Burke, William
Burke, William (1793?–1829), murderer, was born probably at Urney, near Strabane, Co. Tyrone, son of Neil Burke, labourer. Born into a catholic, Irish-speaking family, he received some education and was servant to a presbyterian minister for a time. When he tired of this he tried the…...
Burkitt, James Parsons
Burkitt, James Parsons (1870–1959), ornithologist and engineer, was born 20 August 1870 at Killybegs, Co. Donegal, second son among five sons and two daughters of Thomas Henry Burkitt, presbyterian minister, and Emma Eliza Burkitt (née Parsons). He was educated at Galway grammar…...
Burn, James Dawson
Burn, James Dawson (1801?–c.1889), tradesman and author, was born probably in Co. Down, son of a farmer surnamed McBurney. Shortly afterwards his mother took him to Scotland, begging along with an alcoholic ex-soldier, an Irishman with whom she had other children. Burn's early…...
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…...
Bury, Charles Kenneth Howard-
Bury, Charles Kenneth Howard- (1883–1963), soldier, explorer, plant collector, and politician, was born 15 August 1883 in London, though his parents generally lived in Charleville castle, Tullamore, King's Co. (Co. Offaly). He was the only son of Captain Kenneth Howard, army officer…...
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…...
Butler, Isaac
Butler, Isaac (1689/90?–1755), almanac maker, botanist, and antiquary, was by 1725 in business as a bookseller and publisher in Patrick Street, Dublin; he was a quarter-brother of the printers’ guild (1728–31). His first almanac was Advice from the stars (1725), which he…...
Butler, James Bayley
Butler, James Bayley (1884–1964), biologist and academic, was born 8 April 1884 at Secundrabad, India, only son among four children of Col. James William Butler and Henrietta Butler (née Bayley). His father had been an administrator in the East India Company. On his family's…...
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, Sir Edwin John
Butler, Sir Edwin John (1874–1943), plant pathologist, was born 13 August 1874 at Kilkee, Co. Clare, the second son of Thomas Butler (d. 1919) and his wife, Annie (d. 1898), the daughter of James Barry of Co. Limerick. Thomas Butler's brother was Sir…...
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,…...
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…...
Cadden, Mary Anne (‘Mamie’) (‘Nurse Cadden’)
Cadden, Mary Anne (‘Mamie’) (‘Nurse Cadden’) (1891–1959), midwife and abortionist, was born 27 October 1891 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA, eldest of seven children of Patrick Caden, of a small-farming background from Doonbredia, Lahardane, Co. Mayo, and Mary Caden (née McLoughlin), a…...
Cahill, Martin
Cahill, Martin (1949–94), criminal, was born 23 May 1949 in Dublin, second of twelve children of Patrick Cahill, lighthouse keeper, and Agnes Cahill (née Sheehan). The Cahill family first lived in the north inner city, then moved to a corporation estate in Crumlin. At the age of eight…...
Callan, Nicholas Joseph
Callan, Nicholas Joseph (1799–1864), priest and pioneering scientist in electrical science, was born 22 December 1799 at Darver, between Drogheda and Dundalk, Co. Louth, third youngest among seven children of Denis Callan, farmer, and Margaret Callan (née Smith). His parents…...
Calvert, Edward Spence
Calvert, Edward Spence (1902–91) aviation research scientist, was born 5 March 1902 in Drummacurry, Portadown, Co. Armagh, the son of William John Calvert, farmer, and his wife Elizabeth (née Spence). An excellent student, he won a scholarship in 1918 to the Royal College of Science…...
Cameron, Sir Charles Alexander
Cameron, Sir Charles Alexander (1830–1921), medical officer, chemist, and writer, was born 16 July 1830 in Dublin, one of two sons and a daughter of Capt. Ewen Cameron (1787–1846), a Scottish soldier, and his Irish wife Belinda (née Smith). He was educated in Dublin and Guernsey (1844–6…...
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…...
Campbell, Cecilia Margaret
This is a co-subject for the entry on Campbell, John Henry. View the original entry....
Campbell, Christopher
Campbell, Christopher (1908–72), painter and stained-glass artist, was born 9 December 1908 in Dublin, fourth of five sons of John Campbell, carpenter, of 18 Hardwicke St., Dublin, and Ellen Campbell (née Farrell). He also had three sisters, and a younger brother Laurence (below…...
Campbell, George Frederick
Campbell, George Frederick (1917–79), painter and stained-glass artist, was born 29 July 1917 in Arklow, Co. Wicklow, youngest of three sons of Matthew Arthur Campbell (d. 1925), caterer, and Gretta Campbell (née Bowen) (qv),…...
Campbell, James
Campbell, James (1758–1818), weaver poet, was born in Cairncastle, near Larne, Co. Antrim; nothing is known of his parents. He received some schooling locally, and became a linen weaver. He worked as a journeyman weaver round Ballynure, Co. Antrim, till he married; his wife was…...
Campbell, John Henry
Campbell, John Henry (1757–1828), landscape painter, was born in Herefordshire, England, the county of origin of both his parents; his mother's maiden name was Beaumont. His father left Herefordshire to enter into a partnership with the Dublin printer…...
Campbell, Laurence
This is a co-subject for the entry on Campbell, Christopher. View the original entry....
Carew, John Edward
Carew, John Edward (c.1782–1868) sculptor, was born at Tramore, Co. Waterford, and was possibly the son of a local sculptor, who signed himself ‘Carew fecit Waterford’. He appears to have studied art for some time in Dublin, before travelling to London. By about 1809 he was…...