Cochrane, Robert
Cochrane, Robert (1844–1916), engineer, architect, and antiquarian, was born 21 July 1844 in Co. Down, eldest son of Hugh W. Cochrane, of an ancient Scottish-Danish family that came to Ireland in the seventeenth century. He graduated in engineering from…...
Cochrane, Sir Stanley Herbert
Cochrane, Sir Stanley Herbert (1877–1949), baronet, businessman, and patron of music and sport, was born 19 September 1877, the fourth son of Sir Henry Cochrane (qv), 1st baronet, of Woodbrook, Bray, Co. Wicklow, and his wife…...
Cogan, Philip
Cogan, Philip (c.1748–1833), organist, pianist, and composer, was probably born in Co. Cork, though his parentage is unclear. He was a choirboy and then a lay vicar at St Fin Barre's cathedral, Cork, before taking up a post as stipendiary in the choir of Christ Church…...
Coghill, Rhoda Sinclair
Coghill, Rhoda Sinclair (1903–2000), pianist, composer, and poet, was born 14 October 1903 in Dublin, the youngest of eight children of Alexander Sinclair Coghill, printing manager, from Thurso, Scotland, and his wife, Rhoda Ann Sinclair (née Baily). Coghill attended Alexandra…...
Colahan, Arthur Nicholas Whistler
Colahan, Arthur Nicholas Whistler (1885–1952), medical doctor and songwriter, was born in Galway city, eldest son of Nicholas Whistler Colahan (d. 1930), professor of materia medica at QCG, and grandson of Nicholas Colahan (president of…...
Coleman, Michael
Coleman, Michael (1891–1945), fiddle player, was born 31 January 1891 in Knockgrania, Killavil, Co. Sligo, youngest among five sons and two daughters of James Coleman (d. 1930), farmer, and Beatrice Ellen (Beesie) Coleman (née Gorman) (d. 1912). Educated at Killavil national school…...
Colleran, Enda
Colleran, Enda (1942–2004), Gaelic footballer, was born 2 May 1942 in Moylough, Co. Galway, the fifth of six children of James Colleran, farmer, of Moylough, and his wife Ellen (née Wilson), a national school teacher. Born into a strong Gaelic football family, with three older…...
Colleran, Patrick (Paddy)
Colleran, Patrick (Paddy) (1901–75), Gaelic footballer, was born 10 February 1901 in Curracunane, Curry, Co. Sligo, fourth son among seven sons and two daughters of James P. Colleran (d. 1914), farmer, and Margaret Colleran (née McHugh). He was one of the most famous and travelled…...
Collisson, William Alexander Houston
Collisson, William Alexander Houston (1865–1920), clergyman and musician, was born 20 May 1865 in Dublin, son of William Houston Collison and Elizabeth O'Callaghan. Before graduating from TCD (Mus.D.…...
Collis, (William) Robert Fitzgerald (‘Bob’)
Collis, (William) Robert Fitzgerald (‘Bob’) (1900–75), paediatrician, author, and rugby player, was born 16 February 1900 at Kilmore, Killiney, Co. Dublin, one of twin sons (his twin was John Stewart Collis (qv)) of William Stewart…...
Colohan, John Fallon Sydney
Colohan, John Fallon Sydney (1862–1932), physician and pioneering motorist, was born in Dublin, son of James Colohan, bank manager; nothing is known of his mother. He studied at the Edinburgh Medical School, and was admitted…...
Conneff, Thomas Patrick
Conneff, Thomas Patrick (1866–1912), athlete and soldier, was born in Kilmurry, Clane, Co. Kildare, the son of James Conneff and his wife Marcella (née Rourke). The Conneff family were blacksmiths plying their trade in the neighbourhood of Clane, in the shadow of the Jesuit college at…...
Connellan, Thomas
Connellan, Thomas (1625/40–c.1700), harpist and composer, was born in Cloonamahon, Collooney, Co. Sligo. Though details of his life remain obscure, he was reputedly the most accomplished predecessor of…...
