Mollie Hilda Madelene Ewart-Biggs (née Brice). For much of his childhood his father was on active service, so…...
Binchy, Daniel Anthony
Binchy, Daniel Anthony (1899–1989), historian and diplomat, was born 3 June 1899 on Main Street, Charleville, Co. Cork, second son (there were at least three other surviving children) of William Patrick Binchy, shopkeeper, and his wife Annie (née Browne). EDUCATION AND EARLY CAREER He…...
Bingham (Byngham), Sir Richard
Bingham (Byngham), Sir Richard (1528–99), soldier and administrator, was third son among eight sons and two daughters of Richard Bingham of Melcombe Bingham (or the nearby Bingham's Melcombe), Dorset, and Alice Bingham (née Coker) of Mappowder, about three miles away. He served…...