De Brún, Pádraig (Browne, Patrick)
De Brún, Pádraig (Browne, Patrick) (1889–1960), priest, scholar, and academic administrator, was born 13 October 1889 in Grangemockler, Co. Tipperary, third child and second son among four sons and two daughters of Maurice Browne (1844–1911), a national school teacher from Cappoquin, Co…...
De Chenu, (Roger) Noël
De Chenu, (Roger) Noël (1924–2002), architect, artist and actor, was born on 25 December 1924 in Drumcondra, Dublin, the son of Roger Louis de Chenu (1891–1964) and his wife Aileen (née McShane; b. 1893). Roger, a dress designer, originally came from Poitiers in France, and is said…...
Deegan, Columbanus
Deegan, Columbanus (1925–2007), war veteran and Franciscan friar, was born John Joseph Deegan on 4 April 1925 at 23 Usher's Island on Dublin's south quays, one of three boys of James Deegan, a labourer, and his wife Annie Deegan (formerly Finnegan; née Quinn). Known in his youth as…...
De Lacey, Lawrence (Larry)
De Lacey, Lawrence (Larry) (1885–1973), revolutionary and journalist, was born on 18 March 1885 in Oulart, Co. Wexford, the youngest of three sons and one daughter of Lawrence Lacey, a local farmer, and his wife Mary (née Brien). Born Lawrence Lacey , he styled himself de Lacey in…...
Derry, Valentine
Derry, Valentine (b. c.1760–d. p.1806), United Irishman, soldier, and teacher. Nothing is known about his early life. His brother was Father Edmund Derry (c.1747–1819), parish priest of Clonduff and later catholic bishop of Dromore (1801–19). Valentine…...
De Valera, Máirín
De Valera, Máirín (1912–84), phycologist, was born 12 April 1912 in Dublin, the eldest daughter and second eldest child of seven children (five boys and two girls) of Éamon de Valera (qv) and…...
Devane, Andrew (‘Andy’)
Devane, Andrew (‘Andy’) (1917–2000), architect, was born 3 November 1917 at 1 Upper Hartstonge St. in the heart of Limerick city, the eldest of four sons of John Francis Devane, medical doctor, and his wife Vera (née Keogh). He was educated at Belvedere College, Dublin, from which he…...
Devenish, John James
Devenish, John James (c. 1669–1739), military officer, was born to William Devenish of Curraghnegoole, near Strokestown, Co. Roscommon, and his wife Eleanor (née O’Conor Roe) of nearby Cloonfree, near Strokestown. His grandfather was George Devenish, a catholic Dublin merchant…...
Devereux (D'Evereux, Devereaux), John
Devereux (D'Evereux, Devereaux), John (1778?–1860), soldier and adventurer, was born in Co. Wexford, son of a prominent catholic landowner, probably William Devereux of Taghmon, Co. Wexford. He and his father may have been United Irishmen: they certainly took part in the 1798…...
Devine, William
Devine, William (1887–1959), priest and military chaplain, was born 5 October 1887 at Castlederg, Co. Tyrone, son of George Devine, draper, and Catherine Devine (née McGlinchy). Educated at St Columb's College, Derry, and St Patrick's College, Maynooth, he was ordained for the diocese…...
Devlin, Patrick James (‘Celt’)
Devlin, Patrick James (‘Celt’) (1877–1941), GAA journalist, was born 21 January 1877 in McCrumms Court, Co. Armagh, the son of Patrick Devlin, an RIC constable, and his wife, Eliza Jane, née McGoldrick. When he was aged nine his…...
Dillon, Arthur
Dillon, Arthur (1670–1733), Jacobite general in the French service, was born in Co. Roscommon, the third son of Theobald Dillon (qv), 7th Viscount Dillon of Loughglinn, Co. Roscommon, and lieutenant-colonel in the army of…...
Dillon, Comte Theobald
Dillon, Comte Theobald (1745–92), general in French service, was born in Dublin, son of Thomas Dillon, banker, and Marie Dillon, daughter of Edward Hussey of Donore, Co. Kildare. His father took the family to France in 1746 and, as a distant relative of the 7th Viscount…...
