Lavit, Joseph
Lavit, Joseph (d. c.1728), merchant, appears to have settled in Cork around 1690. He was a huguenot, but nothing more is known of his life in France (where his name was probably Lavitte) except that when he arrived in Ireland he was apparently a man of little or no…...
Lawless, Sir Nicholas
Lawless, Sir Nicholas (1733–99), woollen draper, banker, MP, and 1st Baron Cloncurry , was born 30 October 1733, eldest son of Robert Lawless (d. 1775), woollen draper, of 2 High St., the Liberties, Dublin, and his wife Mary, daughter of Dominick Hadsor and widow of Robert…...
Lawlor, Edward (‘Eddie’) Lazerian
Lawlor, Edward (‘Eddie’) Lazerian (1938–99), property developer and philanthropist, was born 15 February 1938 in Tullow, Co. Carlow, second son among five sons and seven daughters of Edward Lawlor (b. 1906), of Tullow, Co. Carlow, truck driver and later regional supervisor for…...
Lawlor, Liam
Lawlor, Liam (1944–2005), politician and businessman, was born William Anthony Lawlor on 19 October 1944 in the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, Dublin, son of Gerald Lawlor, motor driver, of 8 Moracrete Cottages, Crumlin Road, Dublin, and his wife Ellen (née Gaffney); he…...
Lawrence, Richard
Lawrence, Richard (fl. 1643–1684), army officer, author, and entrepreneur, first came to public attention during the English civil wars, serving with parliament as commissary of provisions in Lord Manchester's army (September 1643–April 1645). Little is known of his…...
Lehane, Con
Lehane, Con (1912–83), republican, politician, solicitor and actor, was born in Belfast on 7 May 1912, the only surviving child of Denis Lehane (Donncadh Ó Liatháinn), an excise officer originally from Co. Cork, and his wife Mary (née Connolly), a native of the Falls Road in Belfast…...
Lenihan, Patrick James
Lenihan, Patrick James (1902–70), civil servant, company director, and TD, was born 4 September 1902 in Lickeen, Ennistimon, Co. Clare, son of Patrick Lenihan, national school teacher, and Hannah Lenihan (née McIherney). Educated at St Joseph's College, Ballinasloe, and…...
Lennon, James
Lennon, James (1880–1958), republican and advocate of credit reform, was born 26 August 1880 at Ballyrughan, Borris, Co. Carlow, the son of two teachers, Lufoester Lennon and Margaret Lennon (née Tracy). He attended Newton school in Carlow and later Knockbeg College, and became active…...
Linnane, Joe
Linnane, Joe (1910–81), broadcaster and actor, was born 19 April 1910 in Marlborough Street, Dublin, the son of Thomas Linnane, who owned and ran a drapery in Marlborough Street, and his wife Johanna (Josephine) (née Lambe). The family subsequently moved to Sandymount Avenue, Dublin,…...
Locke, James Harvey
This is a co-subject for the entry on Locke, John. View the original entry....
Logan, Michael J. (Ó Lócháin, Micheál)
Logan, Michael J. (Ó Lócháin, Micheál) (1836–99), editor, publisher, and ‘father of the Gaelic language movement’ in America (Ford, 1899), was born 29 September 1836 at Currach Doire (Curraghderry), Baile an Mhuilinn (Milltown), near Tuam, Co. Galway, son of Patrick Logan, a small…...
Lucey, Michael
Lucey, Michael (1921–2000), businessman, was born 24 February 1921 in Cabragh, Co. Cork, the son of Michael Lucey, farmer, of Cabragh, and his wife Johanna (née Riordan). A native Irish-speaker, he mastered Latin during his education at the Christian Brothers' College, Cork city.…...
Lynch, Joseph Lawrence (‘Joe’)
Lynch, Joseph Lawrence (‘Joe’) (1926–2001), actor and singer, was born 16 July 1926 in Mallow, Co. Cork, son of Jim Lynch, engine driver, and Madge Lynch (née Delany), bookbinder. He was educated at the North Monastery CBS in Cork city and…...
