Hart, Josephine
Hart, Josephine (1942–2011), writer, theatrical producer and poetry promoter, was born on 1 March 1942 in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, the eldest of five children of Dermot Hart and his wife Sheila (née Donoghue). Her father had been a commercial traveller and a lorry driver, until…...
Haughery, Margaret
Haughery, Margaret (1813–82), philanthropist, was born on 25 December 1813 in Carrigallen, Co. Leitrim, fifth of six children to William Gaffney, tenant farmer, and his wife Margaret (née O’Rourke). In 1818 the Gaffneys moved with their three younger children to America, leaving the…...
Hayes (Ó Ríordáin), (Mary) Gabriel
Hayes (Ó Ríordáin), (Mary) Gabriel (1909–78), sculptor and painter, was born 25 August 1909 at Holles St. hospital, Dublin, eldest of three children of Jeremiah Hayes, an RIC member who worked on maintenance in the prison service, and…...
Henderson, Cathy
Henderson, Cathy (1963–2014), artist, was born in London on 4 February 1963, one of four children (three boys and one girl) of English parents Peter Henderson, a lecturer in occupational psychology and his wife Mary (née Topham), an artist. She spent her early childhood living in Barton…...
Henry, (Emily) Grace
Henry, (Emily) Grace (1868–1953), painter, was born 10 February 1868 at Kirktown St. Fergus, near Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, ninth of ten children of the Rev. John Mitchell and Jane Mitchell (née Gardner). Her maternal grandmother was a cousin to the poet Lord Byron. She…...
Henry, Françoise
Henry, Françoise (1902–82), specialist in early Irish art, archaeologist, and art historian, was born 16 June 1902 in Paris, the only child of René Henry, deputy chef de cabinet to the president of the French chamber of deputies, professor at L'École des Sciences…...
Herlihy, Nora
Herlihy, Nora (1910–88), founder of the Irish credit union movement, was born 27 February 1910 at Ballydesmond, Co. Cork, the third of twelve children of Denis Herlihy, a teacher, and Nora Herlihy (née Mulcahy). Having taught firstly in Belmullet, Co. Mayo, Nora's father was appointed…...
Heron, Hilary Mary
Heron, Hilary Mary (1923–77), sculptor, was born 27 March 1923 in Dublin to a protestant family, daughter of James Heron, bank official, and Mary Elizabeth Heron (maiden name not known). She spent most of her childhood in Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, and New Ross, Co. Wexford, where…...
Hiffernan, Joanna ('Jo')
Hiffernan, Joanna (‘Jo’) (1839–86), artist’s model, was born in Limerick city, where she was baptised 8 July 1839 in the Roman catholic church of St Michael, third child among six daughters and one son of John Christopher Hiffernan (1819–66?) and Catherine Hiffernan (née Hannan; c…...
Hobson, Valerie
Hobson, Valerie (1917–98), actress, was born 14 April 1917 at Larne, Co. Antrim, daughter of Commander Robert Gordon Hobson (1877–1940), naval officer, and Violette Hobson (née Hamilton-Willoughby). Educated at St Augustine's Priory, London, she was stage-struck from a young age.…...
Hoey, Moira
Hoey, Moira (1922–2010), actress, was born on 13 March 1922 in Cork city, the only daughter of two children of James Deady (d. 1952), a draper's assistant (described as a retired merchant at his death), and his wife Mary 'Cissie' (née Hickey). Christened Mary Frances, she used Moira…...
Holmes, Elizabeth
Holmes, Elizabeth (d. 1877), philanthropist, was probably a daughter of Richard Holmes (d. 1820) of Oakfield, Co. Sligo, and Anne Holmes (née Erskine). She had at least two brothers: one was Joseph (fl. 1845–68), a JP,…...
Hone, Eva Sydney (‘Evie’)
Hone, Eva Sydney (‘Evie’) (1894–1955), painter and stained-glass artist, was born 22 April 1894 at Roebuck Grove, Clonskeagh, Co. Dublin, youngest among four daughters of Joseph Hone, prominent maltster and director of the Bank of Ireland, and Eva Hone (née Robinson), who died…...
Honner, Maria
Honner, Maria (1808–70), actress, was born Maria Macarthy on 21 December 1808 in Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, daughter of Eugene Macarthy (1788–1866), actor and manager. Educated in Cork, she lost her mother (name unknown) at a young age and made an early debut, at the age of 15, on…...
Hooker, Helen O'Malley
Hooker, Helen O'Malley Roelefs (1905–93), sculptor, was born 1 January 1905 in Connecticut, USA, third among four daughters of Elon Huntingdon Hooker (1869–1938), chemical engineer and businessman, and his wife Blanche (1871–1956), daughter of Dexter Mason Ferry, a wealthy Detroit…...
Horniman, Annie Elizabeth Fredrika
Horniman, Annie Elizabeth Fredrika (1860–1937), founding patron of the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, was born 3 October 1860, at Forest Hill, London, the only daughter of Frederick John Horniman (founder of the Horniman Museum) and Rebekah Horniman (née Emslie, d. 1895). Her grandfather,…...
Houston, Mary Galway
Houston, Mary Galway (1871–p.1954), craftswoman, teacher, and author, was born 27 July 1871 at Coleraine Academical Institution, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, daughter of Thomas Galway Houston, headmaster of the institution, and Maud Steen Houston (née Millar). She trained (…...
Hunter, Marianne
This is a co-subject for the entry on Hunter, Robert. View the original entry....
Hunter, Mercy
Hunter, Mercy (1910–89), artist, was born 22 January 1910 in Belfast and christened Martha Saie Kathleen, one of the youngest of four daughters of the Rev. William Hunter, presbyterian minister; there was also at least one son. His wife was a Russian woman, Alice Beyer; on the day…...
Hyde, Sarah
Hyde, Sarah (d. 1750), printer and bookseller, was the only daughter of Joseph (qv) and Elizabeth Ray (qv), booksellers and printers in Dublin. Her early life is unrecorded before she married (1714) John Hyde, printer…...
Jameson, Anna Brownell
Jameson, Anna Brownell (1794–1860), writer, feminist, and art historian, the eldest of five daughters of the miniature painter Denis Brownell Murphy (qv) and his English wife, was born 19 May 1794 at the family home on College…...
Jameson, Joan
Jameson, Joan (1892–1953), still life, figure and landscape painter, was born Joan Moira Maud, in London on 4 October 1892, elder of the two daughters of Sir Richard John Musgrave , 5th baronet, DL and JP…...
Jammet, Yvonne
Jammet, Yvonne (1900–67), landscape painter and sculptor, was born Yvonne Auger in Paris, the daughter of Félix Auger and his wife Catherine (née Jammet), restaurateurs; her mother was a second cousin once removed from her future husband. Yvonne studied art at the Académie Julian…...
Jellett, Mainie
Jellett, Mainie (1897–1944), artist, was born Mary Harriet Jellett on 29 April 1897 into a protestant family at 37 Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin, the eldest of four daughters of William Morgan Jellett, a barrister, and Janet Jellett (née Stokes). Her father, the son of…...
Johnston (Johnston-Liik ), Edith Mary
Johnston (Johnston-Liik ), Edith Mary (1930–2008), historian and editor, was born 11 July 1930 in Belfast, eldest of three daughters of John Worthington Johnston (1904–52), athlete, presbyterian minister and army chaplain, and his wife Mary Isobel Giraud (née McFadden); a son died at…...