Duffy, Sir Charles Gavan
Duffy, Sir Charles Gavan (1816–1903), politician and journalist, was born in Monaghan town on 12 April 1816, the sixth and youngest child of John Duffy (d. 1827), a shopkeeper and former United Irishman, and his wife, Anne (née Gavan). Formative years After the premature deaths of his…...
Dunne, John (‘Tull’)
Dunne, John (‘Tull’) (1911–90), Gaelic footballer, coach, and administrator, was born 26 December 1911 in Brackernagh, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway, the son of William Dunne, carpenter, and his wife, Katie, née Donelan. He was educated in the local Christian Brothers’ school before…...
Dunne, Seán Christopher
Dunne, Seán Christopher (1956–95), poet, editor, and journalist, was born 30 May 1956 at Belleville nursing home, Waterford, son of Richie Dunne, factory worker, and Maureen Dunne (née Walshe). His father and a housekeeper, Tessie Ryan, looked after the family after his mother…...
Edwards, Robert (‘Robin’) Walter Dudley
Edwards, Robert (‘Robin’) Walter Dudley (1909–88), historian, was born 4 June 1909 in Dublin, elder son of Walter Edwards (1862–1946), a minor civil servant from Worcestershire, England, and Bridget Teresa McInerney (1871–1956), a nurse from Co. Clare. When his parents, a quaker and a…...
Eglington, Tommy (Thomas Joseph)
Eglington, Tommy (Thomas Joseph) (1923–2004), soccer player, was born 15 January 1923 at 14 Norfolk Market, Great Britain (latterly Parnell) Street, Dublin, son of Christopher Eglington, butcher, and his wife Margaret (née McHugh). In his childhood the family moved to 7 Hazel Road…...
Elliott, Seamus (‘Shay’)
Elliott, Seamus ('Shay') (1934–71), cyclist, was born 4 June 1934 at Old County Road, Crumlin, Dublin, the second of three sons of Jim Elliott, garage owner of Rathfarnham, Co. Dublin, and his wife Nell (née Farrell). His parents were part of the republican contingent that seized the…...
Fallon, Sean
Fallon, Sean (1922–2013), footballer and coach, was born on 31 July 1922 in Sligo, one of nine children (six girls and three boys) of John Fallon (1897–1980) and his wife Margaret (1897–1990; née Forde). In 1914 John Fallon quit his job in McArthur’s bakery in Sligo to join the…...
Farrell, Micheal
Farrell, Micheal (1940–2000), painter and print-maker, was born 3 July 1940 at Cookstown House, near Ceanannus Mór (Kells), Co. Meath, one of two sons and two daughters of James Farrell, farmer and rugby player with Bective Rangers, and Nora Farrell (née Folwell). He began his…...
Farrell, Peter Desmond
Farrell, Peter Desmond (1922–99), soccer player, was born 16 August 1922 in Dalkey, Co. Dublin, son of Loughlin Farrell, insurance agent, and Teresa Farrell (née Glynn), of Ruby Cottage, Convent Road, Dalkey. He was educated at the Harold Boys School and later Dún Laoghaire…...
Feehan, Matthew (‘Matt’)
Feehan, Matthew (‘Matt’) (1913–90), soldier and newspaper editor, was born 11 November 1913 at 4 Great Denmark St., north-east of Rutland (later Parnell) Square, Dublin, youngest son of Matthew Feehan, grocer, and Aileen Feehan (née Boland), of Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. He was educated at…...
Fenning, Seumas
Fenning, Seumas (1904–81), snooker and billiards player, was born 12 February 1904 in Wood Quay, Dublin, one of thirteen children (of whom eleven survived) of Thomas J. Fenning, proofreader and bookseller, and Mary Fenning (née O'Donoghue). He attended a number of schools in the…...
Fenton, Tony
Fenton, Tony (Anthony Fagan, ‘the Dude’) (1961–2015), music broadcaster and disc jockey (DJ), was born Anthony James Fagan in Donnycarney, Co. Dublin, on 25 March 1961, the second of four sons and one daughter to Brendan Fagan, a carpenter with his own business, and his…...
