Clune, Patrick Joseph
Clune, Patrick Joseph (1864–1935), catholic archbishop of Perth, was born 27 January 1864 at Ruan, Co. Clare, fifth of eleven children of James Clune, farmer, and Margaret Clune (née Lynch). Educated at St Flannan?s College, Ennis, he entered All Hallows College, Dublin, where he…...
Coffey, Peter
Coffey, Peter (1876–1943), priest and professor ofphilosophy, was born 27 April 1876 in Rathrone, Enfield, Co. Meath, son of Andrew Coffey, farmer, and Bridget Coffey (née Cosgrove). Educated at the model school, Trim, the diocesan seminary, Navan, and St Patrick's College,…...
Cogan, Anthony
Cogan, Anthony (1824/5–72), catholic priest and diocesan historian, was born at Slane, Co. Meath, the first of the six sons of Thomas Cogan, a baker, and his wife Anne (née Sillary). Anne Cogan, whose family owned land at Nobber and Platten, was a protestant until her marriage.…...
Cogly, Quentin (Quintin)
Cogly, Quentin (Quintin) (d. 1539?), Dominican priest and bishop of Dromore, was a member of the Gaelic Irish family of Ó Coigligh, a branch of the Uí Fiachrach, who in times long past had been settled in the barony of Carra, Co. Mayo, but in the sixteenth century were dispersed…...
Cohalan (Coghlan), Daniel
Cohalan (Coghlan), Daniel (1858–1952), theologian and catholic bishop of Cork, was born at Kilmichael, Co. Cork, on 14 July 1858, and educated at national schools, St Vincent's Seminary, Cork, and St Patrick's College, Maynooth. Ordained priest in 1883, he was a curate at…...
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, Patrick Joseph
Connolly, Patrick Joseph (1927–2016), barrister and attorney general of Ireland, was born 25 May 1927 at 70 Botanic Road, Glasnevin, Dublin. He was the elder of two sons born to Patrick Joseph Connolly, principal of Ballyboughal national school, and his wife Ellen (‘Nellie’; née O’Hara…...
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)…...
Conolly, Violet
Conolly, Violet (1899–1988), authority on Soviet Russia and traveller, was born 11 May 1899 at Fernville, Glasnevin, Co. Dublin, the eldest of six children, five daughters and one son, of Thomas Conolly, a master builder, and his wife, Teresa (née McQuaid), of Stormanstown, Co.…...
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 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, 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…...