Baker, George
Baker, George (c.1608–1665), clergyman, was born in St Patrick's parish, Dublin; his parents’ names are not known. Educated at TCD, he graduated BA (1629) and …...
Bale, John
Bale, John (1495–1563), protestant writer and Church of Ireland bishop of Ossory, was born 21 November 1495 in the village of Cove, near Dunwich, Suffolk, England. He entered the Carmelite house at Norwich and began studying at Cambridge (probably Jesus College) in 1514, and was…...
Ball, Margaret
Ball, Margaret (1515?–1584?), recusant and martyr, was born in Corballis in the barony of Skreen, Co. Meath, daughter of Nicholas Bermingham and his wife Katherine, daughter of Richard de la Hide of Drogheda, a descendant of Edward I. She married (1530) Bartholomew Ball, a…...
Ball, Mary Teresa (Frances)
Ball, Mary Teresa (Frances) (1794–1861), nun, educator, and founder of the Loreto order in Ireland, was born 9 January 1794 in Eccles Street, Dublin, the youngest daughter of John Ball (qv), a wealthy Dublin silk merchant, and Mabel Clare…...
Balscot, Alexander
Balscot, Alexander of (c.1335–1400), bishop of Ossory, bishop of Meath, and treasurer, chancellor, and justiciar of Ireland, was born in Oxfordshire and first appears in the records when he was presented to the vicarage of Dungarvan in 1359. He was a prebend in the diocese…...
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…...
Bannon, John
Bannon, John (1829–1913), catholic priest and Confederate chaplain, was born 29 December 1829 at Rooskey, Co. Roscommon, son of James Bannon, a Dublin grain dealer, and his wife, Fanny (née O'Farrell). Bannon had a brother and at least one sister. He was educated locally in Dublin…...
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…...
Barber, Samuel
Barber, Samuel (1738?–1811), presbyterian minister and radical, was born in the parish of Killead, Co. Antrim, younger son of John and Sarah Barber, farmers. He entered Glasgow University in 1757 and graduated MA in 1759. On 28 August 1761 he…...
Bardin, Charles
Bardin, Charles (c.1788-1841), clergyman and producer of instructive literature, was born in Dublin, son of Peter Bardin, revenue officer; his date of birth and his mother's name are unknown. He graduated BA (1817),…...
Barkley, John Monteith
Barkley, John Monteith (1910–97), presbyterian minister, scholar and historian, was born in Belfast on 18 October 1910, the only son of Robert James Barkley and his wife Mary Darcus (née Monteith). He had a younger sister. When John was born the family was living with his mother's…...
Barlow, Randolph (Randal)
Barlow, Randolph (Randal) (1572?–1638), Church of Ireland archbishop of Tuam, was probably the Randal Barlow baptised 31 January 1572 at Malpas, Cheshire, the son of John Barlow, rector of Malpas. Educated at Macclesfield grammar school, he matriculated at Jesus College, Cambridge…...
Barnard, Thomas
Barnard, Thomas (1727–1806), Church of Ireland bishop, was born in Surrey and baptised there on 22 February 1727, the eldest son of Dr William Barnard (1697–1768), bishop of Derry, and his wife, Anne (d. 1782), sister of the Irish primate …...
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…...
Barnett, John
Barnett, John (1794–1880), presbyterian minister, was born near Saintfield, Co. Down, eldest son of John Barnett, tanner in Belfast; his mother may have been Jane Gibson. He was at first apprenticed to a Belfast business house, but his father allowed him to leave to attend Glasgow…...
Baron (Barron), Bartholomew (Bonaventure)
Baron (Barron), Bartholomew (Bonaventure) (1610–96), Franciscan theologian and miscellaneous writer, was born 24 July 1610 at Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, the second son of Lawrence Baron (d. 1622), a merchant of Clonmel, and his first wife, Maria (d. 1616), sister of…...
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.…...
Barr, Andrew (Andy)
Barr, Andrew (Andy) (1913–2003), trade unionist and communist, was born 23 September 1913 at 29 Cluan Place, off Mountpottinger Road, Ballymacarrett, Belfast, second child among two sons and five daughters (two other children died in infancy) of Andrew Barr (d. 1986, aged 98), a…...
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…...
Barrett, James
Barrett, James (1721?–1808), catholic priest, was born probably in 1721, presumably in the diocese of Killaloe (which takes in south and central Clare and north Tipperary), and obtained a licentiate in theology from the university of Paris. From 1762 until his death he was parish…...
Barrett, Patrick
Barrett, Patrick (d. 1415), bishop of Ferns and chancellor of Ireland, was originally a canon in the Augustinian priory of Kells in Co. Kilkenny. He was provided to the see of Ferns by the pope on 10 December 1400, and consecrated by the pope in Rome. He received the…...
Barrett, Thomas
Barrett, Thomas (Tomás Bairéad) (d. c.1485), bishop of Annaghdown, obtained a papal provision to the see on 17 April 1458 although the see was already occupied by Donatus Ó Muireadhaigh (qv), archbishop of Tuam…...
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, Denis
Barry, Denis (1883–1923), Irish Volunteer, commandant of the Cork No. 1 Brigade and trade unionist, was born on 13 July 1883, in Riverstick, Cullen, Co. Cork, the son of John Barry, farmer and Nora Barry (née Sullivan). Denis was born on the family farm, the second youngest of eight…...