Burke, Martin
Burke, Martin (1787/8–1863), hotelier, was a son of Michael Burke of Springfield House, Co. Tipperary, and his wife Honora (née Hogan); in 1832, on the death of his brother Michael, an attorney, Martin inherited Springfield and lands. In 1824 Burke purchased for £3,000 a 150-year…...
Burkhead, Henry
Burkhead, Henry (fl. 1645), possibly a merchant of Bristol, wrote the drama ‘A tragedy of Cola's furie, or Lirenda's miserie’ (the first Irish play to condemn English conduct), printed 1646 in Kilkenny, headquarters of the catholic confederacy. Dedicated to…...
Burrowes, Wesley
Burrowes, Wesley (1930–2015), writer, was born in Bangor, Co. Down, on 26 April 1930, one of four children (two boys and two girls) of Harry Burrowes, a first world war veteran and civil servant attached to the Northern Ireland education department, and his wife Carrie Burrowes (née…...
Burrows (Dobbin), Rachel
Burrows (Dobbin), Rachel (1912–87), actress, broadcaster, and teacher, was born 29 April 1912 in Limerick, the daughter of Peter Dobbin, county surveyor for Co. Clare, and Kathleen (née Vance), his second wife. Reared in Kilkishen House, Co. Clare, she was educated at St Brandon's…...
Burton, Benjamin
Burton, Benjamin (a.1665–1728), banker and politician, was third son of Samuel Burton of Buncraggy, Co. Clare, and Margery Burton (née Harris). He was attainted by the Jacobites in 1689, was appointed sheriff of Dublin 19 October 1694, and in 1700 founded ‘Burton's bank’ in…...
Burton, Sir Frederic William
Burton, Sir Frederic William (1816–1900), watercolour painter, was born 8 April 1816 at Clifden House, Corofin, Co. Clare, the third son of Samuel Frederic Burton, a wealthy landowner and amateur landscape painter, and Hannah Burton (née Mallet) of Dublin. An injury in childhood…...
Bushe, Letitia
Bushe, Letitia (c.1710–1757), watercolourist and miniature painter, was the youngest daughter of Arthur Bushe of Dangan, Co. Kilkenny, secretary to the commissioners of revenue, and his wife Mary, daughter of John Forth. She was a talented artist; there is no direct…...
Bushell, Ellen Sarah ('Nellie')
Bushell, Ellen Sarah (‘Nellie’) (1884–1948), silk weaver, usher and activist, was born on 23 January 1884 at 57 Francis Street, Dublin, to Edward Bushell (d. 1904), a silk weaver, and his wife Ellen (née Walshe). Bushell’s mother was dead by 1901 and Edward had…...
Butler, Mildred Anne
Butler, Mildred Anne (1858–1941), animal and genre painter, was born 11 January 1858 in Kilmurry, Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny, the youngest daughter of Captain Henry Butler and Clara Butler (née Taylor) of the Newarke, Leicester. Her father, the grandson of the 11th Viscount…...
Butler (Thompson), Elizabeth
Butler (Thompson), Elizabeth (1846–1933), Lady Butler , military painter, was born 3 November 1846 at the Villa Claremont, near Lausanne, Switzerland, the elder daughter of Thomas James Thompson and Christiana Thompson (née Weller). The Thompsons were cosmopolitan in outlook,…...
Butt, Mahmood (‘Mike’)
Butt, Mahmood (‘Mike’) (1927–88), restaurateur, was born 7 May 1927 in Nairobi, Kenya, into an Islamic Indian family of one daughter and five sons of Ahmed Butt, railway engineer, and Zakia Butt. He was educated at a catholic school in Nairobi. After running a fleet of hire cars…...
Byrne, Charles
Byrne, Charles (1761–83), giant, was born in Littlebridge, Co. Londonderry, of an Irish father and a Scottish mother. All his relatives were of normal height and his growth was caused by a tumour on his pituitary gland. By August 1780 he was said to be 8 ft (2.4 m) tall, with his…...
