Millett, Benignus
Millett, Benignus (1922–2006), Franciscan priest and historian, was born 1 April 1922 in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, eldest of eight children (five sons and three daughters) of Matthew Millett, a tax consultant and auditor, and his wife Mary (née Keating); he was christened Austin Matthew…...
Mooney, Canice
Mooney, Canice (1911–63) Franciscan priest, historian, and Irish language scholar, was born 13 February 1911 in Drumshambo, Co. Leitrim, one of eight children of publican, auctioneer and public representative Andrew Mooney and his wife Josephine Gaffney. He was christened Albert…...
Mooney, Donatus (Donagh)
Mooney, Donatus (Donagh) (1577–1624), Franciscan priest and historian, was born near Ballymore, Co. Donegal; nothing else is known of his family background. After a short military career in Donegal, he joined the Franciscan order c.October 1600. Before he could finish his…...
Moore, Henry
Moore, Henry (1751–1844), methodist minister and biographer, was born 21 December 1751 in Drumcondra, Dublin, second child and only son among five children of Richard Moore, a wealthy Church of Ireland farmer, who died young in 1763. A marriage in 1746 between a Richard Moore and…...
Mulholland, William
Mulholland, William (1855–1935), engineer, was born 11 September 1855 in Belfast, second child among four sons and two daughters (both of whom died in infancy) of Hugh Mulholland, mail guard, and Ellen Mulholland (née Deakers; d. 1862). In 1865 Hugh married Jane Smith, with whom…...
Mullooly, Joseph
Mullooly, Joseph (1812–80), Dominican priest and archaeologist, was born 19 March 1812 at Lanesborough, Co. Longford, the son of Gilbert Mullooly, farmer, and his wife Brigid (née Dowd). He went to Italy 1840, took the Dominican habit at La Quercia as a member of the Irish…...
Mulvany, John Skipton
Mulvany, John Skipton (1813–70), architect, was probably born in Dublin, fourth son of Thomas James Mulvany (qv), painter, biographer, and founder member of the Royal Hibernian Academy, and his wife, Mary (1779–1865), daughter of Dr…...
Murphy, Denis
Murphy, Denis (1833–96), priest and historian, was born 12 January 1833 at Scarteen, near Newmarket, Co. Cork, the eldest son of Timothy Murphy and his wife Joanna (née O'Connell). He was educated at Mr Curran's school in Kanturk before attending Clongowes Wood College, Co.…...
Murphy, William Richard English
Murphy, William Richard English (1890–1975), teacher, soldier, schools’ inspector, general and police commissioner, was born on 26 January 1890 at Danescastle, Carrig on Bannow, Co. Wexford, son of John Joseph Murphy and Sarah Agnes (née English), both of whom were teachers. He had one…...
Murray, Laurence Patrick, ('Larry'), (Ó Muireadhaigh, Lorcán)
Murray, Laurence Patrick, ('Larry'), (Ó Muireadhaigh, Lorcán) (1883–1941), priest, historian and Irish-language activist, was born 8 June 1883 in Newry Street, Carlingford, Co. Louth, the eldest of seven surviving children (four sons and three daughters) of James Murray, a member of the…...
Nixon, John William
Nixon, John William (1877–1949), policeman and politician, was born 1 June 1877 in Graddum, Co. Cavan, into a methodist family; other family details are unknown. He joined the RIC in 1899, served in Belfast, Donegal, Antrim, Mayo,…...
Nowlan, Kevin Ingram
Nowlan, Kevin Ingram (1910–2003), engineer, planning officer, and university lecturer, was born 2 November 1910 at Iona House, Iona Drive, Glasnevin, Dublin, second son of John William Nowlan, assistant superintendent of Glasnevin cemetery, and his wife Kathleen Winifred (née Browning…...
O'Brien, George Augustine Thomas
O'Brien, George Augustine Thomas (1892–1973), economic historian and economist, was born 26 January 1892 in Dublin, only child of Richard O'Brien (d. 1906), hotelier, by his second marriage, to Mary (née Dowse) (d. 1946), a native of Co. Wicklow. His father, a self-made…...
