Lavan, John Thomas (‘Sean’)
Lavan, John Thomas (‘Sean’) (1898–1973), athlete, footballer, and medical doctor, was born 22 September 1898 in Kiltimagh, Co. Mayo, eldest of four children of Michael Lavan, landholder, and Bridget Lavan (née O'Brien). Educated locally at Ballyglass national school, he won a king…...
Leahy, Cornelius (‘Con’)
Leahy, Cornelius (‘Con’) (1876–1921), athlete, was born 27 April 1876 in Cregane, Charleville, Co. Cork, son of Thomas Leahy, farmer, and Mary Leahy (née McDonagh). In his international athletic career between 1899 and 1908, he won four successive British Amateur Athletic…...
Lewis, Helen
Lewis, Helen (1916–2009), Holocaust survivor, dance teacher, choreographer and memoirist, was born Helena Katz on 22 June 1916 into a well-off Jewish family in Bohemia in the Austro-Hungarian empire (Bohemia became part of the new state of Czechoslovakia in 1918). She was an only child…...
Lipper, Michael (‘Mick’)
Lipper, Michael (‘Mick’) (1931–87), politician and footballer, was born 15 June 1931 in Garryowen, Co. Limerick, fifth of ten children of Dominic Lipper, locomotive driver, and Catherine Lipper (née McGann). Educated at CBS Sexton St…...
Locke, Josef
Locke, Josef (1917–99), singer and entertainer, was born Joseph McLaughlin 23 March 1917 at 19 Creggan St., Derry city, one of ten children of Patrick McLaughlin, butcher and cattle dealer, and Annie McLaughlin (née Doherty). Educated by the Christian Brothers and awarded for his…...
Loughnane, William (‘Bill’, ‘Willie’)
Loughnane, William (‘Bill’, ‘Willie’) (1915–82), hurler, musician, doctor, and politician, was born 5 August 1915 in Feakle, Co. Clare, son of Willie Loughnane, farmer and shopkeeper, and Kate Loughnane (née McInerney), and educated at Feakle national school, St Flannan's College…...
Ludwig (Ledwidge), William
Ludwig (Ledwidge), William (1847–1923), singer, was born 15 July 1847 in Arran Quay, Dublin, eldest son of William Ledwidge, chorister, of Dublin, and Teresa Ledwidge (née Burke). He attended the O'Connell Schools and came under the influence of Br Swan, and later entered a…...
Lynch, John Mary (‘Jack’)
Lynch, John Mary (‘Jack’) (1917–99), sportsman and taoiseach, was born 15 August 1917 in a small family home beside St Anne's Church of Ireland church in Shandon, a working-class area of Cork city, youngest of five sons and fifth among seven children (one of whom died before he was born…...
MacCabe, Frederick Faber
MacCabe, Frederick Faber (1868–1954), racehorse trainer and journalist, was born in Glasnevin, Dublin. Educated at Terenure College, Downside School, and TCD, he qualified as a medical doctor in 1891. In his late teens and early twenties…...
MacCarthy, Seán
MacCarthy, Seán (1890–1974), republican and GAA president, was born 22 January 1890 at Dunkereen, Upton, Co. Cork, son of Timothy MacCarthy, ploughman and later agricultural steward, and Hannah MacCarthy (née Hegarty). He was educated at Knockavilla national school and at De La…...
MacDermott Roe, Mary (Máire)
MacDermott Roe, Mary (Máire) (d. 1739?), patron of Turlough Carolan (qv), may have been born in the 1670s, and was a daughter – possibly eldest daughter – of John Fitzgerald (d. p. 1717),…...
MacEoin, Uinseann Ó Rathaille
MacEoin, Uinseann Ó Rathaille (1920–2007), architect, journalist, campaigner, republican, socialist, and mountain climber, was born Vincent O'Rahilly McGuone on 4 July 1920 in Pomeroy, Co. Tyrone, one of four children of Malachy McGuone, a wine and spirit merchant who owned the…...
