Drury, Sir William
Drury, Sir William (1527–79), soldier and administrator, was born on 2 October 1527 at Hawstead, Suffolk, the third son of Sir Robert Drury of Hedgerley, Buckinghamshire, and Elizabeth, daughter of Edmund Brudenell. He was educated at Gonville Hall, Cambridge, then became a…...
Duff, David
Duff, David (1883–1959), doctor, barrister and colonial civil servant, was born on 11 April 1883 in Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, one of ten children of John Duff, the secretary of the Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway, and his wife Anne Marie (née Elkins). Educated at the…...
Eagar, Margaret Alexandra ('Margaretta')
Eagar, Margaret Alexandra ('Margaretta') (1863–1935), nursery nurse to the Russian imperial family, was born in Limerick on 12 August 1863. She was the fifth of eleven children born to Francis MacGillycuddy Eagar and his wife Frances Holden. From 1855–80, Francis Eagar was governor of…...
Emmet, Robert
Emmet, Robert (1729–1802), state physician, was born 29 November 1729 at Tipperary, younger of two sons of Christopher Emett, physician, and Rebecca Emett (née Temple); his mother was a descendant of the powerful Temple political dynasty based at Stowe, Buckinghamshire. Educated…...
Erle, Thomas
Erle, Thomas (c.1650–1720), soldier and lord justice of Ireland, was second-born but first surviving son of Thomas Erle (d. 1650) of Axmouth, Devon, and his wife Susanna, daughter of William Fiennes, 1st Viscount Saye and Sele. He was educated at Trinity College, Oxford (…...
Esmond, Sir Laurence
Esmond, Sir Laurence (1565–1645), 1st Baron Esmond and soldier, was born in Johnstown castle, second son of Walter Esmond of Johnstown, Co. Wexford, and his wife Margaret, daughter of Michael Furlong of Horetown. His family was strongly loyalist and his father died fighting for the…...
Esmond, Sir Thomas
Esmond, Sir Thomas (d. 1674), soldier and confederate, was the only son of Lawrence, Lord Esmond (qv) (d. 1646), of Limerick, Co. Wexford, and Margaret, daughter of Murrough O'Flaherty of Connacht. His parents separated over…...
Fitzgerald, Lord Henry
Fitzgerald, Lord Henry (1761–1829), soldier and politician, was born 30 July 1761, fourth son among nine sons and ten daughters of James Fitzgerald (qv), later 1st duke of Leinster, and his wife Lady…...
Fitzgibbon, John Charles Henry
Fitzgibbon, John Charles Henry (1829–54?), Viscount Fitzgibbon and soldier, was born 2 May 1829 at Mountshannon House, Castleconnell, Co. Limerick, the only legitimate son of Richard Hobart Fitzgibbon, 3rd earl of Clare, and his wife Diana, daughter of Charles Brydges Woodcock,…...
Fitzpatrick, John (‘Jack’)
Fitzpatrick, John (‘Jack’) (d. p.1693?), army officer and politician, was the son of Florence Fitzpatrick, of Castletown, in the barony of Upper Ossory, Queen's County, who was a member of the commons in the confederate general assembly, 1642–9. The Fitzpatricks had…...
Foley, Gerald Robert Edward
Foley, Gerald Robert Edward (1886–1982), soldier and policeman, was born 10 May 1886 at the rectory, Askeaton, Co. Limerick, son of William Foley, the incumbent, and Josephine Foley (née Clarke). After completing his Bachelor of Arts (BA) at Trinity College Dublin (TCD), he joined the…...
Forbes, Sir Arthur
Forbes, Sir Arthur (1656–1734), 2nd earl of Granard , soldier and Jacobite, was eldest son of Arthur Forbes (qv), later 1st earl of Granard, and his wife Catherine Stewart. He saw service in the French army prior to 1675. After…...
