Clive (Raftor), Catherine (Kitty)
Clive (Raftor), Catherine (Kitty) (1711–85), comic actress, singer, and writer, was probably born in London on 5 November 1711. Her father, William Raftor or Rafter, was a Kilkenny-born lawyer, who lost his claim on a large estate following his support of…...
Cochrane, Sir Stanley Herbert
Cochrane, Sir Stanley Herbert (1877–1949), baronet, businessman, and patron of music and sport, was born 19 September 1877, the fourth son of Sir Henry Cochrane (qv), 1st baronet, of Woodbrook, Bray, Co. Wicklow, and his wife…...
Coffey, Brian
Coffey, Brian (1905–95), poet, academic, teacher, and publisher, was born 8 June 1905 at Glenageary, Co. Dublin, son of Denis J. Coffey (qv), president of UCD, and Maude Coffey (née Quin…...
Cogan, Philip
Cogan, Philip (c.1748–1833), organist, pianist, and composer, was probably born in Co. Cork, though his parentage is unclear. He was a choirboy and then a lay vicar at St Fin Barre's cathedral, Cork, before taking up a post as stipendiary in the choir of Christ Church…...
Coghill, Rhoda Sinclair
Coghill, Rhoda Sinclair (1903–2000), pianist, composer, and poet, was born 14 October 1903 in Dublin, the youngest of eight children of Alexander Sinclair Coghill, printing manager, from Thurso, Scotland, and his wife, Rhoda Ann Sinclair (née Baily). Coghill attended Alexandra…...
Colahan, Arthur Nicholas Whistler
Colahan, Arthur Nicholas Whistler (1885–1952), medical doctor and songwriter, was born in Galway city, eldest son of Nicholas Whistler Colahan (d. 1930), professor of materia medica at QCG, and grandson of Nicholas Colahan (president of…...
Coleman, Michael
Coleman, Michael (1891–1945), fiddle player, was born 31 January 1891 in Knockgrania, Killavil, Co. Sligo, youngest among five sons and two daughters of James Coleman (d. 1930), farmer, and Beatrice Ellen (Beesie) Coleman (née Gorman) (d. 1912). Educated at Killavil national school…...
Collier, Peter Fenelon
Collier, Peter Fenelon (1849–1909), publisher and newspaper proprietor, was born 12 December 1849 in Myshall, Co. Carlow, son of Robert C. Collier and Catherine Collier (née Fenelon). After an education in local schools he emigrated to America at 17 and entered St Mary's seminary…...
Collisson, William Alexander Houston
Collisson, William Alexander Houston (1865–1920), clergyman and musician, was born 20 May 1865 in Dublin, son of William Houston Collison and Elizabeth O'Callaghan. Before graduating from TCD (Mus.D.…...
Colmán
Colmán ( fl. 7th century?) is known only as the author of a letter to one Feradach, announcing that he had received certain improved texts a Romanis (‘from those in Rome’ or ‘from the Romani’). The texts mentioned were Isidore, ‘De ecclesiasticis officiis’ (the…...
Colmán
Colmán (fl. 9th cent.), the otherwise unknown author of two well-constructed poems in Virgilian hexameters. One of the poems recalls a miracle of St Brigit (qv); it was written at Rome (in Roma…...
Connellan, Thomas
Connellan, Thomas (1625/40–c.1700), harpist and composer, was born in Cloonamahon, Collooney, Co. Sligo. Though details of his life remain obscure, he was reputedly the most accomplished predecessor of…...
Connell, James (‘Jim’)
Connell, James (‘Jim’) (1852–1929), socialist and author of ‘The red flag’, was born 27 March 1852 in Killskyre, Crossakiel, Co. Meath, eldest of thirteen children of Thomas and Anne O'Connell, tenant farmers. His father later became a groom for the earl of Rosse at Birr, King's Co…...
Conway, Anne
Conway, Anne (1631–79), Viscountess Conway , woman of learning, was born in London, youngest child of Heneage Finch (1580–1631) and his second wife, Elizabeth Cradock (d. 1655). Elizabeth, from Staffordshire, brought both sturdy independence and wealth into her second marriage,…...
Conyngham, Elizabeth Emmet Lenox
Conyngham, Elizabeth Emmet Lenox (née Holmes ) (b. 1800), poet and translator, was born in Dublin, the only child of the barrister and orator Robert Holmes (qv), barrister, and his wife…...
Conyngham, Sir Gerald Ponsonby Lenox
Conyngham, Sir Gerald Ponsonby Lenox - (1866–1956), geodesist, was born 21 August 1866 at Springhill, Moneymore, Co. Londonderry, the seventh of ten children of Sir William Fitzwilliam Lenox-Conyngham, KCB,…...
Cooke, Thomas Simpson
Cooke, Thomas Simpson (1782–1848), musician and composer, was the son of Bartlett Cooke, a noted oboist. Trained in music by his father from an early age, he was later a pupil of the prominent Italian musician Tommaso Giordani. In 1791, at the age of 9, Cooke joined Weichsell…...
Corbet, William
Corbet, William (d. 1838?), printer and newspaper proprietor, was in business in Dublin by 1783; he later had premises in Great Britain Street (1788–1810), Sycamore Alley (1813–22), College Green (1823–4), Palace Street (1825–30), and Upper Ormond Quay (from 1831). In 1783 he was…...
Cormac
Cormac (846–908), son of Cuilennán and king of Cashel (seat of the Éoganacht kings of Munser), was according to the genealogies son of Sealbach, grandson of Dub-dá-chrích, and descendant of Óengus (qv) son of Nad-fraích. He was the chief…...
Cosgrave, Mary Josephine
Cosgrave, Mary Josephine (c.1877–1941), social worker and local politician, was born in Naas, Co. Kildare, the daughter of James William Daly and Jane Daly. Educated at St Mary's Convent in Naas, she went on to study at St Andrews University, from where she graduated LLA…...
Costigan, Ethna Mary Byrne-
Costigan, Ethna Mary Byrne- (1904–91), academic and writer, was born 24 May 1904 at Upper Leeson Street, Dublin, the eldest daughter of Thomas Joseph Byrne (qv), chief architect to the Office of Public Works, and Mary Ellen Byrne…...
Cotter, George Sackville
Cotter, George Sackville (1755–1831), clergyman, poet, and translator, was most probably born in Co. Cork, the fourth and youngest son of Sir James Cotter, MP, created first baronet of Rockforest, Co. Cork, in 1763, and his wife, Arabella (née Rogerson, formerly Cassaubon), coheir…...
Cotter, Sarah
Cotter, Sarah (fl. 1751–92), printer and bookseller, was possibly the sister of Joseph Cotter (d. c.1751), a bookseller operating from under Dick's Coffee House, Skinner Row, Dublin (1744–c.1751). She continued the trade at the same address (1751–74) and…...
Cousser (Kusser), John (Johann) Sigismond
Cousser (Kusser), John (Johann) Sigismond (1660?–1727), composer and master of the king's music in Ireland, was born in Pressburg (later Bratislava) and baptised on 13 February 1660, the son of a Hungarian cantor and composer. In 1674 he moved with his parents and sister to Stuttgart…...
Coyne, Richard
Coyne, Richard (1776/7–1856), printer and bookseller, was first in business in 1808 at 154 Capel Street, Dublin. In 1821 he took over the business of Hugh Fitzpatrick (qv) (d. 1818) at 4 Capel Street and from the following year he…...