Colgan, John
Colgan, John (1592?–1658), Franciscan friar and hagiographer, was born in Priestown in the parish of Donagh, Inishowen, Co. Donegal. Little is known for certain of his early years or family circumstances. He was a member of a well-established Donegal clerical family, the Mac Colgans of…...
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…...
Concannon, Helena
Concannon, Helena (1878–1952), historian and politician, was born 28 October 1878 in Magherafelt, Co. Londonderry, one of two daughters of Louis Walsh, hotel owner in Maghera, Co. Londonderry, and Elizabeth Walsh (née Donnelly); there were also three sons. Louis Walsh had been a…...
Connellan, Owen
Connellan, Owen (1797–1871), Gaelic scholar, royal historiographer, and scribe, was born in Tireragh, Co. Sligo, son of a farmer. He claimed descent from the kings of Ireland through the chieftains of Bunnyconnellan in Mayo, and was most likely related to another nineteenth-century…...
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…...
Connell, Kenneth Hugh
Connell, Kenneth Hugh (1917–73), historian, was born at Southampton of what he called ‘Irish peasant stock’ and was educated there at Taunton's School. After graduating at the London School of Economics (LSE) in 1941 he taught history at Aberystwyth, Liverpool, and the LSE, moving…...
Connor (O'Connor), Bernard
Connor (O'Connor), Bernard (c.1666–1698), royal physician, anatomist, and historian, was born into a catholic family in Co. Kerry, one of at least three children of Bernard O'Connor, possibly a member of the branch of the lords of Kerry, whose seat was at Carrigafoyle;…...
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,…...
Conway, Dominic
Conway, Dominic (1918–96), missionary, catholic bishop of Elphin, and historian, was born in rural Co. Longford on 1 January 1918, in the parish of Templemichael and Ballymacormack in the diocese of Ardagh, second child of Dominic Conway, family grocer, and Mary (née Hoare). The…...
Conyngham, David Power
Conyngham, David Power (c.1825–1883), historian, journalist, and soldier, was born in Crohane, Co. Tipperary, the eldest son of John Cunningham and Catherine Cunningham (née Power), who were well-to-do tenant farmers. On his mother's side he was related to…...
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, William Burton
Conyngham, William Burton (1733–96), politician, antiquarian, and landowner, was second of two sons of Francis Burton , politician, of Buncraggy, Co. Clare, and Mary Burton, only daughter of Maj.-gen. Henry Conyngham, and sister of Henry…...
Cooke, Robert Francis
Cooke, Robert Francis (1821–82), catholic priest and author, was born 14 February 1821 in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, son of a businessman; no other details of his family are known. He was educated locally and subsequently studied medicine in Dublin, before becoming an assistant…...
Cooke, Thomas Lalor
Cooke, Thomas Lalor (1792–1869), attorney and antiquary, probably born in Borrisoleigh, Co. Tipperary, was fifth among sixteen children of Richard Cooke, Roman catholic distiller and merchant, and Mary Cooke (née Lalor). Cooke was apprenticed to a solicitor in Dublin and entered…...
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…...
Cooper, Austin
Cooper, Austin (1759–1830), antiquary, was born 15 February 1759 at Killinure, Co. Tipperary, third son among fourteen children of William Cooper, registrar of the diocese of Cashel, and his wife Jane (née Wayland). Cooper was educated in Cashel, and in 1774 entered the treasury…...
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…...
Corcoran, Doreen
Corcoran, Doreen (1934–2013), local historian, was born in Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim, on 12 July 1934, the eldest child of William Luney and Roberta Luney (née Robinson). Doreen and her two brothers and sister were brought up in Greenisland, Co. Antrim, with visits to grandparents…...
Corish, Patrick Joseph
Corish, Patrick Joseph (1921–2013), priest and historian, was born on 17 March 1921 in Ballytarsna near Ballycullane, Co. Wexford, the son of Peter William Corish, a schoolteacher, and his wife Brigid (née O’Shaughnessy). Patrick had five brothers and one sister, and remained close to…...
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, Ephraim MacDowel
Cosgrave, Ephraim MacDowel (1853–1925), physician and antiquary, was born 17 July 1853, a son of William Alexander Cosgrave of Corrstown House, Co. Dublin, clerk of the peace for Co. Longford, and his wife, Anna Maria, daughter of Ephraim MacDowel (1798–1835), surgeon at the…...