Blake, John
Blake, John (c.1594–1680), merchant, was the eldest son, of the four sons and one daughter, of Nicholas Blake, merchant, of Galway, and his second wife, Juliana, daughter of Valentine French. He was head of the senior, but by no means most prosperous, branch of the Blake…...
Blake, Sir Valentine
Blake, Sir Valentine (1560–c.1634), merchant and mayor of Galway, was eldest of three sons of Walter Blake of Galway and Juliana Blake, daughter of James Browne of Galway. A leading merchant, trading at least with Spain and Portugal, by 1592 he was described as the…...
Blaney, Neal (Neil)
Blaney, Neal (Neil) (1889–1948), politician and businessman, was born 5 November 1889 in the family home at Rosnakill, Co. Donegal, fifth of six children of William Blaney, small farmer, and Anna Blaney (née Sweeney). Aged 12, he left school to work on the family farm, situated…...
Bloomfield, John Caldwell
Bloomfield, John Caldwell (1823–97), landlord and entrepreneur, was born 5 February 1823, eldest son of John Colpoys Bloomfield and Frances Arabella Bloomfield (née Caldwell); there were three other sons and a daughter. His mother, a descendant of Sir John Caldwell, was coheiress…...
Boate (De Boote, Boet, Bootius, Botius), Arnold
Boate (De Boote, Boet, Bootius, Botius), Arnold (1606–53) and , Gerard (1604–50), physicians and authors, were brothers, born in Gorinchem in the Netherlands, the sons of Godefroy de Boot and his wife Christina van Loon. Medical graduates of the University of Leiden, they settled…...
Boate, Gerard
This is a co-subject for the entry on Boate (De Boote, Boet, Bootius, Botius), Arnold. View the original entry....
Boland, Harry
Boland, Harry (1925–2013), businessman, was born Henry Boland on 21 September 1925 in the family home at Brian Road in Marino, Dublin, the fifth child of four sons and three daughters of Gerald Boland (qv), politician, and his wife Anne (née…...
Boland, William
Boland, William (1895–1960), businessman, was born in Bunnyconnellan, Ballina, Co. Mayo, the sixth of the seven children of Christopher Boland, farmer and partner in Reilly's and Boland, general merchant. Educated at CBS Synge Street…...
Bolton, Samuel H.
Bolton, Samuel H. (1828/9–1897), builder, progressed from being a carpenter and builder at South Richmond Street, Dublin (1858), to being head of the firm of general building contractors bearing his name (1896). He built the new Shelbourne Hotel, St Stephen's Green, the Ulster Bank…...
Bourke, Francis Stephen (‘Freddie’)
Bourke, Francis Stephen (‘Freddie’) (1895–1959), medical doctor and bibliographer, was born 14/15 July 1895 in High St., Kilkenny, son of James Bourke, merchant tailor, and Kate Bourke (née Walshe). Educated at St Kieran's College, Kilkenny, he studied at the Royal College of Surgeons…...
Bourke, Patrick
Bourke, Patrick (1899–1982), civil servant and banker, was born 24 August 1899 in Castleconnell, Co. Limerick, third child and elder son of the five children of James Bourke, grocer and publican, and his wife Hanora. In 1906 the family moved to Oxmantown Road, Dublin, in…...
Bourne, Richard
Bourne, Richard (1770–1851), steamship owner and a founder of the P & O company, was born at Fethard Castle, Co. Tipperary, youngest of several sons. Entering the Royal Navy (1787), he was promoted lieutenant (1797) and commanded the Felix (1804); twice rewarded for…...
Bowe, Catherine Mary (Sister Celeste)
Bowe, Catherine Mary (Sister Celeste) (1931–76), Daughter of Charity and nurse, was born 23 February 1931 in Newberry, Mallow, Co. Cork, daughter of James Bowe, labourer, and Julia Bowe (née Ducey). She was educated at the local national and secondary schools. In 1949 she trained as an…...
Boxwell, William
Boxwell, William (1875–1943), physician, was born 6 February 1875 in Bengal, India, second of four sons of Henry Boxwell, chief commissioner in the Indian civil service, and Elizabeth Boxwell (née Stokes). William was educated at Shrewsbury School, Shropshire, and at…...
Boyd, Hugh
Boyd, Hugh (1690–1765), entrepreneur, was one of several sons of the Rev. William Boyd, vicar of Ramoan, Co. Antrim (who is said to have had at least two sons by a second marriage), and his first wife, Rose, daughter of Daniel MacNeill of Dunaneeny near Ballycastle. The Boyd family…...
Boyd, John St Clair
Boyd, John St Clair (1858–1918), surgeon, Gaelic Leaguer and philanthropist, was born at Cultra House, Holywood, Co. Down, only son of John Kane Boyd, co-proprietor of the Blackstaff Mill. He was educated in Paris and Edinburgh before graduating from Queen's College, Belfast (QCB), and…...
Boylan, James
Boylan, James (1899–1982), footwear manufacturer and company director, was born 23 June 1899 in Ballybay, Co. Monaghan, eldest son among five sons and six daughters of John Michael Boylan, small farmer at Ballybay, and Hannah Boylan (née Connolly). Educated locally, he left school (May…...
Braughall, Thomas
Braughall, Thomas (1730–1803), merchant and politician, was born in Dublin (no further details of his background are known), and was one of the most forthright radical catholics to emerge from the Dublin merchant community in the eighteenth century. Braughall's ancestors had taken…...
Brazil, Dame Johanna
Brazil, Dame Johanna (Sister Mary Phillipa ) (1896–1988), Sister of Mercy, teacher, and nurse, was born 25 December 1896 in Kilfinane, Co. Limerick, daughter of Thomas Brazil, farmer, and Julia Brazil (née Devane). Educated at the local convent national school, she was one of a group…...
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…...
Brennan, Joseph
Brennan, Joseph (1887–1976), civil servant and banker, was born 18 November 1887 at Hill Terrace, Bandon, Co. Cork, eldest son among seven children of Joseph Brennan (d. 1948), businessman, and his wife Mary (née Hickey). He was educated at the local national school, Clongowes…...
Brennan, Martin
Brennan, Martin (1900–56), revolutionary, doctor, politician, and film censor, was born 9 August 1900 in the family home at Rhue, Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo, sixth of thirteen children of Matthew Brennan (d. 1921), farmer and Fenian, and his wife Bridget (d. 1934), teacher, daughter of…...
Bresnihan, Barry (Finbar Patrick Kevin)
Bresnihan, Barry (Finbar Patrick Kevin) (1944–2010), rheumatologist and rugby player, was born on 13 March 1944 at 15 Lower Hatch Street, Dublin, the only son (as well as three daughters) of Dr Con Bresnihan (d. 1974), GP, chief medical officer to the civil service, and medical…...
Bridgeman, Joanna (Sister Mary Francis)
Bridgeman, Joanna (Sister Mary Francis) (1813–88), Sister of Mercy, educator, and Crimean war nurse, was born in Ballagh, Ruan, Co. Clare, one of four children (two sons and two daughters) of St John Bridgeman and his wife Lucy Reddan. Her mother was a relative of…...
Briscoe, Robert Emmet
Briscoe, Robert Emmet (1894–1969), republican, Zionist, and businessman, was born 25 September 1894 at Lower Beechwood Avenue, Ranelagh, Dublin, third child and second son among four sons and three daughters of Abraham William Briscoe, merchant, native of Zagar, Kovno, Lithuania, and…...