Connell, James (‘Jim’)
Connell, James (‘Jim’) (1852–1929), socialist and author of ‘The red flag’, was born 27 March 1852 in Killskyre, Crossakiel, Co. Meath, eldest of thirteen children of Thomas and Anne O'Connell, tenant farmers. His father later became a groom for the earl of Rosse at Birr, King's Co…...
Connolly, Joe
Connolly, Joe (1922–2008), community activist and politician, was born 11 March 1922 at 5 Tolka Avenue, North Dock ward, Dublin, son of John Connolly, an engine driver, and his wife Esther (née McNally). Growing up in Lusk, Co. Dublin, and later in the East Wall area of the north-…...
Connolly, John
Connolly, John (1858–96), champion flat-racing jockey, was born in Naas, Co. Kildare, nephew of the famous jockey Pat Connolly. His uncle was champion in Ireland, and in England, where he won all the English classics in 1834, and the Epsom Derby twice. John was of slight build, and…...
Conolly, Thurloe
Conolly, Thurloe (1918–2016), artist, was born in Cork city on 21 July 1918, the younger of two sons to William Joseph Conolly, a structural engineer, and his wife Constance Elizabeth Conolly (née Jeffares). According to family lore, the Conollys were descended from the eighteenth-…...
Cooke, Thomas Simpson
Cooke, Thomas Simpson (1782–1848), musician and composer, was the son of Bartlett Cooke, a noted oboist. Trained in music by his father from an early age, he was later a pupil of the prominent Italian musician Tommaso Giordani. In 1791, at the age of 9, Cooke joined Weichsell…...
Cooley, Thomas
Cooley, Thomas (1742–84), architect, was baptised 11 July 1742 in the church of St Katherine Coleman, London, the son of William Cooley, master mason, and his wife Mary. On 3 August 1756 he was apprenticed to George Wright, a carpenter. He served some of his apprenticeship with, or…...
Coote, Nina Edith
Coote, Nina Edith (1883–1945), croquet champion, was born 23 September 1883 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, only child of Orlando Robert Coote (1855–1927), land agent, and his wife Edith Mary (née Hume) (1858/9–1920). Her father was the third son of Rev. Sir Algernon Coote (1817–99…...
Copley, Clara (‘Ma’)
Copley, Clara (‘Ma’) (1865–1949), boxing promoter, was born 14 May 1865 at Masbrough, Rotherham, England, to Jonas Roddis, fishmonger, and his wife Mary Roddis. Clara was the sixth of their nine children. She married Joseph Copley of Leeds on 22 November 1886 at Darfield, Yorkshire.…...
Corbett, William Edward
Corbett, William Edward (1824–1904), engineer and architect, was born 19 April 1824 in Limerick city, son of Patrick Corbett, a member of an old Limerick family. Nothing is known of his mother. He is described as a civil engineer on his death certificate and obituaries, but there…...
Corcoran, Peter
Corcoran, Peter (c.1749–c.1781), bare-knuckle boxer and heavyweight champion of England, was born in Athy, Co. Kildare. A strong man, 5 ft 11 in. (1.8 m) tall, he had a violent temper that often caused trouble. He quickly won a reputation as a strong and powerful…...
Corkery, Daniel
Corkery, Daniel (1883–1961), revolutionist and politician, was born 20 September 1883 into small farming stock in Clondrohid parish, near Macroom, Co. Cork, youngest of two sons and one daughter of James Corkery and Johanna Corkery (née Buckley). Educated at Macroom national school…...
Corneille, Rudolph
Corneille, Rudolph (fl. 1690–1717), engineer and architect, was born at Medemblik, Holland, son of Rudolphe Gideon Corneille and Anne Corneille, probably French huguenot refugees. He went to Ireland c.1690 as an engineer in …...