Touhey, Patrick J. (‘Patsy’)
Touhey, Patrick J. (‘Patsy’) (1865–1923), traditional musician and vaudeville entertainer, was born 27 February 1865 in Cahertinny, Bullaun, Loughrea, Co. Galway, son of James Twohill, or O'Toole (1839–75) (all variations of the surname being anglicisations of the Irish ‘Ó Tuathail…...
Towb, Harry
Towb, Harry (1925–2009), actor, was born Harris Towb in Larne, Co. Antrim, on 27 July 1925, the second child of Jack (or Jacob) Towb and his wife Bessie (Amelia) Towb (née Sergai). Bessie Towb had been born to a Jewish family in Belfast, while Jack was born in a shtetl (town),…...
Toye, Edward Joseph
Toye, Edward Joseph (1857–1932), architect, was born in Aghadowey, Co. Londonderry, son of Richard Toye, from Derry city, and his wife Mary, eldest daughter of Bernard Dempsey of Mullaghmore, Aghadowey. Mary Toye died, aged 28, at her father's house in April 1859. Edward was…...
Travers, Robert English
Travers, Robert English (1807–88), physician, scholar and librarian, was born 24 June 1807 in Dublin, son of William T. E. Travers, LLD, and Mary Travers (née Parker). Travers had little education at home and when his father died, having gambled…...
Tullio, Paolo Luigi Mario
Tullio, Paolo Luigi Mario (1949–2015), restaurant owner, writer and food critic, was born on 20 August 1949 in Falkirk, Scotland, the only child of Dionisio Tullio, a restaurant owner and his wife Irene (née Fusco). Although Tullio’s parents were Italian, his mother was raised between…...
Turner, Thomas
This is a co-subject for the entry on Turner, Richard. View the original entry....
van Gelderen, Gerrit
van Gelderen, Gerrit (1926–94), naturalist, wildlife film-maker, broadcaster, and author, was born 26 August 1926 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, eldest child of Johannes Gerardus van Gelderen, a local-authority employee who lived within the municipal park where he worked. Familiar from…...
Vitty, James Weatherall
Vitty, James Weatherall (1910–88), librarian, was born 31 May 1910 in 37 Lichfield Avenue, Belfast, one of three children of Lawrence Vitty, shipyard angle smith, and Margaret Vitty (née McCullough). He was educated at Euston St. primary school and the College of Technology. His…...
Waddell, Samuel John (‘Rutherford Mayne’)
Waddell, Samuel John (‘Rutherford Mayne’) (1878–1967), playwright, actor, and civil servant, was born 15 July 1878 in Tokyo, Japan, the fourth child (and fourth son) among eight sons and two daughters of the Revd Hugh Waddell (1840–1901), a presbyterian missionary born in Glenarm, Co.…...
Waldré, Vincent
Waldré, Vincent (1742–1814), history painter and architect, was born Vincenzo Valdre or Valdrati in November 1742 in Faenza, Italy, son of Carlo Valdrati, master of the wardrobe of Don Filippo, duke of Parma. The family resided in Parma, where Waldré studied with the painter…...
Walker, Alexander Alfred
Walker, Alexander Alfred (1930–2003), film critic and cinema historian, was born 22 March 1930 in Portadown, Co. Armagh, only child of Alfred Walker, commercial traveller, and his wife Ethel Linda Harris (née Andrews). The family were presbyterian, though not especially observant…...
Walker, Robin Andrew Day
Walker, Robin Andrew Day (1924–91), architect, was born 30 September 1924 at 1 Catherine Street, Waterford, eldest child of Andrew Ernest Walker, bank official, of ‘Nailima’, Bailey, Co. Dublin, and Eleanor Walker (née Croker). He was educated in Dublin at St Columba's College,…...
Walsh (Breathnach), Róisín
Walsh (Breathnach), Róisín (1889–1949), librarian and republican, was born on 24 March 1889 into a staunchly nationalist catholic family in the townland of Lisnamaghery, Clogher, Co. Tyone, the eldest of eight children (five sisters and two brothers) of James Walsh (d. 1925), a national…...
Warden, Joseph Frederick
Warden, Joseph Frederick (1836–98), actor and theatre manager, was born 12 December 1836 in Hull, Yorkshire. His first stage appearance was in the role of Lemuel in John Baldwin Buckstone's ‘The flowers of the forest’ at Scarborough Theatre. Eighteen months later he joined Charles…...
Ware, Sir James
Ware, Sir James (1594–1666), historian, collector of manuscripts, and civil servant, was born 16 November 1594 at Castle St., Dublin, eldest surviving son among ten children of Sir James Ware, auditor general, and his wife Mary, sister of Sir Ambrose Briden of Maidstone, Kent, whose…...
Wasson, Moore Dunlop
Wasson, Moore Dunlop (1918–2009), presbyterian minister and television producer, was born 2 December 1918, the first-born child of Robert Wasson and Emmeline Wasson (née Bell). His father was at that time a soldier, his mother was a milliner before her marriage, and the family lived…...
Wejchert, Andrzej
Wejchert, Andrzej (1937–2009), architect, was born 21 May 1937 in Gdańsk, in the semi-autonomous Free City of Danzig, sandwiched between the Polish Corridor and the German province of East Prussia, son of Tadeusz Wejchert, who ran a shipping business, and Irena Wejchert (née Mojgis).…...
Wejchert, Danuta
This is a co-subject for the entry on Wejchert, Andrzej. View the original entry....
West, Robert
West, Robert (d. 1790), stuccodore and Dublin property developer, was probably born in Dublin between c.1720 and 1730. His family background and early life is unknown but it is possible that he was descended from a long line of Dublin-based builders and artisans such as…...
Whitehead, O. Z. (Oothout Zabriskie; 'Zebby')
Whitehead, O. Z. (Oothout Zabriskie; 'Zebby') (1911–98), actor and Bahá'í pioneer, was born 18 March 1911 in New York city, USA, the son of O. Z. Whitehead, a wealthy banker living in Manhattan's Upper East Side, and his wife Maria. Enjoying a comfortable childhood, he attended the…...
Widdess, John (‘Jack’) David Henry
Widdess, John (‘Jack’) David Henry (1906–82), medical historian, librarian, and biologist, was born 1 August 1906 in Limerick, son of Matthew Widdess, pharmaceutical chemist, and Emily Widdess (née Irwin). He was educated at Wesley College, Dublin. He won prizes, was admitted…...
Wilde, Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie
Wilde, Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie (to which he, like his father and brother, later added ‘Wills ’) (1854–1900), playwright, poet, and prose writer, was born 16 October 1854 in his parents’ house, 21 Westland Row, Dublin, second son of Dr…...
Wilkinson, George
Wilkinson, George (c.1814–1890), architect, was probably born in Witney, Oxfordshire, England, and was baptised early in 1814, first among six children (two sons and four daughters) of William Anthony Wilkinson (1782/3–1838) from Witney, carpenter and builder, and his wife Mary…...
Wilks, Robert
Wilks, Robert (c.1665–1732), actor and manager, was born in Rathfarnham, Co. Dublin, second among three sons of Edward Wilks, pursuivant to a lord lieutenant; nothing is known of his mother. Educated locally, he was appointed a clerk in the office of Sir…...
Wilmot (De Bhilmot), Séamus
Wilmot (De Bhilmot), Séamus (1902–77), educator, theatre administrator, and writer in Irish, was born 4 May 1902 in Listowel, Co. Kerry, fourth child and only son of Edward Wilmot, blacksmith, and Mary Wilmot (née Dillon). He was educated locally at St Michael's College, Listowel, and…...