Byrne, Christopher Michael (‘Christy’, ‘C. M.’)
Byrne, Christopher Michael (‘Christy’, ‘C. M.’) (1886?–1958), politician, farmer, and auctioneer, was born in Blackrock, Co. Dublin, the only child of Walter Byrne of 13 Temple Road, Blackrock, and Ballykillavane, Glenealy, Co. Wicklow. Educated (1895–8) at Blackrock College, he…...
Byrne, Edward
Byrne, Edward (1739/40–1804), merchant and chairman of the Catholic Committee, was a son of John Byrne of Saggart, Co. Dublin, whose father, Garret Byrne (d. 1752), was a farmer there and, according to a descendant, ‘lived in the castle of Saggart and owned the estate belonging…...
Byrne, John
Byrne, John (1919–2013), property developer and ballroom impresario, was born on 5 March 1919 in Upper Tullig, Kilflynn, near Tralee, Co. Kerry, the third child of seven sons and seven daughters of Michael Byrne, a farmer, and his wife Bridget (née Flaherty). After attending CBS…...
Byrne, Michael
Byrne, Michael (1923–89), painter and printmaker, was born 30 September 1923 in Dublin, one of ten children of Michael Byrne, baker, and Mary Byrne (née Sloane). He worked at first with a photographer, then as a dental technician, before studying at the National College of Art (and…...
Cahill, Hugh
Cahill, Hugh (1883–1966), commercial aviation pioneer, was born in Dublin on 23 June 1883, the first of three sons of Matthew Cahill, a publican of Lower Rutland Street, Dublin, and his wife Martha (née Shaw), who had previously been widowed and had a daughter from her first…...
Cahill, Pearse
Cahill, Pearse (1917–2011), aviator, businessman and race driver, was born Matthew Pearse Cahill (in honour of the executed leader of the 1916 rising) in Dublin on 26 January 1917, son of Hugh Cahill (1883–1966), of Glasnevin, Dublin, and his wife Caroline (née O'Connor). The owner-…...
Cairnes, Sir Alexander
Cairnes, Sir Alexander (1665–1732), banker, MP for Monaghan, and keeper of the Phoenix Park, was son of John Cairnes of Parsonstown or Cehill, Co. Tyrone, MP for Augher 1639–40, and his wife Jane, daughter of James Miller, MD, of Lanarkshire,…...
Cairnes, William Plunket
Cairnes, William Plunket (1857–1925), businessman and banker, was born 1 April 1857, eldest among four sons and three daughters of Thomas Plunket Cairnes (1830–94), DL, of Stameen, Co. Louth, and Monkstown Park, Co. Dublin, brewer and godson…...
Callaghan, Dan
This is a co-subject for the entry on Callaghan, Gerard. View the original entry....
Callaghan, Daniel
This is a co-subject for the entry on Callaghan, Gerard. View the original entry....
Callaghan, Gerard
Callaghan, Gerard (c.1787–1833), politician and merchant, was born in Cork city, third son of Daniel (‘Dan’) Callaghan, a wealthy catholic merchant and shipowner from Cork, and Mary Callaghan (née Barry). Dan Callaghan (fl. 1780–1820) set up as a butter…...
Cameron, Charles
Cameron, Charles (1841–1924), politician, newspaper proprietor and medical doctor, was born in Dublin on 18 December 1841, the son of John Cameron, newspaper proprietor, and his wife Ellen (née Galloway). John Cameron founded the Glasgow North British Daily Mail – subsequently…...
Campbell, Beatrice Moss
Campbell, Beatrice Moss (1883–1970), Lady Glenavy , artist, was born 30 April 1883 in Dublin, second among seven children of William Elvery , merchant, and Theresa Elvery (née Moss), singer and music teacher, whose parents were English quakers. William Elvery's ancestors were silk…...