Fortescue, Sir Faithful
Fortescue, Sir Faithful (c. 1580–1666), royalist army officer and settler, was the second son of William Fortescue (d. 1604) of Buckland, Filleigh, Devon, and his second wife, Susannah Chichester, daughter of Sir John Chichester of Raleigh in Kent. About 1604–5, at a very…...
Freyer, Sir Peter Johnston
Freyer, Sir Peter Johnston (1851–1921), surgeon, was born 21 July 1851 at Selerna, Ballynahinch, Co. Galway, eldest son of Samuel Freyer, farmer, and Celia Freyer (née Burke). Educated at Erasmus Smith's grammar school, Galway, he entered QCG…...
Fullerton, Andrew
Fullerton, Andrew (1868–1934), surgeon, was born 20 March 1868 in Wesley Street, Cavan, the third son of the seven children of Rev. Alexander Fullerton, a methodist clergyman, and his wife Mary Jane (née Moffitt), a close relative of General Gordon of Khartoum. His paternal…...
Godley, John Raymond
Godley, John Raymond (1920–2005), 3rd Baron Kilbracken of Killegar , pilot, journalist, traveller, landowner and environmentalist, was born 17 October 1920 in Chester Street, Belgravia, London, England, the eldest of two sons (Wynne being the younger) and a daughter (Kathleen) of…...
Goldin, Paul
Goldin, Paul (1927–2008), entertainer and clinical psychologist, was born Ronald Paul Gold in London on 15 April 1927, the son of Charles Gold and his wife Minnie (née Elbury). The Golds were a Jewish family living in London's East End, and Paul's father may have been a psychiatrist…...
Graves, Robert James
Graves, Robert James (1796–1853), physician and teacher, was born 28 March 1796 in Dublin, youngest of three sons and seventh among ten children of Richard Graves (1763–1829), author, professor of divinity at TCD, and dean of Ardagh, and his…...
Greatrakes, William
Greatrakes, William (1723/5–81), barrister and soldier, was born in Waterford, third son of Allen Greatrakes, gentleman, of Mount Lahan, Co. Cork, and Frances Greatrakes (née Supple) of Aghadoe, Co. Kerry. He entered TCD (July 1740) and…...
Greene, Juan Nassau
Greene, Juan Nassau (1918–79), farmer and medical doctor, was born 19 September 1918 in Argentina, third son and fifth child of John Nassau Greene (1890–1973), native of Kilkea, Castledermot, Co. Kildare, and Annie Kathleen Greene (née Jackson) (1888/9–1973), third daughter of…...
Gregory, (William) Robert
Gregory, (William) Robert (1881–1918), painter, theatre designer, sportsman, and airman, was born 20 May 1881 in London, only child of Sir William Gregory (qv) of Coole Park, Co. Galway, and his second wife, Isabella Augusta…...
Grey, Mona Elizabeth Clara
Grey, Mona Elizabeth Clara (1910–2009), nurse, was born 24 September 1910 in Westridge, Rawalpindi, in the Punjab, then in India, the daughter of Albert Edward Grey and Grace Grey (née Dassing or Dashing). At the time of her birth her father was working as a guard on the North Western…...
Grierson (Crawley), Constantia
Grierson (Crawley), Constantia (c.1705–1732), editor, scholar, and one of Swift's female literary circle, was born Constantia Crawley in Graiguenamanagh, Co. Kilkenny, into a poor family. Little is known of her early life or education, save from the memoirs of her friend…...
Grierson, Sir George Abraham
Grierson, Sir George Abraham (1851–1941), member of the Indian Civil Service (ICS) and language scholar, was born 7 January 1851 in the parish of Monkstown near Dublin, eldest son of George Abraham Grierson, a TCD graduate and barrister…...
Gubbins, Sir Charles Decimus O'Grady
Gubbins, Sir Charles Decimus O'Grady (1855–1911), medical doctor and parliamentarian, was born 23 May 1855 in Ballingarry, Co. Limerick, son of the Rev. George Gubbins and Dorothea Gubbins (née Purdon). He was educated in Tipperary and at TCD…...