MacHale, Joseph Patrick
MacHale, Joseph Patrick (1922–2005), university administrator and sportsman, was born 8 January 1922 in Dublin, sixth child and younger son of J. P. MacHale, a senior official with the Hibernian Insurance Company, and his wife Grace. Educated at CBS Dún Laoghaire (1930–32) and…...
Mac Mathúna, Ciarán
Mac Mathúna, Ciarán (1925–2009), folk music collector and broadcaster, was born Kieran MacMahon on 26 November 1925 at 14 St John's Avenue, off Mulgrave Street, Limerick city, youngest among five sons and one daughter of James MacMahon (1875–1967), national school teacher, native…...
MacNamee, Pádraig
MacNamee, Pádraig (1896–1975), teacher, Irish-language enthusiast, and GAA official, was born 8 August 1896 in Carrigastickan, near Forkhill, Co. Armagh, one of four children (two sons and two daughters) of James MacNamee, farmer, and Brigid MacNamee (née McCann). Growing up in a partly…...
Magee, Aloysius Mary (‘Louis’)
Magee, Aloysius Mary (‘Louis’) (1874–1945), rugby player, was born 25 March 1874 in 7 Rathmines Terrace, Dublin, one of at least three sons of William Magee, merchant, and Margaret Magee (née Chambers). He was educated at Clongowes Wood College, Co. Kildare, and at Edinburgh…...
Maher, Fr Tommy
Maher, Fr Tommy (1922–2015), hurling coach, was born 25 April 1922, the youngest of eleven children of John Maher a smallholding farmer from Whitepark, near Gowran, Co. Kilkenny, and his wife Annie (née Fowler), also from Whitepark. Four of his siblings had died before he was born, two…...
Makem, Thomas ('Tommy')
Makem, Thomas ('Tommy') (1932–2007), folk singer, was born 4 November 1932 in Keady, Co. Armagh, youngest of five children of Peter Makem and his wife Sarah (née Boyle). Though Peter Makem was a fiddler and flautist, Tommy derived his musical interests and talent primarily through…...
Martin, Con
Martin, Con (1923–2013), footballer, was born Joseph Cornelius Martin on 20 March 1923 in Rush, north Co. Dublin, the son of Michael Martin, a sea captain, and Emily Martin (née Leonard). He was educated at St Vincent's CBS, Glasnevin, and…...
Mathews, Patrick Duff (‘Duffer’)
Mathews, Patrick Duff (‘Duffer’) (1886–1958), croquet player, was born 19 December 1886 in Duleek, Co. Meath, second among two sons and one daughter of Patrick Mathews, gentleman, of Mount Hanover House, Co. Meath, and Elizabeth Mathews (née Thompson) originally from Flintshire,…...
McAuley, Anthony Gerard (Tony)
McAuley, Anthony Gerard (Tony) (1939–2003), broadcaster, television producer and expert on folksongs, was born 24 October 1939 in Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, one of two sons and five daughters of William John McAuley, who owned a chemist’s shop on James Street. His mother Ita (née…...
McCall, Patrick Joseph
McCall, Patrick Joseph (1861–1919), songwriter and poet, was born 6 March 1861 in Dublin, the only surviving son among three children of John McCall and his wife Eliza Mary (née Newport) of Rathangan, Co. Wexford. His father John McCall (1822–1902), publican and writer…...
McCarthy, Charles James (C. J. )
McCarthy, Charles James (C. J. ) (1858–1947), architect, was born on 8 December 1858 in Dublin, the only son of four children of James Joseph McCarthy (qv), architect, and his wife Agnes Mary (née Byrne; 1819–85). Charles served…...
McCarthy, Daniel
McCarthy, Daniel (1883–1957), revolutionary nationalist, sports administrator, and politician, was born 22 January 1883 at 50 Upper Dorset St., Dublin, son of John McCarthy, coach finisher, and Bridget McCarthy (née Rabbit). Employed as a commercial traveller, he was active from his…...
McCarthy, James Joseph
McCarthy, James Joseph (1817–82), architect and nationalist, was born 6 January 1817 in Dublin, son of Charles McCarthy, possibly of Co. Kerry, whose family circumstances, like much of James's early life, remain obscure. The McCarthys appear to have been poor, having an address at…...