Barry, Michael Joseph
Barry, Michael Joseph (1817–89), Young Irelander, poet, and journalist, was born 26 March 1817 in Blackrock, Cork city, eldest among five children of Michael Joseph Barry, a catholic merchant, and his wife Anne (née England). John England (qv…...
Barry, William
Barry, William (1841–75), journalist, was born in Co. Cork, one of at least two sons, probably of an innkeeper. After an apprenticeship on a Cork newspaper, he worked in Dublin and subsequently in London (1865), where, arriving quite unknown, he quickly established himself,…...
Bartley, Patrick Joseph Plunkett Sheridan
Bartley, Patrick Joseph Plunkett Sheridan (1878–1948), journalist and local government official, was born 6 May 1878, son of William Bartley, farmer, and Mary Bartley (née Plunkett) of Prospect House, Mountnugent, Co. Cavan. Little is known of his early years, but he was said to…...
Barton, Arthur Henry ('Harry')
Barton, Arthur Henry ('Harry') (1916–2006), naval officer, writer, broadcaster, and public figure in Northern Ireland, was born 13 January 1916 in Belfast, only son of Arthur Willis Barton (qv), then Church of Ireland curate in…...
Béaslaí, Piaras
Béaslaí, Piaras (1881–1965), writer, revolutionary, politician, language revivalist, and journalist, was born Percy (later Pierce , Piaras) Beazley on 15 February 1881 in Liverpool, England, second of three sons of Patrick Langford Beazley, editor of the Catholic Times from…...
Beaty, James
Beaty, James (1798–1892), politician and newspaper proprietor in Canada, was born near Killeshandra, Co. Cavan, in 1798, possibly on 2 September. He was the youngest of five sons of Robert Beaty, land surveyor, and Catherine Beaty (née Crawford); his father was of a fairly…...
Beaufort, Daniel Augustus
Beaufort, Daniel Augustus (1739–1821), clergyman, architect, and cartographer, was born 1 October 1739 in London, son of Daniel Cornelius Beaufort and Esther Beaufort (née Gougeon), members of the huguenot community. The family moved to Ireland when Daniel's father became chaplain…...
Beckett, George Francis
Beckett, George Francis (1877–1961), architect, was born 15 April 1877 in Dublin, one of several sons in a family of five children of James Beckett , builder (founder and president of the Dublin Master Builders' Association), and his second wife, Frances (née Horner). He was…...
Behan, Dominic
Behan, Dominic (1928–89), writer, balladeer, and broadcaster, was born 22 October 1928 in Dublin, fourth child of five children of Stephen Behan, house painter, and Kathleen Behan (qv) (née Kearney). Educated at St Agatha's School, North…...
Benson, Sir John
Benson, Sir John (1812–74), architect and engineer, was the only son of John Benson of Collooney, Co. Sligo. He probably trained at the Dublin Society school of architectural drawing, and won premiums in 1832. His commissions in Co. Sligo included restoration work on Markree Castle…...
Bergin, Liam Diarmuid
Bergin, Liam Diarmuid (1913–94), newspaper proprietor and editor, was born 15 August 1913 at Athy Road, Carlow town, son of Patrick C. Bergin, publican and merchant, and Kathleen Bergin (née Conlan). Educated at Newbridge College boarding school, he joined the Nationalist and…...
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…...
Binchy, Maeve
Binchy, Maeve (1939–2012), novelist and journalist, was born Ann Maeve Binchy on 28 May 1939 in Glenageary, Co. Dublin, the daughter of Maureen Binchy (née Blackmore) of Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary, a nurse, and William Francis Binchy of Charleville, Co. Cork, a barrister. Her father…...
Bindon, Francis
Bindon, Francis (c.1690–1765), portraitist and architect, was fourth son among nine children of David Bindon (c.1650–1733) of Clooney, Co. Clare, landowner and MP for Ennis 1715–27, and Dorothy, daughter of Samuel Burton of Buncraggy, Co. Clare. He studied painting…...
Bingley, William
Bingley, William (fl. 1763–99), journalist and editor, appears to have been born in England; very little is known about his early life. He began his career as a radical journalist, taking over the North Briton when John Wilkes was forced to withdraw from…...
Binns, John
Binns, John (1772–1860), radical politician and journalist, was born 22 December 1772 in Dublin, second son of John Binns, a wealthy ironmonger, and his wife Mary, daughter of Benjamin Pemberton of Mount Olive, near Raheny, Co. Dublin. The Binnses were Moravians in religion and…...
Birch, James
Birch, James (c.1812–c.1851), journalist, was born in Londonderry; there are few other details about his personal life. He first came to prominence in 1834 when he offered the duke of Wellington (qv) his…...
Blake, Richard Thomas
Blake, Richard Thomas (1868–1937), secretary of the GAA and journalist, was born 15 January 1868 at Ladyrath, Rathkenny, Navan, Co. Meath, eldest son of seven sons and one daughter of Philip Blake (d. 1906), large farmer, and Eliza Martha Blake (née Cogan). His interest in and…...
Blanchflower, Robert Dennis (‘Danny’)
Blanchflower, Robert Dennis (‘Danny’) (1925–93), soccer player, international manager, and journalist, was born 10 February 1925 at Dunraven Park, Bloomfield, Belfast, eldest among three sons and two daughters of John Blanchflower, shipyard craftsman, and Selina Blanchflower (née…...
Bland, John Otway Percy
Bland, John Otway Percy (1863–1945), administrator, journalist and travel writer, was born 15 November 1863 in Woodbank, Whiteabbey, Co. Antrim, second son of Maj.-gen. Edward Loftus Bland and Emma Frances Bland (née Franks) of Jerpoint, Co. Kilkenny. Educated in Switzerland and…...
Blanshard, Paul
Blanshard, Paul (1892–1980), journalist and author, was born 27 August 1892 at Fredericksburg, Ohio, USA, one of twin sons of Francis George Blanshard, a congregational clergyman, and his wife Emily (née Coulter), both of whom had been born in Canada. His maternal grandfather came…...
Bodkin, Matthias McDonnell
Bodkin, Matthias McDonnell (1849–1933), journalist and lawyer, was born in October 1849 at Tuam, Co. Galway, younger son among five children of Thomas Bodkin (c.1799–1886), doctor and FRCSI, and Maria…...
Boon, John
Boon, John (1859–1928), journalist, was born at Clontarf, Dublin, on 8 June 1859, the eldest son of Andrew Boon and Sophie (née Léon), and was educated at a lycée in Bordeaux, at the Sorbonne in Paris, and in Rome and Madrid. In 1880 he began contributing to the English and French…...
Booth, Arthur James Conry
Booth, Arthur James Conry (1891–1926), satirist and cartoonist, was born 24 September 1891 in Dublin, youngest among four children of James Booth, of the Dublin port and docks board, and Helen Booth (née Duggan) of 34 Belgrave Square, Rathmines, Co. Dublin. The Booth family, who had…...
Bossence, Louis Ralph (‘Bud’)
Bossence, Louis Ralph (‘Bud’) (1915–71), journalist, was born 6 February 1915 in Belfast, only son of Stephen Bossence, shipyard worker and motor manufacturer employee, and Annie Bossence (née Frost). He emigrated to America in the early 1920s when his father went to work for the…...