O'Connell, Mary
O'Connell, Mary (Sister Anthony ) (1814–97), Sister of Charity, was born 15 August 1814 in Limerick, daughter of William O’Connell and Catherine O’Connell (née Murphy). After the death of her mother (1825), the family emigrated to America; Mary was raised by an aunt in Maine, while her…...
O'Connor, Deirdre
O'Connor, Deirdre (1951–99), architect, was born 25 September 1951 at Ranelagh, Dublin, eldest among five children of Brendan O'Connor (d. 1964), engineer, originally from Mostrim, Co. Leitrim, and Sheelagh O'Connor (neé McManus). After the death of her father, when Deirdre was 13,…...
O'Connor, Mary
O'Connor, Mary (Sister Mary Agnes ) (1815–59), Sister of Mercy, foundress, and social worker, was born 6 January 1815 in Kilkenny city, youngest among ten children of Patrick O'Connor and Mary O'Connor. Like other charitable women of her time she visited the sick poor and made…...
O'Doherty, Rosa
O'Doherty, Rosa (c.1588–1660), refugee and political activist, was born on the Inishowen Peninsula in northern Co. Donegal, daughter of Sir John O'Doherty (d. 1601) and his first wife, a daughter of Shane O'Neill (qv). Rosa…...
O'Donnell, Nuala
O'Donnell, Nuala (c.1575–c.1630), refugee, was born in Tir Conaill, daughter of Hugh O'Donnell (qv) (d. 1600), lord of Tyrconnell and his second wife,…...
O'Hagan, Mary
O'Hagan, Mary (1826–76), abbess, was born in 1826 in Belfast, the only daughter of Edward O'Hagan, a trader in the city, and his wife, Mary, daughter of Captain Thomas Bell. She received little education, and was profoundly affected in her childhood by the early death of both her…...
O'Halloran, Maura Eileen
O'Halloran, Maura Eileen (1955–82), Zen master, was born 24 May 1955 in Boston, Mass., USA, eldest among one son and five daughters of Fionan Finbarr O'Halloran, civil engineer from Tralee, Co. Kerry, and Ruth O'Halloran (née Libbey), teacher, from Maine, USA. She was educated at Loreto…...
O'Malley, Una O'Higgins
O'Malley, Una O'Higgins (1927–2005), peace and reconciliation activist, was born in a Dublin nursing home on 25 January 1927, younger daughter of Kevin O'Higgins (qv), politician, and his wife Brigid (née Cole). Her brother…...
O'Neill, Henrietta
O'Neill, Henrietta (1757/8–1793), poet, hostess, and patron of the arts, was the only child of Charles Boyle (1728–59), Viscount Dungarvan (son of John Boyle (qv), 5th earl of Cork and Orrery), and his wife, Susannah (1732–83), daughter of…...
Organ, Nellie
Organ, Nellie (1903–8), pious and saintly child, was born at Waterford 24 August 1903, the youngest in the family of two sons and two daughters of William Organ and his wife Mary (née Aherne). William Organ, a native apparently of Dungarvan, had been a labourer at Portlaw, his…...
Owens, Evelyn
Owens, Evelyn (1931–2010), trade unionist and women's rights advocate, was born on 22 January 1931 at 23 Vernon Gardens, Clontarf, Dublin, the fourth of six children of William Owens, a civil servant of Clontarf, originally from Co. Roscommon, and his wife Ellen (née Monaghan), from…...
Palmer (Ambrose), Eleanor
Palmer (Ambrose), Eleanor (c.1720–1818), celebrated beauty, was born Eleanor Ambrose , daughter and heiress of Michael Ambrose, a wealthy Roman catholic brewer and merchant, and his wife, the daughter of Richard Archbold, a Dublin brewer; nothing is known of her mother.…...
