Abell, Abraham
Abell, Abraham (1783–1851), antiquary and public figure at Cork, was born 11 April 1783 in Pope's Quay, Cork, son of Richard Abell, a quaker merchant. Abraham Abell too was a merchant, but he is to be remembered for his prominence in voluntary bodies, both cultural and…...
Adair, Patrick
Adair, Patrick (c.1624–1694), presbyterian minister and historian, was the third son of John Adair, of Genoch in Galloway. He graduated from the University of St Andrews in 1642 and proceeded in 1644 to study divinity in the University of Glasgow. When licensed he travelled to…...
Adams, Ronald James (Ronnie)
Adams, Ronald James (Ronnie) (1916–2004), racing driver and businessman, was one of the last of a generation of successful amateur gentleman drivers, and was well known in his native Ulster. He was born in Belfast on 8 March 1916, only son of James Adams and his Scottish wife Sarah…...
Adderley, Thomas
Adderley, Thomas (1715–91), landowner, MP, and entrepreneur, the only son of two children of Francis Adderley, Cork landowner, and Elizabeth Adderley (née Fowkes), was educated at TCD (BA 1735,…...
Adomnán
Adomnán (c.624–704), son of Rónán, was 9th abbot of Iona (679–704), biographer of Colum Cille, and saint in the Irish tradition. According to the genealogies, he was son of Rónán son of Tinne, one of the Cenél Conaill branch of the Uí Néill, and a kinsman of…...
Aiken, Francis Thomas (‘Frank’)
Aiken, Francis Thomas (‘Frank’) (1898–1983), farmer, revolutionary, and politician, was born 13 February 1898 in Carrickbracken, Camlough, Co. Armagh, seventh child and youngest son of James Aiken, farmer and builder from Co. Tyrone, and Mary Aiken (née McGeeney), of Corromannon,…...
Aiken, Jim
Aiken, Jim (1932–2007), music promoter and businessman, was one of seven or eight children born to Joseph Aiken and his wife Annie (née Fagan), and was raised on the family farm in Jonesborough, Co. Armagh, close to the border. After completing his secondary education, he studied…...
Ainsworth, Sir John Francis
Ainsworth, Sir John Francis (1912–81), 3rd baronet, palaeographer, and archivist, was born 4 January 1912 in London, the only son of Thomas Ainsworth, later 2nd baronet, a racehorse breeder and master of various packs of foxhounds in Ireland, and his first wife, Edina Dorothy Hope (…...
Alderdice, Frederick Charles
Alderdice, Frederick Charles (1871–1936), businessman and politician, the last prime minister of the dominion of Newfoundland, was born 10 November 1871 at Rose Cottage, Stranmillis, Belfast, son of William Alderdice, linen and yarn merchant, and Rachael Katharine (‘Kathleen’)…...
Alexander, James
Alexander, James (d. 1815?), historian of the battle of New Ross and miscellaneous writer, was a native of Harristown, near Monastereven, Co. Kildare. Nothing has been ascertained of his family other than that he had a brother, Wentworth, and that he was a cousin-german of Sir…...
Alexander, Sir William
Alexander, Sir William (1743–1822), 1st baronet, wholesale merchant, and Dublin alderman, of Belcamp, Booterstown, and Mountjoy Square, Dublin, was born 3 March 1743, son of William Alexander (d. c.1788), wholesale merchant and linen factor, of Mary's Abbey, Dublin (…...
Algeo, Sir Arthur
Algeo, Sir Arthur (1903–67), businessman, was born in April or May 1903 in George's St., Sligo, elder son among two sons and four daughters of Thomas Algeo, railway employee and later mayor of Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, and Anne Jane Algeo (née Stockdale). Arthur was educated in…...
Allen, Thomas
Allen, Thomas (d. 1634), merchant, was second son among three sons and two daughters of Edward Allen of Kilteel, Co. Dublin, and his wife Ales, daughter of Alderman Giles Allen of Dublin; his paternal grandfather, Thomas Alen, from Norfolk, had settled in Ireland in the 1530s…...
Allison, Richard Sydney
Allison, Richard Sydney (1899–1978), neurologist and historian, was born 15 May 1899 in Belfast to William and Eliza Allison, and attended RBAI and QUB. Before completing his…...
Altman, Albert Liebes Lascar
Altman, Albert Liebes Lascar (c.1853–1903), businessman and nationalist politician, was born c.1853 in Prussian Poland, the son of Moritz Altman (born Shagra Moshe ben Aharon) and his wife Deborah (born Devorah bat Chaim Liebes). He was the eldest of four surviving…...
Anderson, John
Anderson, John (1747?–1820), developer of Fermoy, Co. Cork, was son of David Anderson of Portling, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, who was the jailer at Dunfries. He moved to Cork in 1780, set up in business, and developed the quay bearing his name and the Charleston Maltings at…...
Anderson, John
Anderson, John (1815–1905), woollen merchant, geologist, bibliographer, and local politician, was born 8 July 1815 near Coleraine, Co. Londonderry. After moving to Belfast he entered (1840) the woollen business in Donegall St. founded by James Young in 1795. Anderson's eminence…...
Anderson, Mark Louden
Anderson, Mark Louden (1895–1961), forester, was born 16 April 1895, son of the Rev. J. C. Anderson and Jeanie Anderson (née Boyd), of Kinneff, Scotland. His university career was interrupted by service in the British army (1914–19), where he won an MC…...
Anderson, Robert Andrew
Anderson, Robert Andrew (1860–1942), agriculturist, was born in June 1860 at Mount Corbet, Buttevant, Co. Cork, where his parents, Andrew Anderson, a Scot, and his Canadian wife, settled in 1851. He began work as a petty sessions clerk at Doneraile and became sub-agent to the local…...
Anderson, Sir Robert
Anderson, Sir Robert (1837–1921), 1st baronet, businessman, was born 1 December 1837, probably in Ballybay, Co. Monaghan, son of James Anderson of Ballybay and Elizabeth Anderson (née Ker) of Newbliss. At 15 he joined the firm of John…...
Andrews, Christopher Stephen (‘Todd’)
Andrews, Christopher Stephen (‘Todd’) (1901–85), revolutionary, public servant, and writer, was born 6 October 1901 at 42 Summerhill, central Dublin, elder of two sons of Christopher Andrews, of Dublin, and Mary (‘Molly’) Andrews (née Moran), daughter of a…...
Andrews, Sir John Lawson Ormrod (‘Jack’)
Andrews, Sir John Lawson Ormrod (‘Jack’) (1903–86), politician and businessman, was born 15 July 1903 at Maxwell Court, Comber, Co. Down, the only son among the three children of John Miller Andrews (qv), later prime minister of…...
Andrews, Thomas
Andrews, Thomas (1873–1912), shipbuilder, was born 7 February 1873 at Ardara, Comber, Co. Down, where his family, members of the non-subscribing presbyterian church, had been prominent in business for several generations. He was the second son of Thomas Andrews (1843–1916), for…...
Añes, William
Añes, William (1562–1630), merchant of Youghal, Co. Cork, possibly born in London, was seventh son among fourteen children of Dunstan (aka Benjamin George or Gonsalvo George) Añes (d. 1594) and his wife Constance Ruyse, both of Spanish descent. The Añes (variously spelt Aynes, Agnes…...
Annesley, Hugh
Annesley, Hugh (1831–1908), 5th earl of Annesley , horticulturist, and politician, was born 26 January 1831 in Dublin, second son of William Richard Annesley (1772–1838), 3rd earl and MP for Downpatrick (1815–20), and his second wife, Priscilla Cecilia (d. 1891), daughter of Hugh…...