Ferguson, Vincent
Ferguson, Vincent, (1931–2007), businessman and art collector, was born in the family home in Teeling Street, Sligo town, on 21 June 1931, the son of John Ferguson, printer, and his wife Mary (née McGarry). His mother died when he was five, leaving five boys and two girls. The family…...
FitzGerald, Desmond
FitzGerald, Desmond (1911–87), architect, was born 5 November 1911 at Saint-Jean-du-Doigt (Finisterre) in Brittany, France, eldest of four sons of Desmond FitzGerald (qv), writer and future minister for external affairs in…...
Fitzgerald, Eugene (Gene)
Fitzgerald, Eugene (Gene) (1932–2007), politician, was born in Crookstown, Co. Cork, on 21 August 1932; he had at least one brother and one sister. Educated at Crookstown national school and Presentation Brothers' College, Cork, he lived most of his adult life in Bishopstown in the…...
Fitzgerald, John
Fitzgerald, John (1825–1910), poet, painter, antiquary, and wood-carver, was born 18 June 1825 at Hanover Street, Cork, son of John Fitzgerald and Martha Mary Deacy. He was educated at Fr Mathew's (qv) school, Blackamoor Lane, and…...
Fitzgerald, Dick (‘Dickeen’)
Fitzgerald, Dick (‘Dickeen’), Gaelic footballer and revolutionary, was born 2 October 1882 in College Street, Killarney, Co. Kerry, one of at least three sons and three daughters of Michael Fitzgerald, a merchant of College Street, and his wife Bridget (née Healy). His primary education…...
Fitzgibbon, Denis (‘Din Joe’)
Fitzgibbon, Denis (‘Din Joe’) (1921–98), businessman and broadcaster, was born in Cork city. He was reared and educated locally in a traditional catholic environment, attending Presentation Brothers College, Cork. He was a noted rugby player for the Dolphin club and for Munster.…...
Fitzgibbon, Edward
Fitzgibbon, Edward (1803–57), journalist known as ‘Ephemera’, was born in August 1803 in Limerick, son of a land agent; nothing else is known of his family. On the death of his father (1817) he went to London, aged 14, and two years later was articled to a surgeon. Within two…...
Fitzpatrick, William John
Fitzpatrick, William John (1830–95), historian, was born 31 August 1830 in Thomas St., Dublin, son of John Fitzpatrick, tallow chandler and merchant. He began his education at a local Church of Ireland school before attending Clongowes Wood College, Co. Kildare. His father left…...
Flanagan, John Woulfe
Flanagan, John Woulfe (1852–1929), journalist on The Times, was born 6 April 1852, the eldest of six sons and five daughters in the family of Stephen Woulfe Flanagan (1817–91), PC (Ire.), a judge of the landed estates court and owner of 3…...
Flanagan, Seán
Flanagan, Seán (1922–93), GAA footballer and politician, was born 26 January 1922 in Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo, second eldest child among four sons and two daughters of Stanislaus Flanagan, national school teacher, and Ann Flanagan (née Spelman). He was educated at St Jarlath's…...
Flanagan, Terence Philip ('T. P.'; 'Terry')
Flanagan, Terence Philip ('T. P.'; 'Terry') (1929–2011), painter, was born 15 August 1929 at 18 The Hollow, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, the eldest among four sons and three daughters of William Flanagan and his wife Margaret (née Maguire). His father held a series of clerical jobs in…...
Flannery, Austin
Flannery, Austin (1925–2008), priest, scholar, editor, journalist and social justice campaigner, was born William ('Liam') Flannery on 10 January 1925 at Rear Cross, Co. Tipperary, the eldest of seven children of William K. Flannery and his wife Margaret Flannery (née Butler),…...
Fleming, Patrick
Fleming, Patrick (1599–1631), Franciscan friar and scholar, was born on 17 April 1599 at Bel atha Lagan, Clonkeen, Co. Louth, the son of Gerald Fleming and Elizabeth Cusack of Cushintown. He was baptised Christopher and was a pious and hard-working child. At the age of thirteen he…...