O'Brien, Richard Barry
O'Brien, Richard Barry (1847–1918), Irish nationalist biographer, historian, and publicist, was born 7 March 1847 in Kilrush, Co. Clare, third son of Patrick Barry O'Brien and Sarah O'Brien (née Hannan). In 1863 he went to Dublin, passing from the St Laurence O'Toole preparatory…...
Ó Broin, León
Ó Broin, León (1902–90), senior civil servant, historian, and author, was born Leo Byrne on 10 November 1902 at 21 Aungier Street, Dublin, the second of four sons of James P. Byrne, a potato factor's bookkeeper, and Mary Byrne (née Killeen), daughter of a seaman who abandoned his family…...
Ó Buachalla, Liam
Ó Buachalla, Liam (1899–1970), professor of economics and Irish-language enthusiast, was born 10 April 1899 at 40 Clanbrassil Street, Dublin, son of Thomas Buckley, cooper, and Sarah Buckley (née Treacy). His family moved to Drogheda when he was very young and he received his education…...
O'Byrne, Cathal
O'Byrne, Cathal (1876–1957), antiquarian, writer, and entertainer, may have been the Charles Burns born on 1 June 1876 in Kilkeel, Co. Down, the son of James Burns, a farmer, and his wife Isabella (née Arnett). O'Byrne's biographer states that his parents came from Co. Wicklow, which…...
O'Callaghan, John Cornelius
O'Callaghan, John Cornelius (1805–83), historian and journalist, was born in Talbot St, Dublin, one of at least six children of John O'Callaghan, a prosperous catholic attorney, originally from Ulster. O'Callaghan always attributed his literary tastes and interest in history to…...
O'Callaghan, Lucius
O'Callaghan, Lucius (1877–1954), architect, was born 18 August 1877 at 31 Harcourt St., Dublin, the second eldest of six sons and two daughters of John Joseph O'Callaghan (qv), architect, and his wife Eva. He was educated at the…...
Ó Cianáin, Tadhg
Ó Cianáin, Tadhg (d. 1610), chronicler of the flight of the earls, was from a learned Fermanagh family who were ollamhs in history to the Maguires of Fermanagh. Traditionally, the Ó Cianáins had their own chieftain and were based at Lisgoole on the shores of Lough Erne. One of the most…...
Ó Cléirigh, Cú Choigcríche (O'Clery, Peregrine)
Ó Cléirigh, Cú Choigcríche (O'Clery, Peregrine) (fl. 1630–62), one of the ‘four masters’, was from Baile Uí Chléirigh, Co. Donegal. His father, Diarmaid, might possibly be the Diarmaid son of An Cosnamhach found in an Ó Cléirigh genealogy, and/or the ‘Dermot O Clery’ pardoned…...
Ó Cléirigh, Mícheál (O'Clery, Michael)
Ó Cléirigh, Mícheál (O'Clery, Michael) (c.1590–1643), OFM, historian and scribe, chief of the ‘four masters’, was born into the learned family of Ó Cléirigh in Co. Donegal, fourth son of Donnchadh (son of Uilliam son of Tuathail) Ó Cléirigh and his wife Honora Ultach (Onora Ó…...
Ó Cléirigh (O'Clery), Lughaidh
Ó Cléirigh (O'Clery), Lughaidh (c.1580–a.1630?), historian and poet, was born in Co. Donegal, the eldest of the five sons of Maccon Ó Cléirigh (d. 1595), who was ‘Ollav to O'Donnell in history, an erudite and ingenious man, professed in history and poetry’ (AFM, vi,…...
O'Clery, (Patrick) Keyes
O'Clery, (Patrick) Keyes (1845?–1913), soldier, barrister, politician, and author, was born, probably in May 1845, at Darragh house, Kilfinnane, Co. Limerick, the only son of John Walsh O'Clery (The O'Clery ) and Elisa O'Clery (née O'Donoghue Keyes); some sources record his birth…...
Ó Conbhuidhe (Conway), Séamus (Colmcille)
Ó Conbhuidhe (Conway), Séamus (Colmcille) (1909–92), Irish-language scholar, poet and historian, was born James Conway on 26 September 1909 at 53 Gladstone Street, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, the eldest son of Patrick Joseph Conway, a paper merchant, and his wife Kate (née Dwyer). Patrick…...