McLaughlin, Thomas Anthony
McLaughlin, Thomas Anthony (1896–1971), engineer and originator of the Shannon scheme, was born 14 June 1896 in Dublin Road, Drogheda, Co. Louth, son of Peter McLaughlin, excise officer, and Sarah McLaughlin (née McCabe). Having graduated from…...
Moloney, William Joseph
Moloney, William Joseph (1885–1968), linguist and journalist, was born at South Hill Cottage in Limerick city on 28 May 1885, son of Patrick Moloney, a commercial traveller, and his wife Kate (née McCoy). He was educated in the Redemptorist College there, and in 1900 he attained first…...
Mulholland, William
Mulholland, William (1855–1935), engineer, was born 11 September 1855 in Belfast, second child among four sons and two daughters (both of whom died in infancy) of Hugh Mulholland, mail guard, and Ellen Mulholland (née Deakers; d. 1862). In 1865 Hugh married Jane Smith, with whom…...
Murphy, James Vincent
Murphy, James Vincent (1880–1946), journalist and translator, was born 7 July 1880 at Bandon, Co. Cork, the third of seven children of Timothy Murphy, farmer, and his wife Hannah (née Sullivan). He was educated locally, then at the diocesan minor seminary, and finally at St Patrick's…...
Nowlan, Kevin Ingram
Nowlan, Kevin Ingram (1910–2003), engineer, planning officer, and university lecturer, was born 2 November 1910 at Iona House, Iona Drive, Glasnevin, Dublin, second son of John William Nowlan, assistant superintendent of Glasnevin cemetery, and his wife Kathleen Winifred (née Browning…...
Ó Briain, Liam
Ó Briain, Liam (1888–1974), republican, scholar of Romance languages, and Irish-language enthusiast, was born 16 September 1888 at 10 Church Street, North Wall, Dublin, seventh child of Arthur O'Brien, clerk, and Mary O'Brien (née Christie), who was from Co. Meath. He was christened…...
O'Connell, Peter (Ó Conaill, Peadar)
O'Connell, Peter (Ó Conaill, Peadar) (1755–1826), schoolmaster and lexicographer, was born at Carne, Killimer, Co. Clare (a townland latterly designated as Carrowdotia, on the Shannon estuary 8 km east of Kilrush), one of four sons and two daughters of Tadhg Ó Conaill and Áine Ó Conaill…...
O'Conway, Matthias James
O'Conway, Matthias James (1766–1842), linguist and lexicographer, was born 3 February 1766 in Galway, son of Matthew O'Conway (who was according to one source a ‘merchant’ of that city) and his wife Elizabeth O'Hogan. We know of only one other sibling, an older brother, John. A native…...
O'Donnell, John Patrick
O'Donnell, John Patrick (1920–2004), chemical engineer, was born 3 August 1920 in Kilmallock, Co. Limerick, one of three children of John O'Donnell and his wife Kitty. His parents owned a newsagent's shop in the town. John was a pupil at Bruree national school (where…...
O'Donovan, (Peter) Joseph ('Joe')
O'Donovan, (Peter) Joseph ('Joe') (1946–2008), consulting engineer, was born 9 June 1946 in Molloy Terrace, Ballina, Co. Mayo, son of Peter Joseph O'Donovan, a school inspector originally from west Cork, and his wife Hannah (née Bourke), formerly a teacher; he had at least four…...
O'Flanagan, Theophilus
O'Flanagan, Theophilus (c.1762–1814), classical and Irish scholar, was born in the parish of Tulla, Co. Clare, son of Mathghamhain Ó Flannagáin, scribe and hedge-schoolmaster. He was baptised Tadhg but later on entering TCD…...
Ó hUallacháin, Colmán
Ó hUallacháin, Colmán (1922–79), educator, linguist, Irish-language activist and priest, was born Liam Holohan on 8 December 1922 in Dublin, eldest among four sons and two daughters of Garry Holohan (Gearóid Ó hUallacháin) (1894–1967), imprisoned republican soldier, and latterly an…...