Macan, Arthur Jacob
Macan, Arthur Jacob (1774–1819), politician, soldier and banker, was the youngest child of seven (six sons and one daughter) of Thomas Macan (1717–95). Thomas had been born McCann , a descendant of one of the most important Gaelic clans in Co. Armagh, but on 27 October 1751…...
MacAvin (McAvin), John Patrick
MacAvin (McAvin), John Patrick (1880–1938), businessman and politician, was born on 27 December 1880 in Ballymore, Co. Westmeath, the eldest son of David MacAvin, an RIC constable stationed in the Ballymore area and originally of Co. Monaghan, and his wife Anne (née Walsh) from Co.…...
Mac Caba (McCabe), Alasdair (‘Alec’)
Mac Caba (McCabe), Alasdair (‘Alec’) (1886–1972), teacher, revolutionary, politician, and founder of the Educational Building Society, was born 5 June 1886 in Keash, Co. Sligo. Educated at Keash national school and Summerhill College, Sligo, he won a scholarship to St Patrick's…...
MacDonagh, Joseph
MacDonagh, Joseph (1883–1922), politician and businessman, was born 18 May 1883 in Cloughjordan, Co. Tipperary, youngest of six surviving children (four sons and two daughters) of Joseph MacDonagh (1834–94), native of Rooskey, Co. Roscommon, and Mary MacDonagh (née Parker; d. 1908…...
MacDonnell, Randal
MacDonnell, Randal (1762–1821), merchant and catholic politician, may have been born in Cartagena, Spain, where he was prominent as a merchant until he moved to Ireland c.1790. He first attended a meeting of the Catholic Committee on 6 February 1791. Soon he was, with…...
MacGowran, Jack
MacGowran, Jack (1918–73), actor, was born 13 October 1918 in Ranelagh, Dublin, the only son among three children of Matthew MacGowran, a sporadically employed travelling salesman, and Gertrude MacGowran (née Shanahan). ‘Jackie’, as he was always known, was educated at the…...
MacKay, John William
MacKay, John William (1831–1902), miner and businessman, was born in Dublin, son of a Scottish father and an Irish mother. His family were desperately poor, and in 1840 they emigrated to America. Following his arrival in New York, he was educated at a public school but his father…...
Mackey, Rex
Mackey, Rex (1911–99), barrister, actor, and writer, was born Arthur Joseph Connel Mackey on 7 December 1911, the eldest of three sons and two daughters of Joseph Arthur Mackey of Liosnamara, Bray, Co. Wicklow, and his wife Gertrude (née Gallagher). Educated at Castleknock College…...
MacLoughlin, Cornelius
MacLoughlin, Cornelius (1753?–1851), merchant and repealer, was born in Dublin into a family of merchants; no other details of his family background are known. According to W. J. Fitzpatrick he was born in 1761 (Dublin catholic cemeteries, 58); his Freeman's Journal…...
Maguire, Meredith Francis (‘Frank’)
Maguire, Meredith Francis (‘Frank’) (1929–81), publican and politician, was born in Gort, Co. Galway, eldest son of Francis Maguire (1900–78), detective garda sergeant, and his wife, Sadie (1907–78). He was educated at St Mary's Marist Brothers School in Athlone and subsequently…...
Mahon, Nicholas
Mahon, Nicholas (1746?–1841), woollen merchant and politician, was apparently a native of Clare or Limerick. His maternal grandfather was Colonel Nicholas Purcell (qv) (1651?–1723), commander of the Jacobite cavalry at Aughrim (1691…...
Malone, James
Malone, James (d. 1721), printer and bookseller, was of obscure origin. A catholic, he was admitted free of the city of Dublin in 1672, and of the guild of stationers in 1676. He came to prominence under James II (qv); when the…...