Armstrong, Sir Walter
Armstrong, Sir Walter (1850–1918), art historian and gallery director, was born 7 February 1850 in Roxburghshire, Scotland, eldest son of Walter Armstrong of Hawick, and educated at Harrow and Oxford (BA 1873). He taught at art schools in London…...
Artrí
Artrí (d. 821), son of Cathal and overking of Munster, belonged to the Éoganacht Glendamnach dynasty of north Co. Cork. His father is generally identified as Cathal (qv) son of Finguine, a very important and able king of Munster (721–42),…...
Asgall (Askulf; Hasculf)
Asgall (Askulf; Hasculf) (d. 1171), son of Ragnall and ruler of Dublin, belonged to the Hiberno-Scandinavian line of Torcall (Thorkell), which had emerged to rule Dublin in the person of Thorkell, grandfather of Asgall, following the failure of…...
Ashford, William
Ashford, William (1746–1824), artist, was christened on 20 May 1746 in St Martin's parish church, Birmingham, the son of Richard Ashford of Birmingham. Nothing is recorded of his early life in England but he almost certainly had some form of technical and/or artistic education. He…...
Assicus (T'Assach)
Assicus (T'Assach) (d. c.508), an artisan – i.e. coppersmith – of supposed Gaulish origin, came to Ireland at some stage during the mission of St Patrick (qv) and was later consecrated a bishop by him.…...
Augaire
Augaire (d. 1024), son of Dúnlaing and overking of Leinster, belonged to the Uí Muiredaig lineage of the Uí Dúnlainge dynasty. During the reign of his father Dúnlaing (qv) (d. 1014), king of Uí Muiredaig and briefly overking of the province…...
Bacon, Francis
Bacon, Francis (1909–92), artist, was born 28 October 1909 at 63 Lower Baggot St., Dublin, second eldest of three sons and two daughters of Anthony Edward (‘Eddy’) Mortimer Bacon, and his wife Christina Winifred (‘Winnie’) Loxley Firth, both of England. His father, a former captain…...
Báetán
Báetán (d. 581), son of Cairell and overking of Ulaid, belonged to the Dál Fiatach dynasty. His father Cairell, allegedly a son of Muiredach Muinderg, is included in the Ulster king-lists. His mother, according to genealogical tradition, was Cummíne daughter of Furudrán. He had a…...
Báetán
Báetán (d. 572), son of Muirchertach and putatively king of Tara, belonged to the Cenél nÉogain dynasty. The genealogies represent him as a son of Muirchertach/Mac Ercae (qv) and as a brother of Domnall and Forggus, who are…...
Báetán
Báetán (d. 586), son of Ninnid and putatively king of Tara, belonged to the Cenél Conaill dynasty. His father, Ninnid son of Duí, was an early representative of the lineage of Cenél Duach. He had at least two brothers: Eochaid, who was slain by the Cianachta, and Feradach,…...
Baillie, William
Baillie, William (1723–1810), printmaker and art dealer, was born 11 June 1723 at Kilbride, Co. Carlow, the second son of the upholsterer Robert Baillie of Celbridge, Co. Kildare, and his wife Susanna (née Antrobus). After his education at Dr…...
Baily, William Hellier
Baily, William Hellier (1819–88), palaeontologist and artist, was born 7 July 1819 in Bristol, England, into a family of carvers and sculptors. He was curatorial assistant of Bristol museum (1837–44); served the Geological Survey of Great Britain as draughtsman (1844), assistant…...
Banim, John
Banim, John (1798–1842), artist, novelist, playwright, and poet, was born 3 April 1798 in Kilkenny city, the eldest son of Michael Banim (perhaps originally Bannon), farmer and shopkeeper (he sold sporting goods), and Joannah or Judith Banim (née Carroll) from near the Slieve Bloom…...
Barber, Rupert
Barber, Rupert (1719–72), miniaturist, was born in Dublin, where he was baptised 20 September 1719. He was the son of Rupert Barber, Dublin woollen-draper, and Mary Barber (qv), who published poetry in the 1730s, a friend and…...
Barid (Bárith, Bar∂r)
Barid (Bárith, Bar∂r) (d. 881), Norse king of Dublin, was (although his origin is uncertain) possibly a son of Ímar (qv) (d. 873), and was certainly among the allies of Amlaíb Find (Olaf the White). According to the Irish annals, Barid had…...
Barlow, James William
Barlow, James William (1826–1913), historian and writer, was born 21 October 1826 in Co. Dublin, eldest son of the Rev. William Barlow and Catherine Barlow (née Disney). He was marked by his mother’s unhappiness: as a young woman she had been in love with…...
Barnes, Michael James
Barnes, Michael James (1932–2008), festival director, was born in Peckham, south London, England, on 31 October 1932. His parents were Robert Barnes and Winifred Barnes (née Dee), who married in 1931. In 1945 he won a scholarship to Alleyn's School in Dulwich, an independent school…...
Barralet, John James
Barralet, John James (c.1747–1815), artist and drawing master, was born in Dublin, son of a huguenot émigré. He was known to have at least two brothers, one of whom, John Melchior (c.1750–c.1787), also became an artist, practising mainly in London.…...
Barret, George
Barret, George (1728/32–1784), landscape painter, was born in the Liberties of Dublin, son of a clothier. He abandoned an apprenticeship as a stay-maker to study art at Robert West's (qv) academy, George's Lane, and as a student was funded…...
Barrett, (Denis) Cyril
Barrett, (Denis) Cyril (1925–2003), Jesuit priest, art critic and historian, and philosopher, was born Denis Barrett in Dublin on 9 May 1925 (Cyril was his name in religion). He was the son of Denis Barrett, the last assistant commissioner of the Dublin Metropolitan Police. His…...
Barrington, Samuel
Barrington, Samuel (d. 1693), clockmaker, may have been a son of Francis Barrington, a Cromwellian settler, who died in Limerick in 1683. He was flourishing in Dublin from 1665 to 1674 and had a contract for the maintenance of the Tholsel clock. He moved to Galway and then (1691…...
Barry, James
Barry, James (1741–1806), history painter, was born 11 October 1741 in a cottage in Water Lane (latterly Seminary Road), Cork, the eldest child in a family of four boys – his brothers were Patrick, Redmond, and John – and a girl, Mary Ann. Background and early training…...
Barry, Moyra Aloysius
Barry, Moyra Aloysius (1886–1960), artist, was born in Dublin, eldest of eleven children of Bernard Barry, merchant, and Jane Barry (maiden name unknown), and was called ‘Mary’ by her parents. She was educated at Loreto Convent, North Great George's St., Dublin, before studying at…...
Barry, William Gerard
Barry, William Gerard (1864–1941), landscape and portrait painter, was born in Ballyadam, Carrigtohill, Co. Cork, where his father, Patrick Barry, was a local magistrate. Though not academically gifted, he showed a talent for drawing early on, and having left his local school, he…...
Barton, Mary (‘Molly’) Georgina
Barton, Mary (‘Molly’) Georgina (1861–1949) artist, was born 3 April 1861 at Dundalk, Co. Louth, second daughter (and youngest of seven children) of James Barton (qv), civil engineer, of Stillorgan Rd, Dublin, and Catherine Frances Barton…...