Ó Maolmhuaidh, Proinsias (Francis O'Molloy)
Ó Maolmhuaidh, Proinsias (Francis O'Molloy) (d. 1677), grammarian and theologian, was probably born in the very early seventeenth century, and most likely in the part of Co. Offaly known as Fircall, or O'Molloy's Country. It is stated that he was of noble birth, being related to…...
O'Meara, John
O'Meara, John (1915–2003), academic, was born 18 February 1915 at Eyrecourt, Co. Galway, the elder of two sons of Patrick O'Meara, a small businessman from Ilaunmore on Lough Derg, and Mary O'Meara (née Donelan). The very early death of his father, at the end of 1915, and the troubled…...
O'Rahilly, Aodogán John Eoin O'Sullivan
O'Rahilly, Aodogán John Eoin O'Sullivan (1904–2000), republican and engineer, was born 22 September 1904, third son among four sons of…...
O'Reilly, Joseph Patrick
O'Reilly, Joseph Patrick (1829–1905), chemist, engineer, and mineralogist, was born 11 July 1829 in Monaghan, fifth son among thirteen children of Thomas O'Reilly, solicitor, and Cecilia O'Reilly (née Devin). The family moved to Dublin on his father's appointment as master of the…...
Ó Riain (O'Ryan), Henry
Ó Riain (O'Ryan), Henry (fl. 1633), Dominican priest and Latin poet, probably received his classical education at Munster and pursued his philosophical and theological studies at Rome or elsewhere in Italy. Resident at Rome in 1633, he was commissioned to compose a…...
Plunkett, Richard (Risteard Pluincéid)
Plunkett, Richard (Risteard Pluincéid) (fl. 1662), Franciscan friar and dictionary compiler, is of obscure origins. The Plunketts were one of the most prominent Old English families of the Pale, with titles such as ‘lord of Louth’, ‘Lord Dunsany’, and ‘baron of Killeen’.…...
Purcell, Pierce Francis
Purcell, Pierce Francis (1881–1968), civil engineer, peat fuel pioneer, and university professor, was born 6 October 1881 at the Quay, Kilkenny city, only son of Thomas Purcell of Albert House, Dalkey, Co. Dublin, and Margaret Purcell (née Phelan). Educated in Dublin at St Vincent…...
Rice, Peter Ronan
Rice, Peter Ronan (1935–92), structural engineer, was born 16 June 1935 at the Leinster nursing home, 26 Upper Pembroke St., Dublin, son of James Patrick Rice, head of the Louth vocational education committee, and Maureen Rice (née Quinn), living at 11 Faughart Terrace, St Mary's…...
Ronayne, Joseph Philip
Ronayne, Joseph Philip (1822–76), civil engineer and politician, was born at Mount Verdun, Cork, youngest son of Edward Ronayne, glassmaker, and his wife Margaret, daughter of John Meany of Dorrickmore, Co. Cork. He was educated in Cork at the school of Hamblin and Porter; then…...
Sadleir, John
Sadleir, John (1813–56), banker, politician, speculator, and swindler, was born 17 November 1813 at Shronell House in the parish of Shronell near Tipperary town, fifth of seven children born to Clement William Sadleir, a protestant farmer and middleman, whose earliest known…...
Sall, Andrew Fitzjohn
Sall, Andrew Fitzjohn (1624–82), scholar and sometime Jesuit, was born into an Old English family in the city of Cashel, Co. Tipperary; nothing is known of his parents. More than five Jesuits bore the name Sall (Sál, Sale). With such a background it is not surprising to find the young…...
Sheehy, Edmund
Sheehy, Edmund (1733–66), farmer executed for murder, of Lodge (parish of Ardfinnan, Co. Tipperary), was the son of Ellin Fitzpatrick. He was otherwise known as ‘Buck’ Sheehy, a term indicative of semi-gentleman status, as he had an income of £300 or £400 a year, and was a person…...
Sisk, John Gerard
Sisk, John Gerard (1911–2001), civil engineer and businessman, was born 18 January 1911 in Cork, second son among two sons and one daughter of John Valentine Sisk (1868–1955), head of the family building firm, and his wife Mary Josephine, daughter of Patrick Harty,…...