Brenan, John
Brenan, John (1768–1830), physician and satirist, was born March 1768, eldest of six children of a minor landed catholic family from Ballaghide, Co. Carlow. The details of his early life are unknown. In 1793 he wrote epigrams and short verse for Dublin magazines. Claiming to have…...
Brenan, Joseph
Brenan, Joseph (1828–57), Young Ireland revolutionary, poet, and journalist, was born 17 November 1828 in Cork city; nothing is known of his parents. He spent some of his early childhood in Skibbereen and was educated at St Vincent's seminary, Cork. He joined the Cork Historical…...
Brennan, Maeve
Brennan, Maeve (1917–93), fiction writer and New Yorker columnist, called the ‘Long-Winded Lady’, was born in Dublin on 6 January 1917, second of four children of the nationalist journalist…...
Brennan, Robert
Brennan, Robert (1881–1964), republican, journalist, writer, and diplomat, was born in Co. Wexford on 22 July 1881, second child and eldest son among four children of Robert Brennan (d. 1919), cattle dealer, and Bridget Brennan (née Kearney; d. 1938), dressmaker. He was educated…...
Bretherton, Cyril Herbert Emmanuel
Bretherton, Cyril Herbert Emmanuel (1879–1939), journalist, was born 2 June 1879 at Little Crosby, near Liverpool, only son of Charles Edward Bretherton, barrister, of Heath House, Blackheath, south-east London. He was educated at St Augustine's, Ramsgate, and Harbourne, Ashford,…...
Browne, Kathleen Anne
Browne, Kathleen Anne (1878–1943), agriculturist, writer, and politician, was born 1 October 1878 in Wexford, eldest among five children of Michael Browne, farmer, shopkeeper, and local politician, of Rathronan Castle, Bridgetown, Co. Wexford, and his wife (and cousin) Mary…...
Browne, Nicholas
Browne, Nicholas (1660?–1720), 2nd Viscount Kenmare , soldier and MP, was son and heir of Valentine Browne, 1st viscount, and his wife Jane, daughter and heiress of Sir Nicholas Plunkett (qv) of Dublin and Balrath, Co. Meath,…...
Browne, Thomas
Browne, Thomas (1726–95), 4th Viscount Kenmare , improving landlord, and catholic activist, was born in April 1726, second (and only surviving) son among two sons and a daughter of Valentine Browne (qv), 3rd viscount, and his first…...
Browne, Valentine
Browne, Valentine (1695–1736), 5th baronet and 3rd Viscount Kenmare , was first son of Nicholas Browne (qv), 2nd viscount, and his wife Helen, daughter of Thomas Browne of Hospital, Co. Limerick. The inheritance to which he succeeded…...
Browne, Valentine
Browne, Valentine (1754–1812), 5th Viscount and 1st earl of Kenmare , catholic activist, and landlord, was born in January 1754, only son of Thomas Browne (qv), 4th Viscount Kenmare, and his wife Anne, daughter of Thomas Cooke of…...
Browne, Valentine Charles Edward
Browne, Valentine Charles Edward (1891–1943), Viscount Castlerosse , 6th earl of Kenmare , journalist and socialite, was born 29 May 1891 in Grosvenor Square, London, eldest son of Valentine Browne, 5th earl of Kenmare, and Elizabeth Browne (née Baring), eldest daughter of Lord…...
Bruodin (MacBrody), Anthony
Bruodin (MacBrody), Anthony (d. 1680), Franciscan author and lecturer, was the son of Miler Bruodin, a landowner, and Margaret O'Mollony; he was a member of a bardic family of Ballyhogan, Co. Clare, who traditionally acted as chroniclers and genealogists to the O'Brien kings of…...
Bulfin, William
Bulfin, William (1863–1910), journalist in Argentina and travel writer, was born at Derrinlough House, near Birr, King's County (Offaly), and baptised 14 November 1863, fourth son in the family of ten sons and one daughter of William Bulfin, a strong farmer, and his wife Ellen (née…...
