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…...
Monteith, Charles Montgomery
Monteith, Charles Montgomery (1921–95), publisher, was born 9 February 1921 in Lisburn, Co. Antrim, son of James Monteith, draper, and Marian Monteith (née Montgomery). The family were devoutly presbyterian. Charles was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institute – he later…...
Mooney, John Joseph
Mooney, John Joseph (1920–2000), farmer and publisher, was born 8 March 1920 in a nursing home at 4 Upper Pembroke Street, Dublin, elder of two children of Patrick Mooney, farmer and cattle dealer, a native of Athy, Co. Kildare, who had inherited an uncle's farm at Kilmurry, Co.…...
Moore, Theophilus
Moore, Theophilus (c.1730–c.1809), almanack compiler, may have been born in King's Co. (Offaly), but details of his life are scant and conflicting. John McCall (qv) in his comprehensive ‘History of Irish almanacks’ (written 1878; unpublished…...
Mo-Sinnu (Sinlán, Sillán)
Mo-Sinnu (Sinlán, Sillán) (d. 610) of the moccu Mín, scribe and abbot of the monastery of Bangor, Co. Down, seems to have belonged to a little-known early tribal group from north-east Munster, called the Menraige. He is called by the shorter, latinised form of his name, Sinlán…...
Muiredach (Muridac, Murethach)
Muiredach (Muridac, Murethach) (fl. c.840), scribe, grammarian, and poet, with his contemporaries and compatriots Sedulius Scottus (qv) and John Scottus Eriugena…...
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…...
Murphy, John
Murphy, John (c.1755–1832), engraver and educational publisher, was born in Cork city and reared in its northern suburbs, around Mallow Lane. At the age of seventeen he emigrated to London, led by his ‘predilection for the Fine Arts and a desire to cultivate an inclination for…...
Neal (Neale), John
Neal (Neale), John (fl.1701–40), publisher of music, manufacturer of musical instruments, and musician, worked in Dublin throughout his adult life and may have been born in the city. He appears, c.1701, running a recorder-making shop in Christ Church Lane, Dublin. From…...
Neill (Neil), Patrick
Neill (Neil), Patrick (1665?–1705?), printer, was born in Glasgow, and was probably the same as the Patrick Neill, bookbinder, who in 1691 was admitted a burgess of that city and guild brother in right of his father. His parents were most likely David Neill and Mary Hamilton, whose…...
Neilson, William (Mac Néill, Uilliam)
Neilson, William (Mac Néill, Uilliam) (1774–1821), presbyterian minister, classical and Irish-language scholar and writer, was born 12 September 1774 at Rademon, Kilmore, Co. Down, fourth among seven sons of the Rev. Moses Neilson (1739?–1823), schoolmaster and presbyterian minister of…...
Nelson, Oliver
Nelson, Oliver (c.1715–1775), printer, was apprenticed to George Grierson (d. 1753), in Essex St., Dublin, for 1736/7. Prior to this he probably worked for William Bowyer in London intermittently during 1732–6, but nothing is known of his early life. He was sworn free of…...
Nesbitt, William
Nesbitt, William (1824–81), professor of Latin and of Greek, was born in January 1824 in Co. Armagh, son of John Nesbitt (d. 1858), methodist minister (whose family moved with him to various congregations), and his wife, who may have been Jane Douglass. Nesbitt was educated mostly…...
Nicholson, Ernest Wilson
Nicholson, Ernest Wilson (1938–2013), biblical scholar, was born on 26 September 1938 in Portadown, Co. Armagh, the youngest of three children of Ernest Tedford Nicholson, a soldier and baker, and Veronica Muriel Nicholson. After attending Hart Memorial Primary School in Portadown, he…...
Nolan, Thomas
Nolan, Thomas (1872/3–1939), newspaper editor and publisher, was educated at the CBS, Tralee, Co. Kerry; few other details of his early life are available. As a young man he joined the clerical staff of J. B. Healy, building…...
Norris, Philip
Norris, Philip (c.1400–1465), scholar and controversialist, was probably born in Dundalk, where on 31 July 1427 he was presented to the parish church of St Nicholas. Granted leave of absence for seven years in order to study at a university, he went to Oxford; there he…...
Nugent, Thomas
Nugent, Thomas (1700?–1772), writer and translator, was a native of Ireland, but little is known of the details of his life. He is frequently confused with his namesake (c.1710–1788), the fourth son of Walter Nugent of Carpenterstown, Co. Westmeath. In addition to original…...
Nutt, Alfred Trübner
Nutt, Alfred Trübner (1856–1910), folklorist, Celtic scholar, and publisher, was born 22 November 1856 in London, the only surviving son of David Nutt (d. 1863), bookseller and publisher, and his wife Ellen, daughter of Robert Carter, naval surgeon, and granddaughter of William…...
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'Brien, Thomas
O'Brien, Thomas (1914–74), poet, publisher, and Spanish civil war veteran, was born 24 April 1914 in Dublin, eldest child among two sons and two daughters of Hugh O'Brien and Mary (‘Polly’) O'Brien (née Berkeley). Having attended local Christian Brothers' schools, he left formal…...
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…...
Ó Cuinneagáin, Gearóid Seán Caoimhín
Ó Cuinneagáin, Gearóid Seán Caoimhín (1910–91), political activist and publisher, was born 2 January 1910 at Belfast, the third child of Sean Cunningham and his wife Caitlín. He was educated in Belfast, at St Brigid's school, Malone Rd, and the …...
O'Daly, John
O'Daly, John (1800–78), writer and publisher, was born 5 February 1800 in Fernane, Cappoquin, Co. Waterford, eldest among three sons and three daughters of Eamonn O'Daly and Brigid O'Daly (née Kyley). He was educated at a local hedge school before going to work, in 1826, for the…...
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…...