Dillon, Sir James
Dillon, Sir James (c.1600–c.1667), army officer, was the eighth son of Theobald, 1st Viscount Dillon (qv) of Costello-Gallen (d. 1624/5) and Eleanor (d. 1638), the daughter of Sir Edward Tuite of Tuitestown…...
Dillon, Theobald
Dillon, Theobald (d. 1691), 7th Viscount Dillon , Jacobite officer, was born at Lough Glynn, Co. Roscommon, eldest son of Capt. Robert Dillon and his wife Rose, one of the Dillon family of Streamstown, Co. Galway. In 1682 he succeeded as 7th Viscount Dillon on the death without…...
Dillon, Thomas
Dillon, Thomas (1615–1673/4), 4th Viscount Dillon of Costello-Gallen, army officer, was born in March 1615, second son of Sir Christopher Dillon of Ballylagham, Co. Mayo, lord president of Connacht, and Lady Jane, eldest daughter of James Dillon, 1st earl of Roscommon. He was a…...
Dillon, Thomas Patrick
Dillon, Thomas Patrick (1884–1971), nationalist and chemist, was born 15 January 1884 in Enniscrone, Co. Sligo, first child among four sons and a daughter of John Dillon, engineer, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of William Kirby…...
Diver, Bridget
Diver (Divers, Deaver, Deavers, Devens, Devins, Devan), Bridget (‘Irish Biddy’, ‘Michigan Bridget’) (fl. 1861–4), vivandière and ‘daughter’ of the First Michigan Cavalry regiment, was born in Ireland sometime before 1840. It has been suggested that the ‘Michigan Bridget’ legend…...
Donaldson, Denis Martin
Donaldson, Denis Martin (1950–2006), republican and informer, was born in Seaforde Street, Belfast; he had at least three brothers and one sister. Educated at St Malachy's grammar school in north Belfast, he grew up in the Short Strand, a small catholic enclave in (overwhelmingly…...
Dongan (D'Unguent), Thomas
Dongan (D'Unguent), Thomas (1634–1715), 2nd earl of Limerick , soldier and first governor of New York, was third son of Sir John Dongan, baronet, of Castletown Kildrought (Celbridge), Co. Kildare, and his wife Mary, daughter of Sir William Talbot, baronet, of Carton, and niece of…...
Dongan, William
Dongan, William (1630–98), Viscount Dongan of Clane and 1st earl of Limerick , soldier and Jacobite governor of Munster, was second son of Sir John Dongan, 2nd baronet, of Castletown, Co. Kildare, and his wife Mary, daughter of Sir William Talbot, 1st baronet, of Carton. His elder…...
Donnellan, Michael (‘Mick’)
Donnellan, Michael (‘Mick’) (1900–64), politician and GAA footballer, was born in Dromore, Co. Galway, the eldest of four children (two boys and two girls) of a local farmer. After being educated at the local national school and St Jarlath's College, Tuam, Co. Galway, he worked…...
Donnelly, John
Donnelly, John (1934–1991), chemist, was born 8 August 1934 in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, second son among three sons and two daughters of Michael Donnelly, garda sergeant, originally from Dublin, and Maureen Donnelly (née Carroll) from Tipperary. He spent his early life in Nenagh,…...
Donoghue, Stephen
Donoghue, Stephen (1884–1945), jockey, was born 8 November 1884 at Aikin Street, Warrington, Lancashire, the eldest of three sons and two daughters of an Irish immigrant, Patrick Donoghue, an iron puddler, and Mary, née Mitchell, also of Irish ancestry. He was educated at St Mary'…...
Doyle, Jack
Doyle, Jack (1913–78), boxer, actor, singer and playboy, was born Joseph Alphonsus Doyle, 31 August 1913 at 12 Queen Street, Queenstown, Co. Cork, eldest son among four sons and two daughters of Michael Doyle, sailor, of Queenstown, and Anastasia Doyle. His schooling, at St Joseph's…...