Patterson, Sarah (‘Saidie’)
Patterson, Sarah (‘Saidie’) (1904–85), trade unionist and peace activist, was born 25 November 1904 at 32 Woodvale St., Shankill Road, Belfast, eldest of three children of William Patterson (d. 1912), shipyard blacksmith, and Sarah Patterson (née Moore), both of whom were devout…...
Pennefather, Catherine
This is a co-subject for the entry on Pennefather, William. View the original entry....
Perolz, Mary (Máire, Marie)
Perolz, Mary (Máire, Marie) (1874–1950), republican and trade unionist, was born 7 May 1874 in Market Alley, Limerick city, daughter of Richard Perolz, a Dublin-born, protestant printer of French Huguenot origin, and Bridget Perolz (née Carter), a catholic. The family moved to Tralee,…...
Perry (Shaw), Alice Jacqueline
Perry (Shaw), Alice Jacqueline (1885–1969), engineer and Christian Scientist, was born in Wellpark, Co. Galway, one of five daughters and one son of James Perry, engineer and county surveyor for Galway, originally from Garvagh, Co. Londonderry, and Martha Perry (née Park), from…...
Phelan, Anastasia (Mary Gerard)
Phelan, Anastasia (Mary Gerard) (1872–1960), religious superior and educator, was born 18 January 1872 in Glenmore, Co. Kilkenny, to John Phelan, farmer, and Mary Phelan (née Dallon). Baptised Anastasia, she was educated by the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary in Waterford…...
Pike, Mary
Pike, Mary (1776–1832), quaker heiress, was the only surviving daughter of Samuel Pike and his wife Catherine Hutchinson (d. 1813), a son and daughter both having died in infancy. Samuel (d. 1796) was a partner with his older brother Ebenezer in the family bank in Cork city,…...
Pirrie, Margaret Montgomery
Pirrie, Margaret Montgomery (1857–1935), Viscountess Pirrie , public figure and philanthropist, was born 31 May 1857, probably in Belfast, and probably the youngest child among three sons and two daughters of John Carlisle , English master in the Belfast Academical Institution, and…...
Purcell, Mary
Purcell, Mary (1906–91), teacher, religious biographer, and archivist, was born 28 May 1906 in Moonveen, Carrigeen, Co. Kilkenny, one of three children of Richard Purcell, of Moonveen, and Anastasia Purcell (née Doyle), both of whom were schoolteachers. After attending the St Louis…...
Quinn, Edel
Quinn, Edel (1907–44), missionary and Legion of Mary envoy to Africa, was born 14 September 1907 in the parish of Castlemagner near Kanturk, Co. Cork. Her father, Charles Quinn (b. 12 November 1871 in Tuam, Co. Galway), joined the National Bank and was posted to Kanturk, where he met…...
Randles, Eileen
Randles, Eileen (1937–2015), teacher, education leader and nun, was born 26 April 1937 in Kenmare, Co. Kerry, the youngest of three daughters born to Tom Randles and his wife Nora (‘Dolly’) May (née Healy). The family lived on the premises of the garage Tom ran on Shelbourne Street in…...
Robertson, Olivia Melian
Robertson, Olivia Melian (1917–2013), writer, artist and co-founder of the Fellowship of Isis, was born on 13 April 1917 at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London, to Manning Durdin Robertson (qv), urban planner and architect, and…...
Russell, Mary Baptist (Katherine, Kate)
Russell, Mary Baptist (Katherine, Kate) (1829–98), nun, philanthropist, and educator, was born 18 April 1829 at Seafield, Ballybot, Newry, Co. Down, the third daughter and third child among the six children of Arthur Russell, ship's captain turned brewer, and his wife, Margaret (…...
Ryan, Elizabeth (Mary Eucharia)
Ryan, Elizabeth (Mary Eucharia) (1860–1929), Loreto sister and pioneer of women's higher education, was baptised Elizabeth Ryan on 7 October 1860 at Templemain church, Co. Leitrim, daughter of Laurence Ryan and his wife Mary. Her parents, noted educationists, were originally from…...