Murphy, John
Murphy, John (c.1755–1832), engraver and educational publisher, was born in Cork city and reared in its northern suburbs, around Mallow Lane. At the age of seventeen he emigrated to London, led by his ‘predilection for the Fine Arts and a desire to cultivate an inclination for…...
Murphy, Seamus
Murphy, Seamus (1907–75), sculptor, was born 15 July 1907 at Greenhill, Burnfort, near Mallow, Co. Cork, one of five sons of James Murphy, engine driver, and Margaret Murphy (née Sheehan); four daughters died in infancy. While he was still a young child the family moved to Cork city…...
Nachstern, Arthur
Nachstern, Arthur (1911–99), violinist, was born 16 June (29 June NS) 1911 in Odessa, Ukraine, only child of Arthur Nachstern (1881–1951), lawyer, and Janina-Alina Nachstern (née Januszewska; 1889–1966), both of whom were Polish. He himself wrote that his early years – before the…...
Ní Annagáin, Máighréad
This is a co-subject for the entry on Clandillon, Seamus (‘Clan’). View the original entry....
Ní Ghuairim, Máire
Ní Ghuairim, Máire (1896–1964), teacher, author and sean-nós singer, was born 6 July 1896 in Roisín na Manach, Carna, Co. Galway, eldest daughter of farmer Máirtín Gorham and his wife, Catherine Burke. She received her earliest education in the Convent of Mercy school in Roisín na…...
Niland, Nora
Niland, Nora (1912–88), Sligo county librarian and founder of the Sligo municipal art collection, was born 21 March 1912 in Galway, eighth child among six sons and three daughters of John Niland, of Ballinastack, Tuam, Co. Galway, railway worker and small farmer, and his wife Elizabeth…...
O'Brien, Brendan
O'Brien, Brendan (1941–2008), showband singer, was born 23 July 1941 in the family home of 5 Montpellier Terrace, Wellington Road, Cork city, the youngest of five children of Edward O'Brien, engineer, and his wife Ellen (née Crowley). The O'Briens soon moved outside Cork city to…...
O'Brien, Charlotte Grace
O'Brien, Charlotte Grace (1845–1909), social reformer and writer, was born 23 November 1845 at Cahirmoyle, Co. Limerick, younger daughter of the Young Ireland leader, William Smith O’Brien (qv), and his wife Lucy Caroline, daughter of…...
O'Brien, Dermot
O'Brien, Dermot (1932–2007), musician and Gaelic footballer, was born 23 October 1932 in Ardee, Co. Louth, the son of Paddy O'Brien, labourer and bandmaster of the Ardee Brass and Reed Band, of Dolan Terrace, Ardee, and his wife Nancy (née Dowdall). He attended Ardee's De La Salle…...
O'Brien, Oliver
This is a co-subject for the entry on O'Brien, Vincent. View the original entry....
O'Brien, Vincent
O'Brien, Vincent (1870–1948), conductor, music teacher, and répétiteur, was born in May 1870 in Dublin (where he lived all his life), son of Richard V. O'Brien and his wife, Elizabeth O'Brien (née Halton). The family's musical lineage was strong: the father was an…...
O'Carroll, Michael William ffrench-
O'Carroll, Michael William ffrench- (1919–2007), politician, doctor, and social campaigner, was born 15 September 1919 at 89 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin, the eldest of two sons and a daughter of Arthur Stephens ffrench-O'Carroll (1896–1952), medical doctor then in military service,…...
O'Connor, Fergal
O'Connor, Fergal (1926–2005), priest and philosopher, was born Thomas Francis O'Connor on 6 December 1926 in Rathmorrel, Causeway, Co. Kerry, third of seven children of Henry O'Connor, national school teacher, and his wife Nora (née Egan). O'Connor's grandfather had also been a…...
O'Connor (Glasgow), Terry
O'Connor (Glasgow), Terry (1897–1983), musician and music teacher, was born Mary Teresa O'Connor on 14 October 1897 in Johnstown, Waterford city, the second among at least four daughters of James O'Connor, grocer and vintner, and Brigid O'Connor (née Keirsey). Educated at the…...
O'Connor, Mary
O'Connor, Mary (Sister Mary Agnes ) (1815–59), Sister of Mercy, foundress, and social worker, was born 6 January 1815 in Kilkenny city, youngest among ten children of Patrick O'Connor and Mary O'Connor. Like other charitable women of her time she visited the sick poor and made…...
O'Conor, Roderic Anthony
O'Conor, Roderic Anthony (1860–1940), artist, was born 17 October 1860 in Miltown, Co. Roscommon, second child and eldest son of Roderic Joseph O'Conor, barrister and high sheriff (1863) of Co. Roscommon, and Eleanor Mary O'Conor (née Browne) of Co. Meath. The O'Conors were a…...
O'Donnell, Erica Marie-Josèphe
O'Donnell, Erica Marie-Josèphe (1920–99), art historian and SOE officer, was born 11 March 1920 in Dublin, the only child of Eric Hugh O'Donnell, a British army officer of Dublin and Ballingaddy, Co. Limerick, and his wife Mary Mabel Elizabeth, second daughter of Joseph Charles Dunbar…...
O'Donohue, John Joseph
O'Donohue, John Joseph (1956–2008), priest, philosopher and spiritual writer, was born 2 January 1956 in Ennistymon hospital, Co. Clare, eldest of three sons and one daughter of Patrick O'Donohue (d. 1970s), a small farmer and stonemason (whom John remembered as a profound influence…...
O'Dowda, Brendan Joseph
O'Dowda, Brendan Joseph (1925–2002), singer, was born 1 October 1925 in Dundalk, Co. Louth, the youngest of a family of seven boys and three girls of Francis Joseph O'Dowda (d. 1955) from Cork, who worked in the engineering department of the post office, and his wife Josephine (née…...
Ó hAnnracháin, Fachtna
Ó hAnnracháin, Fachtna (1920–2010), broadcasting administrator and music director, was born on 2 September 1920 in Skibbereen, Co. Cork, eldest among four sons and two daughters of Peadar Ó hAnnracháin (1873–1965), small farmer, Irish-language activist, civil servant, journalist,…...
O'Kelly, William
This is a co-subject for the entry on O'Kelly, William Hugh MacNevin-. View the original entry....
Ó Laoghaire, Diarmuid
Ó Laoghaire, Diarmuid (1915–2001), writer and lecturer on Celtic spirituality, and Irish-language enthusiast, was born 1 August 1915 in Dublin, one of three children of Michael O'Leary from Doneraile, Co. Cork, and Mary O'Leary (née Flood), from Co. Meath; his father was manager of…...
O'Leary, John ('Johnny') (Johnny Leary)
O'Leary, John ('Johnny') (Johnny Leary) (1923–2004), musician, better known as 'Johnny Leary', was born 6 June 1923 in Meall Uí Chíobháin (Maulykeavane), Co. Kerry, between Gníomh go Leith (Gneevguilla) and Killarney. He was brought up by his maternal grandparents, Paddy O'Leary…...
O'Malley, Tony (Anthony)
O'Malley, Tony (Anthony) (1913–2003), painter, was born 25 September 1913 in Bridge Street, Callan, Co. Kilkenny, eldest of two sons and two daughters of Patrick O'Malley, a commercial traveller for Singer sewing machines, and his wife Margaret (née Ryan), from the Callan area, who…...
O'Meara, Frank
O'Meara, Frank (1853–88), landscape painter, was born in Carlow on 30 March 1853, the youngest of the seven children of Thomas O'Meara, a medical doctor, and his wife, Sarah (née Isbourne). His grandfather Dr Barry Edward O'Meara…...