Coigly (Coigley, Quigley, O'Coigley), James
Coigly (Coigley, Quigley, O'Coigley), James (1761–98), United Irishman and catholic priest, was born in August 1761 in Kilmore, Co. Armagh, second son of James Coigly, farmer, and Louisa Coigly (née Donnelly). In the absence of seminary education in penal Ireland, Coigly served an…...
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…...
Collins, Dominic
Collins, Dominic (c.1566–1602), soldier, Jesuit, and martyr, was born in Youghal, Co. Cork, son of John Collins, previously mayor of Youghal, and Felicity Collins (née O'Dril or O'Duala). In the aftermath of the passing of the acts of supremacy and uniformity (1560) he was born…...
Collins, Jerome James
Collins, Jerome James (1841–81) meteorologist, Arctic explorer, and founder of Clan na Gael, was born 17 October 1841 in Cork city, the son of Mark Collins, a lime and saltworks owner of South Main Street, Cork, and his wife Ellen (née Ryan). He attended St Vincent's Seminary,…...
Comerford (Comberford, Quemerford), Nicholas
Comerford (Comberford, Quemerford), Nicholas (c.1541/5–c.1599), Jesuit, was born in Waterford city, son of Patrick Comerford and his wife, who was a Walsh. He was educated at Peter White's renowned school in Kilkenny city before studying at Oxford for at least…...
Comerford, Patrick
Comerford, Patrick (c.1584–1652), catholic bishop of Waterford and Lismore, was the son of Robert Comerford, merchant, of Waterford, and his wife, Anastasia (née White) of Clonmel. He was educated in Waterford and Kilkenny, and was one of the first students at the Irish…...
Concanen, Richard Luke
Concanen, Richard Luke (1747–1810), catholic bishop of New York, was born in Kilbegnet, Co. Roscommon, son of Luke Concanen and Mary Concanen (née Corr), presumably of small farming stock. In 1764 he entered the Dominican order at the Irish college of Holy Cross, Louvain. Soon he…...
Conefrey, Peter
Conefrey, Peter (1880–1939), catholic priest and social critic, was born 9 June 1880 in Mohill, Co. Leitrim, son of James Conefrey, publican, and his wife Mary McGivney. There were many priests on both sides of the family. His uncle, Fr Thomas Conefrey, parish priest of Drumlish,…...
Conmee, John Stephen
Conmee, John Stephen (1847–1910), Jesuit priest, writer, and educator, was born 25 December 1847 in Glanduff, near Athlone, Co. Westmeath, the son of John N. Conmee, a prosperous farmer. His family later moved to Kingsland, Co. Roscommon, and it was here that he spent his early…...
Connellan, Thomas
Connellan, Thomas (1856–1917), catholic priest turned protestant evangelist, was eldest son of James Connellan (1814–96), farmer at Geevagh, Sligo, and his wife Honora. After studying at Summerhill College in Sligo (which he greatly disliked) and at Maynooth, he was ordained a…...
Connolly, Patrick J.
Connolly, Patrick J. (1875–1951), Jesuit priest and journal editor, was born 23 November 1875 at Killomoran, near Gort, Co. Galway, a son of Patrick Connolly, an illiterate farmer, and his wife, Mary (née Connors). He was educated at Mungret College, Limerick. After entering the…...
Connolly, Peter Romauld
Connolly, Peter Romauld (1927–87), catholic priest and literary critic, was born 25 February 1927 at Rathlagan, Drumconrath, Co. Meath, eldest of five children (three sons and two daughters) of Peter Paul Connolly, farmer, and Susan Connolly (née Slattery), schoolteacher. He was…...
Conny (Mac Giolla Coinne), Brian
Conny (Mac Giolla Coinne), Brian (c.1580?–1663?), Franciscan scholar and missionary, was born in Connacht; his name was also latinised as ‘Bernardus Conn(e)ius’ and anglicised as ‘Brien Kilkenny’. Nothing is known of his early life. He entered the Franciscan order (1621)…...
Conroy, George Michael
Conroy, George Michael (1831–78), catholic bishop of Ardagh, was born into ‘a Levitical family’ (Monahan), son of Nicholas Conroy, on 30 December 1831 in Park St., Dundalk, Co. Louth, and educated at a primary school at Dromiskeen, a classical school at Dundalk, the diocesan…...
Conry, Florence
Conry, Florence (Flaithrí Ó Maolchonaire) (c.1560–1629), catholic archbishop of Tuam and Franciscan minister provincial of the Irish province, was born at Cluain na hOíche near Elphin, Co. Roscommon, the son of Fíthil and Onóra Ó Maolchonaire. He belonged…...
Conway, Arthur William
Conway, Arthur William (1875–1950), academic and president of UCD, was born 2 October 1875 in Main St., Wexford town, the only son of Myles and Teresa Conway (née Harris). He had one sister. His father died, aged 34, when Arthur was only two, and his mother married again, to a…...
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…...
Conway, Edward Joseph
Conway, Edward Joseph (1894–1968), biochemist, was born 3 July 1894 in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, son of William Francis Conway, a draper who came from farming stock, and Mary Anne Conway (née McCready), whose relatives had established the McCready Shoe Corporation in the United…...
Conway, Honoria (Sister Mary Vincent)
Conway, Honoria (Sister Mary Vincent) (1815–92), Sister of Charity, foundress, and educator, was born 18 June 1815 in Dover Castle, Isle of Wight, England, youngest of three children (one son and two daughters) of Sgt Michael Conway of the Galway Militia, Galway, and Eleanor…...
Conway, John Basil (Fr Ambrose)
Conway, John Basil (Fr Ambrose) (1906–86), Cistercian monk, was born 13 March 1906 in Ennis, Co. Clare, one of three children of Jeremiah Francis Conway, a member of the RIC, and Alice Conway (née O'Shea). Conway was educated at…...
Conway, Richard
Conway, Richard (1572–1626), Jesuit, was born in New Ross, Co. Tipperary, son of Patrick Conway; nothing is known of his mother. In 1590 he travelled to Lisbon and studied humanities at the Irish college there. On 22 July 1592 he was received into the Jesuit noviciate at Coimbra.…...
Conway, William John
Conway, William John (1913–77), cardinal, was born 22 January 1913 in Belfast, eldest of four sons and five daughters of Patrick Conway and Annie Conway (née Donnelly). The family home at that time was at Dover St., which linked the Falls and Shankhill Roads. His father, a self-…...
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…...
Coppinger, William
Coppinger, William (1753–1831), catholic bishop of Cloyne and Ross, was born 20 May 1753 in St Finbar's parish, Co. Cork, son of Stephen William Coppinger and Joanna Coppinger, a cousin. He was educated in France, where he briefly considered a military career and even applied for…...
Corcoran, Timothy
Corcoran, Timothy (1872–1943), priest and educationist, was born 17 January 1872 at Honeymount, Dunkerrin, Co. Tipperary, eldest son of Thomas Corcoran, a large farmer, and Alice Corcoran (née Gleeson). His father was locally prominent in the Land League and Gaelic Athletic Association…...