Armstrong, Robert Williams
Armstrong, Robert Williams (1824–84), architect, civil engineer, and co-founder of Belleek Pottery, was born in Co. Longford, son of Francis Armstrong, architect and builder. Despite an early aptitude for pottery, he trained as an architect and civil engineer, exhibiting designs at…...
Armstrong, Sir Walter
Armstrong, Sir Walter (1850–1918), art historian and gallery director, was born 7 February 1850 in Roxburghshire, Scotland, eldest son of Walter Armstrong of Hawick, and educated at Harrow and Oxford (BA 1873). He taught at art schools in London…...
Arnott, Sir Lauriston John
Arnott, Sir Lauriston John (1890–1958), soldier, newspaper proprietor, and philanthropist, was born 27 November 1890, second (and eldest surviving) son of Sir John Alexander Arnott (d. 1940), 2nd baronet, and his wife Caroline Sydney, eldest daughter of Sir Frederick Martin Williams…...
Ashford, William
Ashford, William (1746–1824), artist, was christened on 20 May 1746 in St Martin's parish church, Birmingham, the son of Richard Ashford of Birmingham. Nothing is recorded of his early life in England but he almost certainly had some form of technical and/or artistic education. He…...
Ashlin, George Coppinger
Ashlin, George Coppinger (1837–1921), architect, was born 28 May 1837 at Carrigrenane House, Co. Cork, third and youngest son of four children of John Musson Ashlin, a Corkman established as a corn merchant in London, and Dorinda Maria Ashlin (née Coppinger), from an old Co. Cork…...
Ash, Thomas
Ash, Thomas (1660?–p. 1735), diarist and defender of Derry, was born in Killylane, near Muff, Co. Donegal, before his family moved to Corrinerin, later known as Ashbrook, Co. Londonderry. One of twenty-four children of John Ash, he was the third son of John's second wife…...
Ashworth, Charles Herbert
Ashworth, Charles Herbert (1862–1926), architect, was born 18 May 1862 in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, son of Alfred Ashworth, and educated at Chester and Liverpool, where he served his articles. He settled in Dublin c.1885, was engaged by Thomas N.…...
Assicus (T'Assach)
Assicus (T'Assach) (d. c.508), an artisan – i.e. coppersmith – of supposed Gaulish origin, came to Ireland at some stage during the mission of St Patrick (qv) and was later consecrated a bishop by him.…...
Aston, Ernest Albert
Aston, Ernest Albert (1873–1949), journalist and urban planner, was born 6 October 1873 in Dublin, eldest of at least three sons and a daughter of Thomas J. Aston, book-keeper, and Jane Hawkshaw Aston (née Bennett). After education at Wesley College and training as an engineer, he…...
Aston, Sir Arthur
Aston, Sir Arthur (c.1590–1649) royalist army officer, governor of Drogheda, was the younger of the two sons of Sir Arthur Aston, knight, of Fulham, Middlesex, and his first wife, Christiana, daughter of John Ashton of Penrith in Cumberland. There is nothing on record…...
Atkinson, Joseph
Atkinson, Joseph (c.1743–1818), army officer, poet, and dramatist, was born in Dublin and served in the English army, reaching the rank of captain. He wrote a comedy and two comic operas, all of which were produced in Dublin. His first play, ‘The mutual deception’,…...
Axtell, Daniel
Axtell, Daniel (d. 1660), military governor of Kilkenny, was almost certainly born in southern England, and was apprenticed to a grocer in Watling St. (London). In the English civil war he joined the parliamentary army from religious conviction, rose to be lieutenant-colonel,…...
Aylmer, Matthew
Aylmer, Matthew (c.1650–1720), 1st Baron Aylmer of Balrath , admiral, and commander-in-chief of the fleet, was second child and second son among three sons and one daughter of Christopher Aylmer (d. 1671), 1st baronet, of Balrath, Co. Meath, and his wife Margaret, third…...
Aylmer, William
Aylmer, William (1778–1820), United Irish commander and officer in the Austrian army, was born in March 1778 at Painstown, Co. Kildare, the second son of Charles Aylmer (1720?–1801) but the first son of his second marriage, to Esmay, daughter of William Piers of Castletown, Co.…...
Bacon, Francis
Bacon, Francis (1909–92), artist, was born 28 October 1909 at 63 Lower Baggot St., Dublin, second eldest of three sons and two daughters of Anthony Edward (‘Eddy’) Mortimer Bacon, and his wife Christina Winifred (‘Winnie’) Loxley Firth, both of England. His father, a former captain…...
Bagenal (Bagnal(l)), Sir Henry
Bagenal (Bagnal(l)), Sir Henry (c.1556–1598), soldier, was born in England, eldest son of Sir Nicholas Bagenal (qv) and his wife Eleanor (née Griffith; d. 1573) of Penrhyn, north Wales. Henry apparently left…...
Bagenal (Bagnal(l)), Sir Nicholas
Bagenal (Bagnal(l)), Sir Nicholas (1510?–1591), soldier, was second son of John Bagnal (d. 1558), tailor and mayor of Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire, England, and his wife Eleanor (Elinor) Whittingham of Middlewich, Cheshire. In 1539 Nicholas, as a gentleman pensioner, went to…...
Bagenal, Walter
Bagenal, Walter (1614–52), soldier and politician, was eldest son of George Bagenal of Dunleckney, Co. Carlow, and Joan, daughter of Walter Butler (qv), 11th earl of Ormond. The Bagenals originated from Staffordshire in England and only…...
Baillie, William
Baillie, William (1723–1810), printmaker and art dealer, was born 11 June 1723 at Kilbride, Co. Carlow, the second son of the upholsterer Robert Baillie of Celbridge, Co. Kildare, and his wife Susanna (née Antrobus). After his education at Dr…...
Baily, William Hellier
Baily, William Hellier (1819–88), palaeontologist and artist, was born 7 July 1819 in Bristol, England, into a family of carvers and sculptors. He was curatorial assistant of Bristol museum (1837–44); served the Geological Survey of Great Britain as draughtsman (1844), assistant…...
Baker, Col. Henry
Baker, Col. Henry (c.1640–1689), governor of Londonderry, was a lieutenant in the Irish army after the restoration; details of his parents are not known. On being dismissed during the administration of the earl of Tyrconnell (qv…...
Baker, Henry Aaron
Baker, Henry Aaron (1753–1836), architect, was educated at the Dublin Society's school of architectural drawing (1777), winning a silver medal (1779), and was apprenticed to Thomas Ivory (qv). He became (c.1786) assistant to…...
Banim, John
Banim, John (1798–1842), artist, novelist, playwright, and poet, was born 3 April 1798 in Kilkenny city, the eldest son of Michael Banim (perhaps originally Bannon), farmer and shopkeeper (he sold sporting goods), and Joannah or Judith Banim (née Carroll) from near the Slieve Bloom…...
Barber, Rupert
Barber, Rupert (1719–72), miniaturist, was born in Dublin, where he was baptised 20 September 1719. He was the son of Rupert Barber, Dublin woollen-draper, and Mary Barber (qv), who published poetry in the 1730s, a friend and…...
Barnes, Michael James
Barnes, Michael James (1932–2008), festival director, was born in Peckham, south London, England, on 31 October 1932. His parents were Robert Barnes and Winifred Barnes (née Dee), who married in 1931. In 1945 he won a scholarship to Alleyn's School in Dulwich, an independent school…...