Burke, Augustus Nicholas
Burke, Augustus Nicholas (c.1838–1891), painter, was born at Waterslade, Knocknagur, Co. Galway, the sixth son of William Burke, a catholic gentleman and landowner, and Fanny Xaveria Burke (née Tucker) of Brook Lodge, Sussex. Educated at a private catholic school in…...
Burke (Bourke), John
Burke (Bourke), John (d. 1607), of Brittas, Co. Limerick, landowner and Roman catholic martyr, was eldest son of Richard Burke of Brittas (younger brother of Sir William Burke, Lord Castleconnell) and his wife Honora, daughter of Conor O'Mulrian, chief of Owny. In the late 1590s…...
Burke (de Burgh), John
Burke (de Burgh), John (d. 1583), baron of Leitrim , rebel, known as John of the Shamrocks or John of the Clovers, was the eldest son of Richard Burke (qv), 2nd earl of Clanricard, by his second wife, Margaret, daughter…...
Burke (de Burgh), John (Seaan, Shane Mac Oliverus)
Burke (de Burgh), John (Seaan, Shane Mac Oliverus) (d. 1580), 17th lord of MacWilliam Íochtair, was the son of Oliver of the Sliocht Ricaird of Tirawley and great-grandson of Richard (Richard O'Cuairsge) (qv; see under Risdeard Burgh (de Burgh)), 7th lord…...
Burke (de Burgh), Richard
Burke (de Burgh), Richard (1527/8?–1582), 2nd earl of Clanricard , was the eldest son of Ulick Burke (qv), ‘Uilleag na gCeann’, 1st earl of Clanricard, and his first wife, Grace, daughter of…...
Burke (de Burgh), Richard (Risdeard Mac Oliverus)
Burke (de Burgh), Richard (Risdeard Mac Oliverus) (d. 1585), nineteenth lord of MacWilliam Íochtair , was the son of Oliver Burke of the Sliocht Ricaird of Tirawly and great-grandson of Richard Burke (Richard Ó Cuairsge) (qv); see under Risdeard Burgh (de…...
Burke (de Burgh), Sir Richard (Risdeard an Iarainn, Richard an Iron, ‘Iron Dick’)
Burke (de Burgh), Sir Richard (Risdeard an Iarainn, Richard an Iron, ‘Iron Dick’) (d. 1583), 18th lord of MacWilliam Íochtair , was the son of David Burke of the Sliocht Ulick, 15th lord of MacWilliam Íochtair, and his second wife, Finola O'Flaherty. In 1553 he fought a battle…...
Burke (de Burgo), Thomas
Burke (de Burgo), Thomas (1709/10–1776), Dominican historian and bishop of Ossory 1759–76, was born in Dublin, a descendant of the Burkes of Cloghcroke, near Athenry, Co. Galway; no details of his parents are known. His grand uncle, Thomas Burke (c.1650–1724), was prior…...
Burke, James Michael
Burke, James Michael (1873–1936), barrister, newspaper editor, and politician, was born 4 November 1873 at 31 Bridge St., Skibbereen, Co. Cork, seventh among twelve children (seven sons and three daughters survived to adulthood) of Patrick Burke, grocer and farmer, and Mary Burke (née…...
Burke, Richard
Burke, Richard (c.1569–1635), 4th earl of Clanricard, nobleman, was the second, but eldest surviving, son of the six sons and two daughters of Ulick Burke, 3rd earl of Clanricard, and his wife, Honora, daughter of John Burke of Clogheroka, Co. Galway. His date of birth is…...
Burke, Sir Thomas
Burke, Sir Thomas (c.1750–1813), baronet and landowner, was born in Marble Hill, Co. Galway, son of John Burke (1713–93) of Grallough, Co. Galway, a catholic landowner, and Mary Burke, eldest daughter of Michael Carroll of Killoran, Co. Galway. With the passing of the…...
Burke, Thomas Nicholas (‘Tom’)
Burke, Thomas Nicholas (‘Tom’) (1830–83), Dominican preacher and historian, was born Nicholas Anthony Burke on 8 September 1830 in Kirwan's Lane, off Cross St., Galway, fourth surviving child and only son of Walter Burke, baker, and Margaret Burke (née MacDonough). He was educated…...